The White Lotus star Sam Nivola has admitted that the controversial scene involving his character Lochlan in the most recent episode was "fucked-up".
In the episode, teenage Lochlan and his older brother Saxon (Patrick Schwarzenegger) are on a drinks-and-drug-fuelled boat party with Chloe (Charlotte Le Bon) and Chelsea (Aimee Lou Wood) when they decide to play a game of truth or dare.
As one of the dares, the two brothers end up kissing - and the following day, they get reminders and flashbacks to what happened next - namely, Lochlan had sex with Chloe while simultaneously masturbating his brother Saxon.
Speaking in an interview with Variety, Nivola, 21, explained: "In the scene, Patrick and I are brothers, with this girl who we just met like the day before. 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. 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."
Some hints of an incest storyline had come earlier in the season, when Lochlan appeared curious to watch Saxon masturbate, but Nivola believes that his character isn't sexually attracted to his sibling, despite what happened.
"I think it comes from a sense of insecurity," he continued. "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.
"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."
Discussing Lochlan's sexuality, Nivola added: "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."
The White Lotus continues Sunday night at 9pm on HBO in the US and simultaneously at 2am on Monday on Sky Atlantic in the UK and Ireland.
Neil Wilkes
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