Sam Nivola Rejects Nepo Baby Label, Cites Independence

Sam Nivola, star of The White Lotus and son of actors Emily Mortimer and Alessandro Nivola, has publicly rejected the 'nepo baby' label, asserting that his achievements stem from his own efforts rather than parental influence. He clarified that he landed his breakout role in White Noise without leveraging family connections and that his parents did not allow him to audition for roles before age 18. Nivola acknowledged the privileges of his upbringing but emphasized the challenges of fame, typecasting, and his parents' initial discouragement of his acting career. He also revealed that dropping out of Columbia University to pursue acting full time upset his parents. Nivola remains critical of the superficial aspects of fame and is determined to define his career independently. He hopes to take on more mature and varied roles in the future.