The White Lotus star Sam Nivola shares an important casting point that the HBO show does not use

When season three of The White Lotus premiered, audiences were introduced to Sam Nivola as Lochlan Ratliff, a teenager whose uneasy bond with his older brother became one of the most discussed threads of the season. The storyline drew strong reactions from viewers and kept social media feeds busy.

Speaking with Variety, Nivola reflected on the way the show casts its characters, something he feels is worth paying attention to. While referring to his role, he stated,

“I’m just grateful that there are people who are not casting things based on how many Instagram followers you have. They’re casting based on who is right for the job.”

He added that even if someone is not "Jacob Elordi", they can still "be the guy" picked for the part. In a business where popularity can shape decisions, the comment stood out.

Rather than choosing based on visibility alone, the series focuses on whether the performer fits the part. In Nivola’s case, it meant being selected for what he could bring to the role rather than how many people followed his account.

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Early background

Nivola grew up surrounded by the world of film. His parents, Emily Mortimer and Alessandro Nivola, have long-standing careers in acting. Even so, they held him back from starting too young, citing the uncertainty of the profession.

His first major opportunity came during the pandemic with White Noise, directed by Noah Baumbach. Encouraged by a teacher, he recorded an audition tape and sent it without saying anything at home. Only after he advanced did he let his parents know. Nivola has said he did not use family connections and takes pride in having secured the part through his own effort.

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On set in The White Lotus

The third season of The White Lotus was filmed over seven months in Thailand. Nivola lived in a hotel room made to look like his character’s and spent much of his time with the actors playing his fictional family, including Jason Isaacs and Parker Posey. The group even kept their North Carolina accents consistent, off-camera, which added to the immersion on The White Lotus set.

At first, Nivola was not convinced that an actor could truly disappear into a role. Spending months on location began to change that. The same faces every day, rooms set up exactly like those in the story, and a routine that barely shifted from one week to the next all worked together. Bit by bit, the gap between himself and Lochlan felt less defined. He stated to Variety,

“Sometimes I actually felt like I wasn’t myself. I finally understood the thing of getting lost in your character.”

One storyline in The White Lotus ended up drawing more attention than any other. It showed an intimate moment between Lochlan and his brother, played by Patrick Schwarzenegger. The scene quickly became a point of discussion for viewers, and some used words like monster or pervert when talking about the character. Nivola said he understood the act was wrong, yet made it clear that passing judgment on Lochlan would have made it harder to bring the performance to life.

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New roles ahead

The attention from The White Lotus led to a rush of offers. Many were for roles similar to those he had played before, often young men who are socially awkward or offbeat. Alongside those, he began receiving proposals for more adult roles.

Two of his next projects are already public. One is Phony, a Hulu drama in which he appears with Connie Britton, who also starred in The White Lotus. The other is Driver’s Ed, directed by Bobby Farrelly. Nivola has described the comedy as having frequent strong language and sees it as part of a type of film that has become less common in recent years.

"It’s rare to have comedies at all. It’s been pretty dry for a little while. Can you think of any good ones that have come out in the last five years? Other than ‘Friendship’?"

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Thoughts on the industry

In his interview, Nivola spoke about how studios are leaning more on data and projected revenue when deciding what to make. In his view, that can make people less willing to take creative risks.

Tom Cruise came up during the conversation as an example of an actor who has moved easily between genres. Comedy, drama, big action films, all part of the same career. For Nivola, that range shows what is possible within the field. He then remarked that when established names keep playing parts meant for younger characters, there is less space left for new actors trying to build their own path.

The discussion also turned to production, where Nivola said the United States could benefit from stronger tax incentives to keep more filming within the country. He stated in the same interview to Variety,

"That’s the opposite of what we need to be doing. It’s not that we shouldn’t be watching foreign films; it’s that we need more tax incentives to shoot movies in America."

He pointed to the British Film Institute, describing how it funds projects and promotes filmmaking in the UK. The institute also sells discounted tickets to people under 26, something he believes helps bring younger audiences into theaters and closer to the art form.

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Independent projects

Outside of acting, Nivola co-founded the production company Cold Worm with two friends. The team has completed two feature films on low budgets, one supported by grants, the other by private investment, and a short film that he directed.

One of the features was shot in a Welsh town under tight conditions. Nivola recalled that crew members shared a bed, had few facilities, and found improvised ways to deal with basic needs when towels ran short. These experiences, he suggested, were part of the cooperative effort that kept the production moving.

"It was miserable, and it was one of the most fun times of my life."

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Looking forward

No official release dates have been set for Nivola’s upcoming projects. In the meantime, he is splitting his time between smaller independent work and larger studio productions. His experience on The White Lotus did more than bring him wider recognition. It also drew attention to the series’ casting approach, one built around finding the right fit for a character rather than chasing online popularity.

For Nivola, that kind of choice keeps the focus where it should be, on the story itself and the performers who can serve it best. In a business often ruled by numbers, it stands as a reminder that casting can still be about the match between role and actor.