Co-Star Reveals Patrick Schwarzenegger’s “White Lotus” Kiss Scene Was Just As Awkward To Film As It Was To Watch

Patrick Schwarzenegger’s shocking kiss scene in The White Lotus had fans cringing, and apparently, he felt just as uncomfortable filming it. In the March 16 episode, his character, Saxon Ratliff, locks lips with his own brother, Lochlan, played by Sam Nivola. While audiences were left stunned, behind the scenes, it was just as awkward.

Charlotte Le Bon, who plays Chloe in the series, spilled some behind-the-scenes details in an interview with Vulture. According to her, Patrick, 31, needed some convincing before filming the scene, while Sam, 21, had a more relaxed approach. “I think for Patrick, it was really difficult,” she explained.

“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,” she added.

Le Bon added that Patrick’s reaction in the episode, where he pulls away and looks completely confused, wasn’t acting — it was real. “We all thought he was going to throw up,” she joked. “And Sam was like, ‘It’s fine, it’s just a kiss, calm down!’”

The unexpected moment happens aboard Chloe’s yacht after a night of partying and taking a mysterious pill. It’s actually Chloe who suggests the brothers kiss in the first place. Le Bon describes her character as someone who thrives on chaos. “I thinK Chloe is deeply, deeply bored. There’s a void inside of her, and she fills it with partying, sex, and chaos. This kiss between the two brothers is just pure entertainment for her, which is obviously really evil when you think about it,” she said.

This wasn’t the first time White Lotus fans picked up on strange vibes between Saxon and Lochlan. From the very first episode, Lochlan’s lingering stares at Saxon had audiences speculating about their relationship. Even Patrick hinted at the odd dynamic during a February interview with The Radio Times. In his words: “I think that the relationship with his brother — although it’s very odd and weird, which is what [creator] Mike [White] wanted — it’s still very loving at the same time. I mean, it’s just that Saxon has this false perception and idea of what he thinks makes a man and who he thinks he is, and he’s trying to groom his younger brother to become that.”