With all the nonstop theories, political commentary, and a final episode that left everyone spiraling, The White Lotus Season 3 gave fans a lot to talk about. While many viewers are discussing the off-screen drama between the cast, there’s also been some sudden interest in cast member Nicholas Duvernay — namely, the question of whether or not he’s a nepo baby.
On the show, Duvernay plays Zion Lindsey, a college student visiting Thailand to spend time with his mother, Belinda Lindsey, played by Natasha Rothwell, who reprises her role from Season 1. Their mother-son dynamic adds a sweet and refreshing layer to the otherwise chaotic resort storyline. (TBH these two are probably the least problematic individuals at the resort, at least judging by The White Lotus standards.) Though he wasn’t featured much in previous episodes, Zion got a ton of screen time in the Season 3 finale, making some big moves and bringing some laughter to the audience during an otherwise super-tense season finale.
Naturally, as more viewers took notice of Duvernay’s performance, they also noticed his last name: Duvernay. The name is fairly unique, and the season already had multiple second-gen actors: The Ratliff brothers are both played nepo babies; Patrick Schwarzenegger (yes, Arnold’s son) plays Saxon Ratliff and Sam Nivola, who plays Lochlan Ratliff, is the son of actors Emily Mortimer and Alessandro Nivola. Even Charlotte Le Bon, who plays Chloe, is the daughter of a Canadian actress. With that context, it didn’t take long for fans to assume Duvernay might be related to Ava DuVernay, the trailblazing director behind Selma and When They See Us.
But despite the speculation, Nicholas Duvernay is not related to Ava DuVernay. They simply share the same last name — by all accounts, Duvernay has no famous parent, no industry connection; he’s just a talented young actor getting his flowers.
And he’s been putting in the work for a while now. Before The White Lotus, Duvernay appeared in Season 2 of Cruel Summer and has had roles on shows like All American and Black-ish. He even popped up in Netflix’s Purple Hearts. His career has been building quietly but steadily — and now, with The White Lotus under his belt, it’s safe to say his breakout moment is here.
So while HBO’s hit show might be packed with legacy names this season, Nicholas Duvernay isn’t one of them.