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The toxic dynamic between Theo James' Cameron and Will Sharpe's Ethan was one of the most engaging aspects of the second season of The White Lotus. It's also no doubt part of the reason why Sharpe took the role in the first place. While the cast of the second season was undeniably star-studded, it allowed time for each and every one of them to evolve their characters. Without question, Cameron and Ethan's relationship goes through one of the most significant metamorphoses.

Throughout the release of the second season of the hit HBO series, various cast members have been publicly honest about their characters. And during two separate interviews with Vulture, both Theo James and Will Sharpe shed light on what was really going on with Cameron and Ethan...

Spoilers Ahead For The White Lotus Season 2

Did Harper And Cameron Hook Up In The White Lotus?

In an interview with Vulture, Theo James addressed the deliberately ambiguous plot line of Cameron and Harper's secret tryst. While every White Lotus fan has their own opinion about what did or didn't happen between the two of them, James claimed he believed Harper's explanation in the season finale. He believes Cameron almost certainly did something with Harper, cheating on his wife and betraying his so-called best friend.

"I always read it as Harper says, pretty much. I think she feels oddly attracted to this monster that is Cameron, but she’s also trying to use the incident to wake Ethan from his existential and sexual reverie," James explained to Vulture. "In terms of what specifically happened, though, it was probably more than she let on by half. Maybe not the most extreme version of that scenario, but there was something else."

Why Are Cameron And Ethan Friends In The White Lotus?

Given the truly dysfunctional and abusive relationship between the two men, it's understandable why viewers are confused as to why Cameron and Ethan are even friends, to begin with. In his interview with Vulture, Theo James explained that the reason for their friendship ultimately comes down to familiarity.

"They lived in the same dorm room, so they were thrown together first. In the series, I think the bit that best illustrates their relationship is in the morning after they’ve had that wild night. They’re lying in bed together and they’re talking and joking. It’s a bit of university camaraderie," James continued in his interview with Vulture.

Related: What White Lotus Star Simona Tabasco Really Thinks About Playing Lucia In The Hit HBO Series

"They’ve evolved away from each other as friends and now have basically polar opposite visions of the world in front of them. But then, men being men, they can always find strange, common ground if they have history together," James explained.

Why Does Cameron Hurt Ethan In The White Lotus?

Theo James told Vulture that Cameron ultimately does what he does to Ethan out of his own "deep insecurity". His own perception of identity is at a loss and Ethan's new-found success is a threat.

"Now Ethan’s a very wealthy man, more wealthy and more successful than Cameron, so Cameron needs to reestablish his own identity," James said to Vulture. "When Mia and Lucia say, 'It’s going to be expensive,' Cameron says, 'I’ve got money. That’s the one thing I do have.' For Cameron, that’s a tiny admission but also quite an illuminating one. He believes there’s something lacking in him, so without money and power, he doesn’t know what he is. That’s why he’s trying to demean his friend. He’s trying to control him. He’s trying to own his friend and own his wife in a search for control."

While James claimed that Cameron certainly wanted to bring Ethan down to his own level during the scenes with Mia and Lucia, he also said that it was his way of being closer to him.

Related: Leo Woodall's Honest Thoughts About His White Lotus Co-Stars And Playing Jack In The Hit HBO Series

"Although Cameron has elements of being controlling and domineering, he is also loving in his own way, which, for me, made him compelling. He does love his friend, even though he’s competitive with him and wants to dominate him, and he does love his wife. So it’s not only a quest for control and domination, but it’s also a quest to be closer. He thinks if I can take you there, if I can rattle your cage, open you up, we’ll be closer."

The reason why Cameron does what he does with Ethan's wife, Harper, is ultimately to "wake them up" to their problems.

Will Sharpe Believes Cameron Caused Ethan To Confront His Masculinity

In his own interview with Vulture, Will Sharpe elaborated on Ethan's relationship with Cameron, saying that part of it is about status. Unlike Cameron, Ethan didn't come from money. Being around Cameron sort of solidifies his new-found success.

"Ethan had to fight for more [for his success]. He got into college because he was smart. He made the money because he’s smart. So this luxury vacation is like, Maybe I deserve a piece of that," Will Sharpe said to Vulture.

"My impression is that before Ethan came on the vacation, he’d been crazy busy at work, so when they arrive, it takes him a minute to catch up and reengage with his actual life," he continued. "Harper is quicker to see all the cracks in Cameron and Daphne’s relationship, but Harper is also the first to question their own relationship, which is terrifying for Ethan. What starts to bubble through is that he’s also worried they’re not as good as they tell themselves they are. When she confronts him with that, he’s not ready. He’s not ready to imagine that his friend Cameron is still the exact same guy if not worse. He’s scared of what it could mean about the rest of the vacation, and he’s scared of confronting the cracks in his own relationship."

Related: Does Adam DiMarco's White Lotus Role Reveal What He's Really Like In A Relationship?

Of course, Cameron does, in a very unhealthy way, causes Ethan to confront his own masculinity and feeling of being emasculated. Through the turmoil of Cameron's relationship with Harper, Ethan learns to fight and not to keep running away.

"[Ethan's] not showing up for his marriage. He’s internalizing problems and not communicating well. Nor is Harper, arguably, but Ethan certainly isn’t. He doesn’t tell her about the incident with Cameron, and then, when he does tell her, the way he tells her is uncomfortable," Sharpe said to Vulture. "It was uncomfortable to play, too, in that deliciously Mike White way."