Patrick Schwarzenegger’s The White Lotus co-star has revealed he was extremely uncomfortable during his kiss with Sam Nivola, which shocked viewers in the show’s latest episode.
Arnold Schwarzenegger’s son, 31, plays Saxon, the eldest child in the dysfunctional Ratliff family, in the third season of Mike White’s popular HBO drama based at a fictional high end resort in Thailand.
Saxon, who masturbated in front of his younger brother earlier in the series, kisses Lochlan (Nivola) in the season’s most recent episode after being egged on by their new friend Chloe (Charlotte Le Bon).
Speaking to Vulture, Le Bon said of filming the scene: “Well obviously they’re not brothers by blood, so that made it easier.”
She reflected: “I think for Patrick it was really difficult. 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.”
Le Bon continued, “But Patrick’s reaction in the episode is his genuine reaction. We all thought he was going to throw up. And Sam was like, ‘It’s fine, it’s just a kiss, calm down!’”
When asked why her character instigated the kiss, the star replied: “I think Chloe is deeply, deeply bored. There’s a void inside of her. She fills that void with partying, sex and chaos.”
She explained: “This kiss between the two brothers for her is just pure entertainment, which is obviously really evil when you think about it.”
Speaking to the New York Post, White Lotus executive producer David Bernad insisted the incest storyline wasn’t included “just for shock”.
He said: “There’s a specific reason in terms of the narrative storytelling, and the larger thematic idea Mike is trying to get across.”
White Lotus fans were quick to react to the moment on X/Twitter. “We all called the Saxon and Lochlan kiss happening in episode one and yet it still was surprising,” one person said.
Meanwhile, another person added: “I can’t say I’m shocked because White Lotus always pushes boundaries but this is INSANE. This family is a hot mess.”
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