SAM NIVOLA

“White Noise”

Nivola’s parents, actors Emily Mortimer and Alessandro Nivola, weren’t sure they wanted their son to follow their footsteps into acting.

“They really weren’t too keen on it,” says Nivola. “Because they knew how tough the lifestyle is.”

Nevertheless, Nivola found himself on this path when, at age 13, he got a subscription to the Criterion Collection and found himself hooked on film. “Since then, I’ve probably watched like two movies a day every day,” he says. “Falling in love with movies made me fall in love with acting.”

Nivola will be seen later this year in Noah Baumbach’s “White Noise” as the son of Adam Driver and Greta Gerwig. And in 2023, he appears as Alexander Bernstein, son of legendary conductor Leonard, in “Maestro.” Bradley Cooper is not only playing the elder Bernstein, but also directing the film.

Before shooting, Nivola was able to meet the real Alexander. “He was really cool, and really sweet, but I immediately felt like I don’t want to talk to this guy again,” says Nivola, who wanted to avoid the trap of mimicry. “It’s so hard, not to do an imitation rather than a performance.”

Nivola isn’t limiting himself to work in front of the camera, having written and directed a segment of the 2021 anthology drama “With/in.”he hopes to do more. “My favorite hobby is writing scripts based on stories, my life and stuff that I find funny,” he says. “I think it also improves my acting, to keep thinking about stories and dialogue.”

— Paul Plunkett

Reps: Agency: UTA Influences: Jean-pierre Léaud, Juliette Binoche, Tom Cruise, Leos Carax, Noah Baumbach