- The White Lotus season 3 continues to divide its fans
- Much of the controversy surrounds Lochlan
- Who is the actor behind this role?
The White Lotus season 3 features many big names but one in particular has fans talking – and that’s Sam Nivola.
Nivola plays teenager Lochlan in Mike White’s new season. Like the show’s other characters, Lochlan is on holiday at a picturesque luxury White Lotus resort in Thailand. That said, things aren’t going well.
Read more: Jennifer Coolidge wants justice for The White Lotus’ Tayna
For starters, his businessman dad Timothee (Jason Isaacs) is on the verge of a meltdown as his professional life gets engulfed in scandal.
While this remains hidden from his family, Lochlan’s preppy brother Saxon (Patrick Schwarzenegger) is going to extreme lengths to lure timid Lochlan out of his shell… and its making viewers uncomfortable.
Read more: Fans praise “Emmy worthy” The White Lotus season 3 episode 5 cast surprise
That’s where Lochlan’s at right now – but who is the actor behind the character?
Here’s everything we know…
Where have I seen him before?
Nivola is a 21 year old American actor. He started acting when he was just 10 years old and has featured in a string of movies and TV shows.
Fans may have seen Nivola in Noah Baumbach’s 2022 comedy-drama White Noise as a character named Heinrich. From there, he’s also starred in William Oldroyd’s dark thriller Eileen as Lee and as Alexander in Bradley Cooper’s awards season contender Maestro, based on the life and career of Leonard Bernstein. Both were released in 2023.
In 2024, Nivola starred in the British romantic drama The Pursuit of Love, before taking on a larger role in 2024’s The Perfect Couple.
The White Lotus season 3 has emerged as his break out role.
Does Sam Nivola have famous parents?
It’s little wonder that Nivola has found his way in front of cameras as his parents are both famous actors. Nivola’s mother is British actress Emily Mortimer and his father is the American star Alessandro Nivola.
Mortimer has appeared in a range of big and small screen projects. These include Lars and the Real Girl with Ryan Gosling, Shutter Island with Leonardo DiCaprio and Mary Poppins Returns with Emily Blunt.
Meanwhile, Sam’s father Alessandro has appeared in films like Jurassic Park 3, The Sopranos movie The Many Saints of Newark and most recently the Oscar winning Brady Corbet film The Brutalist.
Are Sam Nivola and Iris Apatow dating?
Yes, Nivola and Iris Apatow, daughter of The 40 Year Old Virgin director Judd Apatow, are a couple.
They have been together since Instagram posts hinted at a relationship throughout 2024. In October of the same year, the pair were spotted on various red carpet events together.
Cut to 2025 and Apatow joined Nivola to the season 3 premiere of The White Lotus. Nivola even told the press that she was his girlfriend during an interview with People.
“I brought my girlfriend for a few months, which was amazing,” Nivola explained, highlighting how Apatow visited him on the show’s Thailand set. “It was so great to have a taste of home because it was 10,000 miles away from home, and it was so nice of her to sacrifice that time to come be with me and I’m incredibly grateful to her.”
