White Lotus creator Mike White has defiantly defended the shock Patrick Schwarzenegger incest scenes in the third season of the hit HBO series during an interview with The Hollywood Reporter.
Schwarzenegger, 31, played the role of Saxon Ratcliff while Sam Nivola, 21, portrayed his brother Lochlan in the show – and the sibling characters have been involved in an incest storyline which some viewers have labeled ‘disturbing.’
In episode five, the brothers shared a drunken kiss and in the following episode it was revealed that Lochlan performed a sex act on Saxon during the same drunken night out.
White was joined by other cast members while talking to the publication and explained, ‘There’s some kind of pleasure in getting a bigger audience on board with these erotic moments.’
He added, ‘And the incest thing, it’s really more about someone who is trying to connect with his brother and his sister through the things they value.’
Sarah Catherine Hook plays Piper Ratcliff, the sister of Saxon and Lochlan in the series. And Mike continued, ‘Saxon is all about getting off, and Piper is renouncing the materialistic.’
White Lotus creator Mike White has defiantly defended the shock Patrick Schwarzenegger, 31, incest scenes during the third season of the hit HBO series
During a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, White was joined by other cast members and explained, ‘There’s some kind of pleasure in getting a bigger audience on board with these erotic moments’
White also expressed to the outlet, ‘I don’t want to write identity coming-of-age stories. I’m not interested in someone coming out.
‘I like something that feels kind of naughty, which is the opposite of that. I also want to make the wider audience complicit in those stories so that they’re suddenly going down this wormhole with me.’
Read More
White Lotus' fans appalled over incest obsession with Patrick Schwarzenegger
Sam Nivola chimed in to add, ‘It makes sense for the story and it makes sense practically, and sort of metaphorically in a sad way for my character.
The actor – who has also starred in projects such as Maestro (2023) – then revealed ‘that was the first time I’ve ever even kissed anyone on camera.’
During the scene, Lochlan masturbated his own brother Saxon while having sex with Chloe – played by Charlotte Le Bon.
Le Bon stated, ‘For the threesome, I talked to the intimacy coordinator before I talked to Mike. That’s how concerned production was about the scene.
‘I had concerns about what I wanted to show or not, and they were obviously so respectful about that. Sex scenes are always awkward. The three of us were just like, “This is f***ing weird.”‘
Producer David Bernad added, ‘For Mike, it’s not about shocking people or making them uncomfortable, but if people are made uncomfortable by the story he’s telling, that’s a byproduct.’
‘I like something that feels kind of naughty, which is the opposite of that. I also want to make the wider audience complicit in those stories so that they’re suddenly going down this wormhole with me,’ White added
Nivola – who has also starred in projects such as Maestro (2023) – then revealed ‘that was the first time I’ve ever even kissed anyone on camera’
Le Bon stated, ‘For the threesome, I talked to the intimacy coordinator before I talked to Mike. That’s how concerned production was about the scene’
While also talking to The Hollywood Reporter last month in March, Patrick and Sam further defended the incest storyline
While also talking to The Hollywood Reporter last month in March, Patrick and Sam further defended the incest storyline.
Schwarzenegger said, ‘There’s some sensationalism, but then there’s also the stuff behind the wall of the character and what he’s dealing with in the conflict of what just happened. What is that going to do to who he thinks he is?
‘His thoughts on, what is it like to be a man? What is a man? What makes all these different things that he thought he stood for in the episode and the days before?’
Nivola also expressed, ‘It’s kind of impossible for it to not be charged when you’re literally naked with all these cameras in front of you.’
The star added, ‘We really trusted Mike, because there’s always a very shocking, crazy, intense moment in every season. It’s never just for the sake of being shocking, it always serves the story.
‘And that [incest] scene is really the inciting incident for where our relationship goes next. It’s a great storytelling tactic. Going into this, we really trusted Mike because he’s a f***ing b***ss and a genius.’
While talking to the outlet alongside the creator and other cast members in the article published this week, Sam explained, ‘When they sent me my contract, it was like, “You have to be comfortable with sexually explicit scenes or whatever.”
‘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!’
Schwarzenegger said, ‘There’s some sensationalism, but then there’s also the stuff behind the wall of the character and what he’s dealing with in the conflict of what just happened. What is that going to do to who he thinks he is?’
The star added, ‘We really trusted Mike, because there’s always a very shocking, crazy, intense moment in every season. It’s never just for the sake of being shocking, it always serves the story’
Casting director Meredith Tucker stated, ‘For that stuff with the brothers, we had to tell people beforehand.
‘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, but some of these kids were barely 18, so I could understand.’
Producer David Bernad also added, ‘When we sent the scripts to Patrick and Sam, Mike and I were both like, “I hope they don’t drop out.” Mike made me text Patrick. We were anxious.’
Some fans have previously taken to social media to share their thoughts on the incest scenes between the Ratcliff brothers, with one penning on X: ‘The brothers from The White Lotus are disturbing me.’
Another typed out, ‘This is some of the most disturbing television I’ve watched, maybe ever.’
Others pointed out that a possible plot twist could be that they actually are not related with one adding, ‘At the end they will find out their parents cheated so they are siblings with different moms and dads.’
The season three finale is set to air on Sunday, April 6 – and the stars teased what viewers can expect during The Hollywood Reporter interview.
Patrick said, ‘I’m just excited to watch the finale with the rest of the world because I actually have no idea what happens.’
Casting director Meredith Tucker stated, ‘For that stuff with the brothers, we had to tell people beforehand’
Producer David Bernad also added, ‘When we sent the scripts to Patrick and Sam, Mike and I were both like, “I hope they don’t drop out.” Mike made me text Patrick. We were anxious’
The season three finale is set to air on Sunday, April 6 – and the stars teased what viewers can expect during The Hollywood Reporter interview
Mike then explained, ‘It’s an hour and a half. It’s kind of epic. As a filmmaker, it’s probably the piece of work that I’m like, “I can’t believe I did that.”‘
Charlotte Le Bon cut in to quickly added, ‘People are going to hate Mike White.’
He stated, ‘My hope is that it’ll feel like a cathartic sad or a satisfying sad and not a “What the f***?” sad, but people are going to have a million different opinions. You just hope you stick the landing.’
The group also briefly opened up about the fourth season and White revealed that there is ‘already pressure’ from HBO.
‘When they have something they’re bullish on, they want to get it out there. We were supposed to start scouting in April, and I was like, “You guys, I haven’t been home in three years.”‘
In regards to the potential setting of the next season, the creator of the show stated, ‘Where we choose to go next could be hugely impactful [to that locale].
‘That’s why it was so cool to shoot in Thailand. It’s hard to go backward. Like, “Oh, we’ll do it in Paris!” That feels like a cop-out.’
Mike then explained, ‘It’s an hour and a half. It’s kind of epic. As a filmmaker, it’s probably the piece of work that I’m like, “I can’t believe I did that”‘
LISA of Blackpink – who took on the role of Mook – added, ‘The way Mike captured Thailand, it’s amazing. I know Thailand well. Still, through this show, I fell in love with it again’
White season three took place in Thailand, the first two seasons of the show took place in Hawaii and then Italy.
LISA of Blackpink – who took on the role of Mook – added, ‘The way Mike captured Thailand, it’s amazing. I know Thailand well. Still, through this show, I fell in love with it again.’
Bernad also shared, ‘The idea that somehow we can help people make a better living, to me, there’s a lot to be said for that. We almost have a responsibility to go somewhere that can benefit.’
Other cast members in the current season include Carrie Coon, Jason Isaacs, Michelle Monaghan, Leslie Bibb, Walton Goggins, Natasha Rothwell, Aimee Lou Wood, Jon Gries and Parker Posey.