Sam Nivola says ‘White Lotus’ family imitates Bravos ‘Southern Charm’ (exclusive)

Sam Nivola reveals the surprising muse for his character in The white lotus.

The 21-year-old actor spoke to people about the third season of the HIT HBO series at the beginning of this month and, as he prepared, opened up to play Lochlan Ratliff. Before Nivola went to Thailand to film, he said that the creator Mike White told him that he should see one of Bravo’s popular reality shows as inspiration for the role.

“Mike told us that we should watch Southern charm“Nivola Shares of the series, which takes place in South Carolina and, among other things, follows the life of actors such as Shep Rose and Austen Kroll. “In fact, Jason Isaacs, who played our father, modeled his entire accent and character of (this line -up).”

He continued to joke that his sister on the screen Sarah Catherine Hook had to jump out homework before production because she had already “put it down”.

“I come from Alabama,” she explains. “I found it out through you. I thought: «He didn’t tell me to watch Southern charm! I feel excluded. ‘”

The Ratliff family consists of Nivola, Hook and Patrick Schwarzenegger and their wealthy southern parents, played by Isaacs and Parker Posey. The first episode shows the five clashes the moment they arrive at the wellness resort, and shows a quirky family dynamics that only becomes more complex when the family patriarch finds out that he has lost all his money and tries to keep it secret.

There also seems to be tensions between the siblings, with the hook always frustrated by brother Saxon (Schwarzenegger) and the way he treats Lochlan.

The line -up spent several months in Thailand and during this time Nivola tells people that they all had a lot of time to connect – especially him, Hook and Schwarzenegger.

“He is our boy” who Dream couple Alum says about Schwarzenegger, as a Hook in: “We are like the three Amigos!”

“We three are very, very, very close and I am so grateful for her,” she continues. “We had the best time together.”

They also developed a special friendship with Isaacs, which Nivola jokingly indicates that they are “unexpectedly just because he is the age of our parents”.

“He is such a funny guy,” he enthuses, noticing that Lalisa Manoban and Tayme Thapthimthong were another duo with which they “really came close”.

“Maybe that’s a silly reason, but they are Thai and that’s why I didn’t expect to have so much with them because it is a different culture and it is from the whole world,” explains Nivola. “But they are simply the most amazing, lovely people.”

When they weren’t on the set, the duo says that the line -up on “many boat trips” went and “accidental, small funny hobbies” took up to occupy.

“Sam really came in Muay Thai” Cruel intentions Star unveiled and Nivola adds: “And Health Lab”.

“We went to this really great place called Health Lab, which had a café and a few different saunas, ice baths and steam trees,” recalls Hook. “And it was just a good small place to flee, but it was very earthy and cool. Yes, it was a good meeting point for us and a place to get out of the resort area. ”

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The white lotus Airs on Sundays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on HBO and max.