Nicholas Duvernay Is Just Happy He Can Finally Discuss 'The White Lotus'

Landing a role in the biggest show on TV is one thing. Landing a role in its most pivotal scene, well, that’s another feat entirely. So when Nicholas Duvernay found himself in that very position for season three of The White Lotus, he knew that it was a life-changing—if not career-defining—moment.

Although he’s been working in Hollywood for over a decade with roles in Peacock’s Bel-Air and Netflix’s Purple Hearts, the 25-year-old actor was thrilled to be cast as Zion Lindsey—the son of Natasha Rothwell’s returning spa-manager character, Belinda, from season one—in the HBO series’ latest installment. In the first moments of the premiere, Zion is settling into a meditation session at The White Lotus Thailand with spiritual guide Amrita (Shalini Peiris). He explains that, after a stressful semester, his mother encouraged him to visit her at the wellness resort for a change of pace, but Zion’s peaceful moment in paradise is quickly cut short by the sound of gunshots. Jumping into the hotel’s nearby moat, he precariously wades through the water to get to his mother in a lobby; that’s when a dead body floats by, setting up this season’s murder mystery before the clock rolls back a full week. We don’t see Zion again until the sixth episode, when he arrives in Thailand and unceremoniously walks in on Belinda and her co-worker in bed. 

For Duvernay, the time in between the premiere and Zion’s return was painstaking. “Since that very first scene, I've just been waiting and waiting, sitting on this whole storyline that I couldn’t even talk about,” he tells L’OFFICIEL. “It was really hard, especially because I was a fan of the show already. I was like, I have all of this sensitive information?” After putting up “a lot of smoke and mirrors” while doing earlier press for the show, Duvernay is relieved to be able to discuss his role—even if he still can’t reveal too much of what’s to come. “Now that he’s landed in Thailand, I'm able to actually talk about a couple of things, at least,” he says. “It’s nice to not be fearful of spoiling something, and the excitement’s building, too. Obviously, everything has to come to a head in these last episodes, so I'm curious to see how people react.”

Read on for our full interview, where Duvernay gets candid about bonding with his co-stars (over Muay Thai and imposter syndrome), making his modeling debut (in a Banana Republic campaign), and meeting Hollywood’s other famous DuVernay (with a capital V).

L’OFFICIEL: The White Lotus Season 3 finale is creeping up next week, but to go back a bit, how did it feel when you found out that you got the role of Zion?

Nicholas Duvernay: When you're auditioning for something this big, you're like, "Whatever, dude. I'm going to send it in and it's not going to happen." Because nothing you want, you actually get. So I sent in a tape—just one tape—around Christmas 2023. In January, HBO asked to set up a call. My mom was like, "Hey, I have a weird mom feeling—this is going to be the day that they tell you you got it." And I said, "Mom, it's not one of those things, promise." Lo and behold, [series creator] Mike White called me himself and started telling me about the character. I was trying not to get overly excited before he actually said that I got it. Then he was like, “Do you want to come party with us in Thailand? I hope you're free." I screamed his name for the next five minutes. I couldn't believe it. I lost all cool points at that moment, but I really didn't care.

L’O: Because Zion arrives a bit later than the rest of the characters, he felt a bit isolated from everyone in the first half of the season. What was your experience like during filming? Did you spend more time with the cast, off-camera? 

ND: I mean, Thailand is just beautiful. The beaches are amazing, and just being there is a vacation in itself. I spent the whole six months in Thailand and made some lifelong friends—the cast and the crew were some of the greatest people I've ever worked with. We still keep in touch with all of our group chats, but we need to find a time to go back and just do it over again. I had a lot of time off during filming, and I probably hung out with Arnas Fedaravičius, who plays [the hotel’s wellness mentor] Valentin, the most. He was my closest friend on set, and he got me into Muay Thai. So we did Muay Thai every day for six months, which was a great way to stay in shape, keep busy, and take my mind off the fact that I was working on The White Lotus with Mike White and some of my favorite actors of all time. It was a lot of trying to be present, but also distancing myself from it, because I didn't want that to affect the way I worked or my mindset.

L’O: Obviously you share the most screen time with Natasha Rothwell, who plays Zion’s mom, Belinda. What was that relationship like—was she a mother figure for you on set?

ND: Absolutely. I still call her mom to this day. I’ll text her like, "Hey, mom." 

L’O: How does your actual mom feel about that?

ND: She's fine with it! [laughs] But Natasha really did take the position of a mother. The first time we met, we had like a four-hour dinner and I just picked her brain about what it's like to stay at the White Lotus, since she'd been there before. I asked if she had any advice for me and, like a good mother, she just really affirmed that I was supposed to be there. She was like, “As actors, we get this impostor syndrome when we book something of this nature.” Especially being young in my career, it's a lot to digest, but she reassured me that I was meant to be there and told me that I was the one for the job and to act like it. Having that conversation early on really set the tone and snapped me out of that. I was like, okay, I'm here for a reason, and I’m happy to be here.

L’O: As you said, you’re young in your career. But it would be a big deal for any actor to star in this premiere scene that sets up the season-long whodunnit. Did you know that you’d be in the cold open from day one?

ND: Not in the auditioning process. But then they sent over all eight scripts—which I read in one night—and when I opened the first one, I was like, Is this the first episode? I had to make sure, because it's the first scene, which is massive for The White Lotus, since it foreshadows everything that’s to come. So, it really was an honor to open this show and just help bring Mike White's vision to life. 

L’O: Have White Lotus fans started recognizing you in public?

ND: I think that started to boot up after episode six. At an event, my friend told someone that I was on the show and they were like, “Really? Where were you?” He said I was in the opening scene, and they were like, “I don’t remember him. I guess I need to watch it again.” It’s been a lot of that, but I hope episodes seven and eight bring a refresher of my face. Honestly, though, being recognized in public is weird.

L’O: I’m dying to know, how often do people ask if you’re related to Hollywood’s other famous Duvernay, writer, director, and producer Ava DuVernay? 

ND: Almost every day. Especially when Selma came out, and I was coming up as a younger actor in Atlanta. She is such a massive presence and, I mean, it's such an uncommon last name. But every casting director and person in the industry has asked. We've followed each other [on social media] for about two years now, but we finally got to meet face-to-face and connect in person at a dinner during awards week. I was like, "Hey, we might be related." And she was like, “Probably, somewhere down the line!” We have no idea how—maybe cousins, I don't know. We're related though; I'm claiming it. [laughs]

L’O: If you could choose your dream project to work on—co-stars, director, role—what would it be?

ND: Dream co-star, I’ve got to go Denzel [Washington], for sure. For directors, I really love Elijah Bynum right now, and Barry Jenkins and Ryan Coogler, too. I think I'd want to play a young detective, where I'm learning from Denzel and he's my superior. That would be so cool. I'm gonna pitch myself. [laughs]

L’O: Maybe we’ll manifest it with this conversation. Speaking of legends, who are your style icons?

ND: A$AP Rocky is my go-to. I just love what he's done with just his personal style, just trying things and thinking outside the box. Some of his looks have really shifted fashion culture for Black men. And there’s not necessarily a gender attached to what he wears—it’s all just fluid. It's what looks and feels good for him. For more classics, I loved Sydney Poitier. There's not a photo where he isn't sharp, wearing a nice cardigan, looking very classy. Those are my top two.

L’O: You recently dipped your toes in the modeling world, starring in Banana Republic’s Spring Classics 2025 campaign. Was that like? 

ND: I’d never modeled on that scale before; I'm like a baby in the modeling game. So it was amazing to make an entry like that with a brand like Banana Republic. And for their Classics campaign, it was just perfect. That was the first time I saw myself in a mall, which was weird! The campaign had already been out for a while, but my phone broke and I went to the Apple store. There was a Banana Republic right next to it, with my big poster. It was like I was supposed to come and see that. It was destiny.

L’O: How would you describe your personal style?

ND: I'm about comfort, all day. But I'm big on proportions. I like a baggy pant and a small, moderate crop on the tee. And then some loafers or Sambas. 

L’O: You were born in New York, raised in Atlanta, and now live in L.A. Has your style changed at all based on where you live?

ND: Absolutely. I feel like I get a lot more inspiration from Atlanta, because I spent most of my upbringing there, so that’s where the baggy pants come in. But I’ve been in L.A. for six years now, and that’s where I get the cropped shirts from. It's a weird mix, but it works.

L’O: Have any Thailand style staples worked their way into the mix yet?

ND: Honestly, I have been wearing a lot more linen! So, Thailand did have an effect on me. And you really can't go wrong with a good linen.