Before she was dodging bullets in cast of The White Lotus season 3. In the hit HBO show, Bibb plays Kate, a churchgoing mom living in Austin, Texas, vacationing in Thailand with her two childhood best friends.

The White Lotus season 3 featured some wild storylines, from incest to a mass shootout, but the most compelling was the one between Kate, Jaclyn (Michelle Monaghan), and Laurie (Carrie Coon). Though the three girlfriends one-up each other with compliments and platitudes, their favorite hobby is talking behind each other's backs. Kate is hands down the phoniest of the trio, and Bibb's saccharine-sweet smile in episode 3 became one of the show's most memed images. But The White Lotus wasn't Bibb's first time playing a backstabbing mean girl.

Popular Is A Wacky '90s Teen Show Created By Ryan Murphy

Leslie Bibb Played Queen Bee Brooke McQueen

Leslie Bibb As Brooke McQueen In Popular Along With The Rest Of The Cast

Ryan Murphy is the prolific creator of many TV shows, but prior to churning out hits like Glee and American Horror Story, Murphy's first TV series was Popular. Airing on the WB from 1999–2001, Popular is an ensemble comedy-drama series that captures the ongoing high school feud between the beautiful elite and the social outcasts. Leading the respective groups are the beautiful cheerleader Brooke McQueen (Leslie Bibb) and the fiery aspiring journalist Sam Mherson (Carly Pope). Things get even messier when Brooke and Sam's parents unexpectedly get married, forcing them to become step-siblings.

Popular is one of Murphy's wackiest series — and that's saying something — but at the time it aired, teen show audiences wanted straight dramas like Dawson's Creek. They weren't ready for Murphy's oddball humor, and Popular failed to find the fan base it needed to become a hit. Murphy has also been vocal about what he feels is his lack of from the network, accusing the WB of blatant homophobia (via Vulture). It's unknown precisely why they canceled Popular unceremoniously after two seasons, but it ended on a massive cliffhanger.

Leslie Bibb's Popular & White Lotus Characters Are Shockingly Similar

They're Both Incredibly ive-Aggressive

At first blush, you'd think that the White Lotus season 3 counterpart to Leslie Bibb's Popular character would be Jaclyn. Both Brooke and Jaclyn are considered the most popular and beautiful of their friend group, and both serve as de facto leaders. However, while Jaclyn openly revels in her position of power, Brooke puts on a sweetheart facade, acting like she's friends with everyone and pretending like the social hierarchy she benefits from doesn't exist.

Compared to her best friend, the cruel Nicole Julian (Tammy Lynn Michaels), Brooke is a much nicer person, but that's not saying much. Brooke acts remorseful toward the unpopular Carmen Ferrara (Sara Rue) when she's not picked for the cheerleading squad because of her size, but in reality, Brooke had the power to accept her and chose not to, even letting Nicole make fat-shaming comments.

Kate is the one stirring the pot, intentionally provoking her friends until tensions boil over, all while holding up her hands and pleading innocence.

This is not at all dissimilar to Kate in The White Lotus. Kate acts like the peacekeeper between the more volatile Jaclyn and Laurie, and fancies herself a wholesome church lady. But the truth is that Kate is the one stirring the pot, intentionally provoking her friends until tensions boil over, all while holding up her hands and pleading innocence. In this regard, Kate and Brooke are truly cut from the same cloth.

If You Love Leslie Bibb's White Lotus Storyline, You Should Check Out Popular

It's Full Of The Backstabbing Drama That Kate, Jaclyn & Laurie Are Known For

If you loved the mean-girl drama of Kate, Jaclyn, and Laurie over the Ratliffs' Lorazepam hijinks or Rick's revenge quest, you should definitely check out Popular. The White Lotus season 3 girlfriends spend a lot of time talking about their high school days, particularly after Jaclyn seduces Valentin (Arnas Fedaravičius) after encouraging Laurie to do just that.

A composite image of Walton Goggins looking serious in front of Alexandra Daddario smiling and the cast of The White Lotus season 2

The White Lotus Season 4: Confirmation & Everything We Know

Mike White's bitting dark comedy series The Whit Lotus is one of TV's crown jewels, and now it has already been renewed for a fourth season.

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Given that Popular is over 25 years old, and Kate, Jaclyn, and Laurie are in their 40s, the Ryan Murphy show really does resemble what the trio's high school days would have looked like. Sure, Popular's humor is a bit more out there, but its sharpest zingers definitely rival some of The White Lotus season 3's best quotes. And next to her Emmy-worthy performance as Kate, Popular features Leslie Bibb at her phony best.