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Sam Nivola back on TV in the new Hulu series Phone!
The 23-year-old actor stars as “a teenager who wakes up in the hospital after a car accident to find that his mother – his only parent and best friend – has apparently been replaced by an impostor.”
It’s another man to play his mother in the new show The White Lotus alum Connie Brittonwho starred in the first season of the HBO series, while Sam was in season three.
Speaking of parents, Sam is the son of two famous actors? He has already opened up about the “nepo baby” label and whether his parents have anything to do with his own success in the same career.
Who are Sam Nivola’s parents?
Sam is the eldest child of actors Alessandro Nivola and Emily Mortimer. He has a younger sister, May16, who has also started her own acting career.
Alessandro is an American actor who has been in the industry since the 1990s. His notable projects include films like Jurassic Park III, American Hustle, The Devil’s Knot, A most violent year, The art of self-defense, Amsterdam, The Brutaland Kraven the Hunter.
Emily is an English actress who has also been working since the 1990s, including famous films Notting Hill, Scream 3, Match point, The Pink Panther, Shutter Island, Mary Poppins returns, Paddington in Peruand Jay Kelly. She has also been a writer and director of various projects.
What Sam Nivola says about the “nepo baby” label.
“Other than my genes, I don’t think I can attribute much of my success to my parents. I’m proud that I did it for myself, and sometimes in spite of them,” he said. Different in August 2025.
When he got his first big movie role, in White Noise, Sam he said he did everything by himself, without help from his parents.
“I didn’t get my father’s agent to call so-and-so. I did it myself,” he said. “I didn’t want to give anyone an excuse to be able to say that anything I’ve achieved has been because of anyone but me. And I’m proud of that.”
He also said that he dropped out of Columbia University after one semester to focus on acting, which his parents weren’t too happy about.
“My parents were upset. It scared the hell out of them, which is understandable,” Sam said. “I wasn’t happy at the time because I couldn’t dedicate everything inside of me to acting. And…I have problems with authority figures.”
Check out the full trailer and release schedule of events for Sam Nivolathe new show, Phone!
Posted to:Alessandro Nivola Emily Mortimer Nepo Baby Sam Nivola
