The White Lotus season 3 breakout actor Sam Nivola revealed in a new interview that playing Lochlan Ratliff in the series has resulted in a few unexpected outcomes, such as becoming a sex symbol, and apparently getting flooded with DMs from "thirsty older men."
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Nivola, who will turn 22 years old in a month, was described as "one of Hollywood's most promising young stars — and perhaps a new kind of sex symbol" by Variety in a cover story. "When The White Lotus was at its peak, I literally couldn't walk down the street in Brooklyn — my hometown — without being swarmed," he revealed.
Looking back, Nivola explained that he's struggled with the way that his character was perceived, and Variety disclosed that the actor's DMs were "flooded with thirsty older men." The actor explained:
"It was hard feeling like people had lost sympathy for this guy that I lived inside. I got a little defensive. You have to love your character, otherwise you're fucked. My character jerked off Patrick. I don't like that. It's a bad thing he did. But I try not to pass judgment."
The actor also discussed the overall impact — both positive and negative — that The White Lotus had in his career.
Namely, Nivola has been reportedly offered roles that are very similar to Lochlan — an archetype that the actor describes as "socially awkward, virginal kids who are a little weird."
Nivola added, "I'm starting to feel a little boxed in by the characters I've played in my career. But I'm also finally getting offers to do things where I'm a little more grown up. Hopefully the next one will be something a little different."
HBO's The White Lotus season 3 is now streaming on HBO Max.
