Sam Nivola DMs were flooded by thirsty older men after White Lotus
"I got a little defensive," the actor says in a new interview
By Aaron Sugg
The White Lotus actor Sam Nivola has addressed the online reaction to the incest scene between his character Lochlan and on-screen brother played by Patrick Schwarzenegger, with Variety claiming his DM’s have been “flooded by thirsty older men”.
The scene, in which Lochlan kisses his brother and then masturbates him after a day of partying, was described by outlets as “shocking” and “sickening”.
“My character jerked off Patrick. I don’t like that” – Sam Nivola
Nivola, who turns 22 next month, was described by Variety as “one of Hollywood’s most promising young stars – and perhaps a new kind of sex symbol.”
In a recent interview with the publication, he said: “It was hard feeling like people had lost sympathy for this guy that I lived inside. I got a little defensive. You have to love your character, otherwise you’re fucked.
“My character jerked off Patrick. I don’t like that. It’s a bad thing he did. But I try not to pass judgment.”
He previously told Variety that it felt strange kissing his co-star, as both are straight and Schwarzenegger is “like a brother” to him, saying: “It felt sort of fucked up.”
The actor said that since The White Lotus, he has received multiple offers to play characters similar to Lochlan, which he defined as “socially awkward, virginal kids who are a little weird.”
“I’m starting to feel a little boxed in”
He added: “I’m starting to feel a little boxed in by the characters I’ve played in my career. But I’m also finally getting offers to do things where I’m a little more grown up. Hopefully the next one will be something a little different.”
The 21-year-old is set to star opposite fellow White Lotus star Connie Britton in Hulu’s coming-of-age mystery Phony.
He has also completed filming on Driver’s Ed, an R-rated comedy directed by Bobby Farrelly, revealing “we say ‘fuck’ so many times,” Nivola said, adding that the genre has “been pretty dry for a little while.”
The brotherly love story line has gone even more viral since the HBO drama release in February of this year, with on screen older brother Schwarzenegger revealing he discovered a gay porn parody of The White Lotus, entitled The Tight Lotus, earlier this year.