Photo: Josh Stringer/Hulu via AP

Jackson White, left, and Katey Sagal in a scene from “Tell Me Lies.”

Katey Sagaltells her son nothing but the truth.

Tell Me LiesstarJackson Whitechatted with PEOPLE about the acting advice hisGolden Globe-winning mother told him as a young, aspiring actor himself.

Sagal’s words of wisdom? “Don’t do it. Do something else,” White exclusively tells PEOPLE. Of course, there was a reason behind her bluntness.

“I wasn’t allowed to act until I was 18,” he explains. “I had to grow up first.”

Michael Tran/FilmMagic

Jackson White and mom, Katey Sagal attend the Los Angeles premiere of HBO’s “Mrs. Fletcher” held at Avalon Hollywood on October 21, 2019 in Los Angeles, California.

The now 26-year-old actor heeded Sagal’s guidance and waited until he was of age to act, instead pursuing music at the University of Southern California for a year before realizing college wasn’t for him.

On the other hand, White admits that he “didn’t listen” to her advice in pursuing a different career path — while also confessing that he didn’t really “grow up” either.

Unlike his mom, a seasoned actress known for her roles inMarried… with ChildrenandSons of Anarchy, White is still a newcomer to the scene. With less than a dozen credits to his name, the breakout star first turned heads with his role as Brendan Fletcher in the HBO miniseriesMrs. Fletcherin 2019.

Now, White’s at it again with his role as Stephen DeMarco in Hulu’s latest coming-of-age thrillerTell Me Lies. He plays a college upperclassman with smarts and charm on the outside, but a deceiving darkness within. This leads to his entanglement in several relationships filled with toxicity and never-ending — wait for it — lies.

Josh Stringer/Hulu

“Tell Me Lies” follows a tumultuous but intoxicating relationship as it unfolds over the course of 8 years. When Lucy Albright (Grace Van Patten) and Stephen DeMarco (Jackson White) meet at college, they are at that formative age when seemingly mundane choices lead the way to irrevocable consequences. Although their relationship begins like any typical campus romance, they quickly fall into an addictive entanglement that will permanently alter not only their lives, but the lives of everyone around them. Lucy (Grace Van Patten) and Stephen (Jackson White), shown.

Not only does the actor star opposite of Grace Van Patten’s confident college freshman Lucy, who finds herself in Stephen’s web of excuses and deceit, but he shares the screen with — spoiler alert — Sagal as well!

Playing the role of White’s onscreen mom in theEmma Roberts-produced series, viewers are introduced to Sagal in episode 5 of the 10-part series. The plot delves deeper into Stephen’s rocky relationship with his troubled mother, who’s still hung up on her divorced husband and his new romance.

Unlike their characters in the show, the mother-son duo share a close bond in real life. In fact, Sagal is now super supportive of White’s acting endeavors and constantly showcases it on her Instagram.

“LOVE this son of mine! Bravo!♥️♥️♥️ on 🔥,” she captioned aphotoof Deadline’s announcement of her son’s casting.

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New episodes ofTell Me Liesdrop Wednesdays on Hulu.

source: people.com