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While it answered the main question about who dies (hint; it’s devastating), the season three finale of The White Lotus left many other questions unresolved. From the necessity of the character of Mook to the season-long criticism of the show’s pacing, one even more persistent question has pertained to a character who appeared in only three of the season’s eight episodes. Zion Lindsey is the son of beloved character Belinda (played by Natasha Rothwell), and it’s his character who hears the gunshots and witnesses the mysterious dead body in the season premiere.
Though we hear him briefly on phone calls with Belinda, Zion doesn’t appear on screen again until episodes seven and eight, when he reunites with his mom to spend a few days at the White Lotus — but not before catching her in the act with Pornchai (played by Dom Hetrakul). Given his importance to Belinda’s storyline (which culminates in a massive payday courtesy of Greg-Gary) fans are naturally wondering which actor portrays Zion, and where else they might’ve seen him before.
Zion is played by Nicholas Duvernay.
Zion is portrayed by Nicholas Duvernay, a 25-year-old actor who was born and raised in Long Island, New York, before moving to Los Angeles to pursue acting after high school. Despite their similar sounding last names (and The White Lotus’ knack for hiring nepo babies), Nicholas is not related to Oscar-nominated director, Ava DuVernay, though he has spoken in the past about that being “a question I expect every time I meet somebody.” Alongside his acting work, Duvernay has modelled for brands like Banana Republic.
In various interviews, Duvernay has spoken about The White Lotus as a “dream” role, especially given his relative greenness in Hollywood. He described being cast in season three as “the Super Bowl of everything I’ve done so far, for sure,” adding that playing Zion is “really an actor’s dream.” Elsewhere, in the wake of the season three finale, Duvernay shared an Instagram post in which he reflected on the filming experience and said it “will be with me for a lifetime.”
Duvernay had small television roles prior to The White Lotus.
The White Lotus adds to Duvernay’s relatively small credits list that mostly includes various television shows and a few movies. Aside from his recent trip to Thailand, he is perhaps best known for the Netflix romance movie Purple Hearts, which was released in 2022 and sees him play a brash soldier named Armando. Duvernay features in that film alongside lead stars Sofia Carson and Nicholas Galitzine. Other notable credits include Duvernay’s role as Drew in Bel-Air, Peacock’s dramatic reboot of the classic sitcom, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.
Duvernay’s character didn’t appear in that series until its second season in 2023, but he is expected to reprise the role in the upcoming fourth and final season. Elsewhere, Duvernay has appeared as Lindor in the sitcom Tyler Perry’s Assisted Living, and Brent in the 2023 action-romance, Perfect Addiction. Other notable titles in Duvernay’s credits include a two-episode run in the fantasy drama series The Winchesters, and one-episode appearances in All American: Homecoming and The Rookie. It remains to be seen whether Duvernay will grace screens again in The White Lotus’ fourth season, but since Rothwell has appeared in two installments, we wouldn’t count out the possibility.