Sam Nivola Opens Up About His "Nepo Baby" Label and His Parents' Disapproval of His Acting Career

Published: June 9, 2025

Sam Nivola, the 21-year-old son of actors Emily Mortimer and Alessandro Nivola, has spoken out about his "nepo baby" label and his parents' initial disapproval of his decision to pursue a career in acting.

In an interview with Cooper Koch for Variety's Actors on Actors, Nivola shared that his parents, who have both had long careers on screen, advised him against following in their footsteps.

"My whole thing was that my parents really didn't want me to be an actor, which I totally get — I don't know if I'd want my kid to be an actor," Nivola admitted. "It's a really mentally tough career to be in."

Despite his parents' reservations, Nivola has appeared in several big projects in recent years, including The Perfect Couple and White Noise, in which his sister May Rose also featured.

Nivola's Parents Were Initially Against His Decision to Act

Alessandro Nivola told PEOPLE in 2021 that acting "definitely wasn't something we were encouraging" for their children.

However, when director Noah Baumbach approached the Nivola children to cast in White Noise, they couldn't resist the opportunity. "At that point, it felt cruel to tell them they couldn't do it because it was such a high-class project," Alessandro said.

Despite their initial reservations, Nivola's parents have been supportive of his career, although they haven't been involved in his acting decisions. "They never come to me for advice for anything," Alessandro said with a laugh. "They haven't even asked me once to read through a scene with them."

Nivola has recently starred as Lochlan Ratliff in the third season of The White Lotus.

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