Sam Nivola has reflected on The White Lotus‘ incest storyline, and come to the defence of his “misguided” character Lochlan.
In the – once again – anxiety-inducing new episode of HBO’s satirical drama, flashbacks of the full-moon party revealed a drug-induced threesome between Lochlan, his fuckboy older brother Saxon (Patrick Schwarzenegger) and Chloe (Charlotte Le Bon).
Lochlan can be seen having sex with Chloe, with Saxon lying next to them in a state of euphoria. While initial flashbacks suggested that Saxon was masturbating besides them, it turns out that the hand in question belonged to his little brother.
The next morning, Saxon says they both “blacked out” while Lochlan also claims to have memory loss. As the episode comes to a close, Lochlan experiences flashes of his incestuous behaviour (at a monastery, no less), while Saxon is informed by Chloe that his little brother brought him to… completion.
(Visit here for more on the controversial storyline.)
As a self-described “anxious person”, Nivola told Variety that it was “nerve-wracking” for *this* to be his first ever sex scene and recalled how the cast and crew were “on a boat, and I get seasick, so that was fucking stressful”.
“We all just trusted each other, and that dynamic worked well. 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,” he said.
“It would have been easier if that was the first time we were meeting. 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.”
Nivola argued that Lochlan isn’t sexually attracted to his brother, instead suggesting the incest storyline stems from a “sense of insecurity”: “He really looks up to both of his siblings, not from the point of view of a physical attraction.
“It’s more curiosity, and trying to figure out which kind of person he is going to become. He tries to connect with him in whatever way he can. I think Lochlan is a people pleaser, who will try to get people to like him by any means necessary.”
The 21-year-old actor continued: “Looking at Saxon while he’s jerking off is not a sexual thing — 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?” What he learns over the first few episodes is that Saxon is the sex guy. His primary motive in life is to make money and get laid.”
According to Nivola, the sex scene was Lochlan’s “tragically misguided attempt at being like, “So, you’re the sex guy. Let’s do something in that realm and try to connect in some way.” It’s obviously a big swing and a miss.”
On whether Lochlan is questioning his sexuality and identity, Nivola said: “I think the way Mike looks at the world is not through a gendered lens. He can correct me if I’m wrong, but he writes both men and women, both gay and straight, so accurately and honestly.
“The point he is always making is that people are all the same — lovable, yet rotten at their core. I think the brother-sister thing is more about their ways of life than about gender and sexuality.
“Lochlan has such a one-track mind. He 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 Southerners.
“But at this time, that’s not what’s going through his head.”
Nivola opined that Lochlan “is not a creep, necessarily”: “You have to love your character. So, fuck it, I’ll defend him! I think he’s incredibly misguided, and his circumstances have put him in a bad spot, but I don’t think he’s evil or malicious in any way. It’s important to the story that he’s not some psychopath.”
The penultimate episode of The White Lotus season three premieres 30 March on HBO, and will stream 1 April in the UK on NOW TV.
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