Viewers who tuned in to watch “The White Lotus” Season 3 were not the only ones with reservations about the show’s surprising incest scenes between brothers Lochlan and Saxon Ratliff.
According to the show’s casting director, Meredith Tucker, actors who auditioned for the roles of Lochlan and Saxon dropped out because they were “uncomfortable” with the incestuous material.
“For that stuff with the brothers, we had to tell people beforehand,” Tucker revealed to The Hollywood Reporter on Wednesday. “We said, ‘There is going to be some same-sex kissing and stuff. Are you comfortable with that?’”
“I think maybe one kid for Sam’s role dropped out,” she continued, “but some of these kids were barely 18, so I could understand.”
Although Sam Nivola, 21, and Patrick Schwarzenegger, 31, ultimately landed the respective roles of Lochlan and Saxon, there were still concerns that the pair might also drop out upon reading the scripts for the brotherly incest scenes.
“When we sent the scripts to Patrick and Sam, Mike and I were both like, ‘I hope they don’t drop out,’” producer David Bernad said of himself and “The White Lotus” creator Mike White. “Mike made me text Patrick. We were anxious.”
However, Nivola shared he had no problem hooking up with his fictional on-screen brother – even if he was “not expecting” it at first.
“When they sent me my contract, it was like, ‘You have to be comfortable with sexually explicit scenes or whatever,’” he told THR. “And I was like, ‘Sure, yeah, I’ve never really done anything like that on camera — first time for everything.’ But I was not expecting that!”
“It makes sense for the story, and it makes sense practically, and sort of metaphorically in a sad way for my character. But that was the first time I’ve ever even kissed anyone on camera,” Nivola continued. “I think it went as smoothly as that kind of thing can possibly go.”
“I mean, I don’t have anything to compare it to,” he quipped, “but really the only thing I felt uncomfortable about was the fact that we’re on a f–king yacht and I get seasick.”
Charlotte Le Bon, who plays the mysterious model Chloe in “The White Lotus” Season 3, discussed Schwarzenegger’s reaction to the incestuous content and kissing Nivola in front of the camera.
“I think for Patrick it was really difficult,” she said last month. “For Sam, he was kind of like, ‘It’s whatever, let’s just do it well one time and it will be over.’ You know? Because if you don’t do it well the first time, then you have to do it over and over again.”
“But Patrick’s reaction in the episode is his genuine reaction,” Le Bon added. “We all thought he was going to throw up.”
Schwarzenegger later clarified that it was his character – not him – reacting to kissing Nivola.
“When I’m in character, I believe that’s what he would’ve done,” the “Gen V” star explained. “Right then, and then again the next morning, it’s like, ‘Is he going to throw up?’ And he does.”
“I hope it wasn’t taken out of context,” he added, “that I would throw up because of Sam or whatever.”
While the on-screen brothers only kissed in the fifth episode of “The White Lotus” Season 3, it was later revealed that Lochlan did a little more with Saxon.
Despite pushback over the incest plot, Bernad has claimed the scenes are necessary for the show’s “larger thematic idea.”
“No, in terms of that — that’s all Mike,” Bernad exclusively told The Post. “Mike is brilliant, and I think those big story turns are not just for shock.”
“There’s a specific reason in terms of the narrative storytelling,” he continued, “and the larger thematic idea Mike is trying to get across.”
“As the season wraps up, you’ll see the purpose of that story turn. The show goes there for a larger thematic idea,” the producer concluded. “I love that family storyline, especially the brother story — and it culminates in a very satisfying way.”
“The White Lotus” Season 3 finale airs Sunday, April 6, at 9 p.m. on HBO.
