- The actor argues Lochlan is “not a creep necessarily”
- He’s involved with a controversial incest storyline
- Nivola believed his character is “misguided” but not a fundamentally bad person
Sam Nivola’s had his say on the controversial incest storyline in The White Lotus and believes his character Lochlan is “not a creep necessarily”.
Nivola sat down with Variety to discuss Lochlan’s personality, motivations and what his interactions with Saxon (Patrick Schwarzenegger) say about his sexuality. He notes that Lochlan seems “incredibly misguided” but he doesn’t believe him to be a bad person as such.
In episode 6, it becomes apparent that Saxon and Lochlan’s kiss while they were drunk and high escalated into more explicit territory. The pair don’t remember at first, but as their hangovers wear off, they realise what they’ve done.
The actor mentioned that creator Mike White likes shooting different versions of a scene with “different ways to play the subtext”. For example, when Lochlan was starting to remember what happened, they explored making him seem like he was hiding how much he actually remembered. However, in the final cut, the memories don’t hit Lochlan until later on.
“I like that he made that choice, because at the end of the day, Lochlan is not a creep, necessarily. Of course, I have to say that. You have to love your character. So, I’ll defend him!” Nivola said. “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.”
Nivola’s views on Lochlan’s sexuality
Nivola later discusses whether he believes Lochlan is genuinely sexually attracted to Saxon, or how he might identify sexually.
“I think it comes from a sense of insecurity. He really looks up to both of his siblings, not from the point of view of a physical attraction,” he said. “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. 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. So, the thing on the boat is 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.”
“I don’t think he knows what he’s attracted to yet”
As for Lochlan’s own sexuality, he 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. With Piper, it’s about being more spiritual and down to earth. With Saxon, it’s about money and women. It could be money and men, and I don’t think it’d be that big of a difference.
“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.”
How have people reacted to the storyline?
The White Lotus’ exploration of incest has arguably been the most controversial part of the new season.
Read more: The White Lotus’ controversial subplot divides fans
While some fans have been intrigued, the discomfort of the storyline has put some others off entirely. Regardless, it’s certainly shown how unafraid the show is of approaching taboo topics.
