Meet Nicholas Duvernay, the Actor Who Plays Zion in 'The White Lotus' Season 3

The White Lotus is guaranteed to feature A-listers in its cast every season, but the HBO escapist hit also always puts the spotlight on rising stars. One example in the season 3 cast: New York native Nicholas Duvernay, whose character Zion is at the center of the Thailand-set installment's opening flash-forward, setting off the installment's murder mystery. As the season goes on, we learn that Zion is returning character Belinda's (Natasha Rothwell) son, who channels his MBA degree and deep bond with his mom, so she walks away from their stay not just alive but possessing a small fortune.

In bringing Zion to life, up-and-comer Duvernay plays a role that he's said is close to his real-life personality, from his determination to his protectiveness over loved ones. Below—as we're still reeling from his performance in the season 3 finale and wondering if he's a candidate to return in season 4—read on to learn more about the actor having his big break, including whether or not he's related to one of Hollywood's most esteemed directors.

Nicholas Duvernay is a 25-year-old actor known for roles in 'Bel-Air' and 'Purple Hearts.'

Nicholas Duvernay, 25, grew up in Long Island, New York, and moved to L.A. to pursue acting after high school. Before The White Lotus, he was best known for playing brash soldier Armando in the Netflix romance movie Purple Hearts and Drew in Bel-Air, Peacock's dramatic reboot of the classic sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.

His other credits include Tyler Perry's Assisted Living, Perfect Addiction, The Winchesters, and All American: Homecoming.

Nicholas Duvernay is not related to Ava DuVernay.

Even though they have similar last names, Duvernay isn't connected to Oscar-nominated director Ava DuVernay, 52. While Nicholas grew up in Long Island, Ava was born and raised in Southern California, in Long Beach and Lynwood. The When They See Us filmmaker does have a brother named Nicholas, but that is producer Nicholas Maye.

While speaking with Ebony about the coincidence, the White Lotus star explained, "It's almost a question I expect every time I meet somebody, just because it's not a very common last name."

"I finally met her during award season, and, she was like, 'You're Nicholas Duvernay.' And I was like, you're Ava DuVernay," he recalled. "It was so nice to connect finally. And we're like, 'We might be related. Who knows?'"

Duvernay recorded his response to landing his 'The White Lotus' role.

In a February interview with Esquire, the actor and Banana Republic model recalled being confident that he would land the role of Zion. He said, "It just felt like me. It felt seamless."

Duvernay added that after he sent his audition tape in, he received a callback that was changed into a general meeting with creator Mike White. "Mike called me. He was like, 'Yo, you want to come party with us in Thailand?' I was like, 'What?!'" he shared.

The actor explained that his mom encouraged him to record the call. "Because my mom—moms have a hunch. She was like, 'Just set your phone up during the call and record. It could be one of those big calls where you get the job, and I want to see your reaction,'" he told the outlet. "And it was the call where he told me I got the job. And it’s great that I have the video now, because it was a moment, I think, that’ll mark when I got a chance to really show what I was capable of and got my big break. I mean, we’ll see when it comes out, but that’s what I’m hoping for."

Duvernay also described his experience filming the season as "the Super Bowl of everything I've done so far, for sure."

"It’s really an actor’s dream. I started acting when I was a kid, so it’s everything that I could have expected and more, down to working in Thailand and being overseas for six months," he said. "The cast is…it’s like the ’90s Bulls. I mean, it’s unbelievable. So even just having breakfast and lunch and dinner with that caliber of actors, you learn so much about what it is to be an artist, how to navigate even the business side sometimes."

Nicholas Duvernay says his real-life relationship with his mother is similar to Belinda and Zion.

It turns out that Duvernay is just as sweet of a son offscreen as he is on. In a post-season interview with Ebony, Duvernay revealed that Zion's close relationship with his mom, Belinda, reminded him of his real-life relationship.

The actor explained of his own mother, "We both love fashion. She's put me on the fragrances, so we definitely bond over that. Growing up, my dad worked so much, so she was my go-to person. She taught me so much about myself."

He added, "As you get older, you get to know them as people. I’m kind of in that stage of my life. Zion is as well. He has such a good rapport with his mom. It wasn't too far off for me from my personal lifestyle."

Duvernay also took time to gush about Rothwell. "She's so playful, and she gives you so many different things to pull off. If I'm nervous—there's been many days where I've leaned on her. She really took me under her wing and kind of put me at ease. She's been a pivotal part in feeling at home and able to wrap my head around this whole experience," he said.

Meanwhile, the Insecure actor has nothing but good things to say about her onscreen son. In an interview with Decider, she praised her co-star and admitted that she even got flustered around him.

"I mean, Nicholas Duvernay, he is that. He’s a walking heart," she said on a panel, according to the outlet. "He’s very symmetrical, so it got a little Oedipal at times because I was just like, 'I cannot be attracted to my son!' But no, seriously, he is so giving, so talented."