Sam Nivola has slammed “old movie stars” for getting plastic surgery to play “new roles.”
The 21-year-old actor—who jumped into the spotlight earlier this year for portraying Lochlan Ratliff in White Lotus—shared his honest thoughts on the subject during an interview with Variety published on Thursday.
The star expressed that he doesn’t think there are many young stars breaking into the entertainment industry in Hollywood.
“Old movie stars get plastic surgery and they look younger and stay young. You have these really old people playing new roles.”
Sam – who is the son of fellow actors Emily Mortimer and Alessandro Nivola – continued: ‘And it doesn’t give young people any place to move and make a name for themselves.
“With all due respect to these people, one day they won’t be here anymore, literally, and they’ll have to create new stars.”
The Daily Mail has contacted Nivola’s representatives for comment.
The White Lotus actor has slammed ‘old movie stars’ for getting plastic surgery to play ‘new roles’; Season Three (2025) seen above
Sam Nivola, 21, told Variety: “Old movie stars are getting plastic surgery and they look younger and stay young. You have these really old people playing new roles”; Seen in Westlake Village in April
Sam then revealed that he is a big fan of Timothée Chalamet and called him one of the “best actors alive.”
“He’s one of the few examples I could come up with. But it’s a different kind of movie star; He’s not huge and jacked. He looks a little more like me,” the star said, before adding, “I wish!”
Sam began his acting career over a decade earlier when he appeared in a 2013 episode of Doll & Em – in which his mother Emily also starred.
He later took on a role in the 2022 comedy-drama White Noise and worked with Nicole Kidman in The Perfect Couple (2024).
Earlier this year, Sam played Lochlan Ratliff in the third season of HBO Max’s The White Lotus. The latest episodes also featured a star-studded cast, with Patrick Schwarzenegger portraying Sam’s on-screen older brother.
The pair participated in a now-infamous incest scene, which some viewers found “disturbing” at the time.
While also speaking to Variety back in March above the scene, the actor admitted that it had been “weird” to kiss Patrick.
“It was really weird kissing Patrick because he’s a really good friend of mine,” Sam explained to the outlet.
Sam then revealed that he is a big fan of Timothée Chalamet and called him one of the “best actors alive”; Timothée, seen in Beverly Hills in March
Earlier this year, Sam played Lochlan Ratliff in the third season of HBO Max’s The White Lotus. The latest episodes also featured a star-studded cast, with Patrick Schwarzenegger portraying Sam’s on-screen older brother.
“It was really weird kissing Patrick because he’s a really good friend of mine,” Sam explained to the outlet.
“And, you know, I’m straight, he’s straight. It’s already weird. Patrick was already like a brother to me. It felt kind of f**ked.”
His mother Emily also offered her thoughts on her son’s sex scene in White Lotus with Patrick and fellow castmate Charlotte Le Bon – where they had a threesome.
“It’s so crazy, all of it. It wasn’t much crazier than having my boy go to Thailand for so long,” the Pink Panther actress told Laiki Apvidū
“Sure, it was a little weird, but being married to an actor [Alessandro Nivola], we all got to watch each other do weird things.”
Emily said her son warned her about the scene, but not how many times it would be shown throughout the episode.
“I was warned – although Sam said the worst was the first ten minutes, but they kept flashing. So I took a break, and then it wasn’t true at all.”
She also shared how her son has dealt with fame, explaining, “He just owns it, which is not thanks to any of us.
“I’m biased because I’m his mom, but he doesn’t need any guidance.”
!["Sure, it was a little weird, but being married to an actor [Alessandro Nivola], we all got to watch each other do weird things," said Emily; Sam's parents, seen above in New York in 2021](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/08/08/04/101026341-14981823-_Of_course_it_was_a_bit_bizarre_but_being_married_to_an_actor_Al-a-72_1754624166895.jpg)
“Sure, it was a little weird, but being married to an actor [Alessandro Nivola], we all got to watch each other do weird things,” said Emily; Sam’s parents, seen above in New York in 2021
She also shared how her son has dealt with fame, explaining: “He just owns it, which is not thanks to any of us”; Sam seen in LA in February
During a recent conversation with Variety, Sam – who is dating actress Iris Apatow – spoke about being classified as a Nepo baby.
While his mother is also known for roles in projects such as Newsroom and Shutter Island, his father has appeared in films including Mansfield Park (1999), Coco before Chanel (2009), American Hustle (2013), and Brutalist (2024).
Despite having famous parents, the actor explained that his success in the industry so far was due to his own hard work.
“Other than my genes, I don’t think I can attribute much of my success to my parents. I’m proud to have done it on my own, and sometimes in spite of them,” Sam said.
When it came to his first film role – River of Fundament (2014) – the star said he “didn’t get my dad’s agent to call anyway. I did it myself.”
“Apart from my genes, I don’t think I can attribute much of my success to my parents. I’m proud to have done it on my own, and sometimes in spite of them,” said Sam; Seen with Nicole Kidman in Perfect Pair (2024)
‘I didn’t want to give anyone an excuse to be able to say that everything I’ve achieved has been because of no one else but me. And I’m proud of that.’
Sam has several upcoming projects, including a comedy film called Driver’s Ed.
The premise is this: “A group of teenagers steal their school’s driver’s car, ED, to go on a road trip to help a high school senior track down his college freshman girlfriend and win her back,” per IMDB.
Along with Sam, other stars set to star in the upcoming film include Molly Shannon, Kumail Nanjiani, and Ella Stiller.
