The White Lotus star Sam Nivola has dismissed the label of ‘Nepo Baby’, arguing he has achieved success on his own despite having famous parents.
The actor is the son of Alessandro Nivola, known for films such as The Many Saints Of Newark, and The Brutalist; and Emily Mortimer, who has appeared in films such as Shutter Island and Paddington In Peru.
‘Nepo Baby’ is an often-derogatory term to describe stars perceived to have found success in Hollywood thanks to famous parents. Nivola’s White Lotus co-star Patrick Schwarzenegger has expressed his frustration in the past with the perception that his career is due to his father Arnold.
In an interview with Variety, Nivola laughed off the term and said: “Other than my genes, I don’t think I can attribute much of my success to my parents. I feel proud that I’ve done it for myself, and sometimes in spite of them”.
Describing his break into the industry, he said: “I didn’t get my dad’s agent to call up so-and-so. 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”.
Elsewhere in the interview, he revealed that when he and his parents are out together, it’s him that is most often asked for selfies. “But that just goes to show the trappings of fame,” he clarified. “Because I’m not half as talented as my father or my mother”.
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The third season of The White Lotus, in which Sam Nivola played Lochlan Ratliff, the teenage son of a wealthy financier, was a ratings hit and recently gained 23 Emmy nominations. However, fans were furious that Schwarzenegger was not recognised for her performance as Saxon Ratliff, Lochlan’s brother.
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