Sam Nivola is undoubtedly making a name for himself in Hollywood, and he wants the world to know that he’s doing it on his own terms.
“Other than my genes, I don’t think I can attribute much of my success to my parents,” he said in an interview with Variety. “I feel proud that I’ve done it for myself, and sometimes in spite of them.”
Sam’s first major role was in Noah Baumbach’s 2022 film White Noise as the on-screen son of Adam Driver and Greta Gerwig’s characters, a role his high school drama teacher helped him land and audition for.
“I didn’t get my dad’s agent to call up so-and-so,” Sam said of his White Noise character Heinrich Gladney. “I did it by myself. I didn’t want to give anyone an excuse to be able to say that anything I’ve achieved has been because of anyone other than me. And I’m proud of that.”
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Fun fact: Sam’s real-life sister played his little sister in White Noise, but that wasn’t their first time acting together. The siblings worked together on an episode of The Pursuit of Love, a British miniseries written and directed by their mother, based on a 1945 novel by Nancy Mitford.
Since then, Sam has starred in several films and TV shows portraying the son of some major stars, including 2023’s Eileen and Maestro. In 2024, he starred as Will Winbury, the awkward son of Nicole Kidman, in the Netflix limited series The Perfect Couple.
It’s fair to say that his genes probably had more to do with his career than he considers, but I don’t think that’s always bad. Sure, when nepotism is attributed to unqualified people who might underperform, it’s an ethical problem. But, based on Sam’s consistent performances and his ability to carve a proper lane for himself, his parents should be congratulated for introducing him to the craft. Besides, you probably didn’t even know who his parents were until I said it.
In June, during a Variety conversation with actor Cooper Koch, Sam said his parents advised against him 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,” he admitted. “It’s a really mentally tough career to be in.”
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Well, I’m glad that his parents lost that battle. Sam’s latest projects slapped.
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