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News18
11-08-2025
- Entertainment
- News18
White Lotus Star Sam Nivola Talks About His Success In Hollywood
Sam Nivola opens up about building his acting career independently, despite being the son of famous Hollywood actors Emily Mortimer and Alessandro Nivola. Sam Nivola is gradually earning his reputation in Hollywood. Although born to famous actors Emily Mortimer and Alessandro Nivola, Sam asserts that his achievement is all his own. The young upstart wishes the world to understand he's building his career on his own and with dignity. Sam recently opened up in an interview with Variety on whether his acting career is a result of his famous family background. He stated, 'Other than my genes, I don't think I can attribute much of my success to my parents." He continued, 'I feel proud that I've done it for myself and sometimes despite them. His honesty shows how much he wants to create a legacy in his own way. Even with the advantages of having parents well-settled in Hollywood, Sam stresses his hard work and perseverance in forging his career. Early Roles and Breakthrough Sam's first major role was in Noah Baumbach's 2022 film White Noise. He played Heinrich Gladney, the son of actors played by Adam Driver and Greta Gerwig. Interestingly enough, it was a high school drama teacher who got him this audition, rather than a family member. He said, 'I didn't have my dad's agent make so-and-so call me. I did it myself. I didn't want to provide anyone with any reason to say anything that I've done is due to anyone other than me." This comment emphasises his need to be known for his ability and effort. Beginning Early in the Industry Sam's acting career began in 2013, when he had a guest role in an episode of his mother's comedy series, Doll & Em and his father's production. Since that time, he has gradually built up his portfolio with a combination of TV and film appearances. He has played the sons of famous actors, including in the 2023 movies Eileen and Maestro. In 2024, he played Will Winbury, the gangly son of Nicole Kidman's character in the Netflix limited series The Perfect Couple. Breaking the Nepotism Stigma While many might point to Sam's genetics as providing him with an edge, it's obvious his ability and steady performances separated him. Nepotism can result in overpraising actors who are not qualified. But Sam's path is one of true passion for acting and an effort to prove himself. His parents' work in the industry must have exposed him early on, but his dedication has well characterised his career. Most may not even know his celebrity family connections unless mentioned. This is evidence of how much he has established his name. Parents' Prudence and Their Occupational Choice Curiously, Sam discovered that his parents had initially dissuaded him from pursuing an acting career. 'My whole thing was that my parents didn't want me to be an actor, which I get," he told Variety in an interview with actor Cooper Koch. 'I don't know if I'd want my kid to be an actor. It's a mentally tough career." This did not deter Sam and he pursued his dream. Since then, he has demonstrated his strength in a tough career. His success is a success story of resilience as well as being able to believe in one's calling despite the doubts closest to you. Sam's recent work has drawn positive notice, affirming his status as a rising star. His passion for choosing meaningful roles and acting with depth distinguishes him in a profession famous for its competition and criticism. First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Daily Mail
24-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Emily Mortimer calls her son Sam Nivola's shocking sex scene in The White Lotus 'crazy' but admits as an acting family 'we've all had to watch each other do strange things'
Emily Mortimer has revealed her reaction to watching her White Lotus star son Sam Nivola's first sex scene. Sam, 21, starred in the third season of the hit show, and alongside Patrick Schwarzenegge r and Charlotte Le Bon had one of the most shocking scenes in the drama - when his character Lochlan Ratliff had a threesome with his own brother. Sam's mother Emily, 53, is no stranger to sex scenes during her illustrious 30 year career, with one of her most memorable being the controversial moment in the 2003 movie Young Adam when Ewan McGregor doused the naked actress in custard and ketchup. And now Emily has admitted that watching her own son in erotic scenes isn't as crazy as watching his career soar. 'It's so crazy, all of it. It wasn't particularly crazier than having my boy go off to Thailand for so long,' Emily pointed out of the intense seven month shoot Sam embarked on for The White Lotus. 'Of course it was a bit bizarre, but being married to an actor [Alessandro Nivola], we've all had to watch each other do strange things.' Emily added that Sam had given his parents a warning but failed to disclose how many threesome scenes were shown. 'I had been warned — although Sam said that the worst bit was the first ten minutes, but they kept flashing back. So I'd relaxed and then it wasn't true at all,' she told The Times. The proud mother gushed that so far Sam is handling fame better than she and his father ever could, admitting 'he just sort of owns it, which isn't thanks to either of us. I'm biased because I'm his mum, but he doesn't need any guidance.' Sam has plenty of mentors he could lean on should he need it though, with celebrated actors Jason Isaacs and Parker Posey playing his parents in The White Lotus, whilst Nicole Kidman and Liev Schreiber were his onscreen mum and dad in 2024 Netflix hit The Perfect Couple. When asked who is the best onscreen mum to her boy, Emily was quick to decide, laughing: 'Oh, he's had a lot of great actresses be his mum. Parker Posey was a bit more maternal.' Emily has already acted alongside Sam and his sister May, 15, after she cast her children and mother in the BBC's The Pursuit of Love (which she wrote and directed and in Doll & Em, the comedy series she wrote with her best friend, Dolly Wells. Doll & Em was Sam's acting debut. Sam, 21, moved from Britain to the U.S. when he was young after spending his early childhood in Notting Hill, London, before growing up in Brooklyn, New York. There he attended Saint Ann's School in Brooklyn, where fees cost between $48,000 and $52,000 per year, before earning a place at the prestigious Columbia University. The rising star is dating fellow nepo-baby Iris Apatow, 22. The pair looked smitten as they took to the red carpet together at the White Lotus premiere earlier this year, and the actress even joined her beau in Thailand while he filmed the HBO series last year. But Sam claims he's not like other nepo babies, as he told Vogue last month: 'My parents aren't, like, total celebrities. They don't get recognised in the street.' Next up for Emily is Disney+ drama Suspect, about the wrongful killing of Jean Charles de Menezes, in which she plays former Metropolitan Police commissioner Cressida Dick. Sam meanwhile is pivoting to comedy after a run of streamer dramas, and is currently filming the Bobby Farrelly film Driver's Ed.
