'White Lotus' star discusses sexuality & controversial incest storyline
| 03/24/25
simbernardo
Sam, kudos. For spilling.
Editor's note: This article contains spoilers for the first six episodes of The White Lotus season 3.
Sam Nivola's performance as Lochlan Ratliff has turned him into one of the breakout stars on The White Lotus season 3. As the youngest member of the Ratliff family, Lochlan isn't very close to his father, Timothy (Jason Isaacs), has a slightly stronger bond with his eccentric mother, Victoria (Parker Posey), and is still figuring out how to best help his sister, Piper (Sarah Catherine Hook).
Lochlan's most bizarre relationship, however, is with his older brother, Saxon (Patrick Schwarzenegger). At the start of season 3, Lochlan comes off as a young man who is getting teased by his brother in a way that reads as sexual — and while Lochlan is curious enough to entertain certain ideas, it does feel like Saxon is the creepier one.
Following episode 6, The White Lotus fans have started to reevaluate their initial reactions to the incestuous dynamic between the two Ratliff brothers. And Nivola, the actor, is now sharing interesting details not only about working with Schwarzenegger, but also how he interprets these characters and the storyline between them.
Scroll through to read the latest quotes from Sam Nivola about sexuality, filming sex scenes with Patrick Schwarzenegger, and the incestuous dynamics of Lochlan and Saxon — and tune into new episodes of HBO's The White Lotus season 3 every Sunday on Max.
Lochlan looking at Saxon masturbating 'is not a sexual thing.'
Patrick Schwarzenegger; Sam Nivola on The White Lotus season 3.
HBO
Nivola told Variety that he doesn't consider the scenes of Lochlan staring at Saxon as "sexual."
"I think Lochlan is a people pleaser who will try to get people to like him by any means necessary. Looking at Saxon while he's jerking off is not a sexual thing," Nivola explained. "it's more that he's studying him: 'Who is this guy? How can I get him to like me? How can I become more like him?'"
Sam Nivola discusses his and Patrick Schwarzenegger's sexualities.
"It was very weird kissing Patrick because he's a really good friend of mine. And, you know, I'm straight, he's straight. It's already weird," Nivola told Variety in an interview following episode 6 of The White Lotus season 3.
Nivola 'felt sort of f*cked up' to film scenes kissing Schwarzenegger.
"It would have been easier if that was the first time we were meeting," the actor told Variety. "Weirdly, it was easier to do things with Charlotte because there were no stakes. It's just this person I've just met. But Patrick was already like a brother to me. It felt sort of fucked up."
Lochlan doesn't know his sexuality yet, Nivola says.
When asked about Lochlan's sexuality in an interview with Vanity Fair, Nivola said that he thinks Lochlan himself doesn't know that yet.
The actor explained, "I had a long conversation with Mike [White] before we started. I knew I needed to ask him a few questions, but the main one that I wanted to know was 'Where does Lochlan wind up at the end of this season?'"
"Without revealing exactly what happens, I think that Lochlan comes to The White Lotus completely lost and he leaves completely lost. He is not really any bit more clear about his life than he was when he came in. I think that applies to his sexuality, sure. I think he doesn't know whether he likes guys or girls or both or whatever. I think the same goes for everything in his life, too. UNC, Duke — he just does not know."
Nivola also doesn't think that Lochlan is questioning his gender.
Sam Nivola on 'The White Lotus' season 3.
HBO
"I think the way Mike looks at the world is not through a gendered lens," the actor tells Variety. "[Lochlan] wants love and attention — it could be from a guy, it could be from a girl. I don't think he knows what he's attracted to yet. If he finds out he's attracted to men after this season, then it will probably become a problem, given his family being rich, conservative."
Nivola only told three people about Lochlan and Saxon's incestuous sex scenes.
Joking that he's "really scared about getting sued by HBO," the White Lotus star revealed that he only told three people about the upcoming sex scenes between his Lochlan and Saxon.
"I told my parents, but I haven't told my sister. She's bad at keeping secrets," Nivola told Variety. "I'm not supposed to have told anyone, because I'm under a lot of NDAs. But I told my girlfriend, because she was there while we were shooting it. That's about it."
