3 Things You Didn't Know About 'The White Lotus' Actor Sam Nivola
The 21-year-old actor's breakout role as Lochlan Ratliff on The White Lotus has many curious about who he is.
Sam Nivola is quickly making a bigger name for himself in Hollywood, thanks to his starring role in The White Lotus Season 3. He plays Lochlan, one of three kids in the meme-friendly Ratliff family, and has been making headlines weekly for the outrageous storyline involving his rich family and, especially, his brother Saxon, portrayed by Patrick Schwarzenegger. With all the attention for his scandalous role comes buzz and interest in the actor's career, relationship status, and history.
The 21-year-old has appeared in films like White Noise (2022), Maestro (2023), Eileen (2023), and The Perfect Couple (2024). He has starred opposite some of Hollywood's greats like Adam Driver, Bradley Cooper, and Nicole Kidman. Nivola's current filmography asserts him a young actor to keep an eye on. His dedication to his roles and execution prove that he has the talent to continue becoming a favorite on our screens.
Despite coming from a family of actors, Nivola's recent performance in The White Lotus shows his raw talent. The creators behind the hit HBO series wouldn't have hired just anyone, especially someone who couldn't live up to the work of the preceding cast from the first and second seasons, which includes White Lotus alums like Jennifer Coolidge, Alexandra Daddario, Theo James, Aubrey Plaza, Meghann Fahy, and Michael Imperioli.
Whatever creative journey comes next, there's no doubt he'll continue to demonstrate his worth as an actor. Keep scrolling to get to know Nivola, including a few interesting facts about the up-and-coming actor you may not know.
He's Continuing His Family's Acting Legacy
Sam Nivola has two actors for parents (which is why many are referring to him as a nepo baby). British acting dynasty. Yes, he's a nepo baby. His parents are British actor Emily Mortimer and American actor Alessandro Nivola. The pair met on the set of the 2000 film adaptation of William Shakespeare's Love’s Labour’s Lost. They fell in love, married in 2003, and welcomed Sam in September of that year.
Mortimer is the daughter of dramatist Sir John Mortimer. She began her acting career in the theatre before she made her way into film and television. Her filmography includes Midsommer Murders (1997), Elizabeth (1998), Notting Hill (1999), Scream 3 (2000), and The Newsroom (2012-2014). Alessandro Nivola's career is as impressive as his wife's. The American actor made his film debut in Face/Off (1997), and his other acting feats include Mansfield Park (1999), Coco Before Chanel (2009), and The Brutalist (2024).
He Was Raised in Brooklyn
Nivola was born in London in 2003, but he has the fiery spirit of a New Yorker. His parents moved to the U.S. while Sam was still young and settled in Brooklyn, New York. Despite growing up in Brooklyn, Nivola's British heritage remains a big part of who he is, according to an interview with British Vogue. Nivola enjoys a good cup of tea and adds a flair of British slang, like "tosser," into his conversations every now and then.
He's Dating Iris Apatow
Nivola is dating fellow nepo baby Iris Apatow, daughter of Judd Apatow and Leslie Mann. The couple has been together since 2024 and became Instagram-official in April 2024. They made their relationship red carpet official in October 2024 while attending Burberry's flagship reopening event in New York. They are going strong in 2025 and approaching their first anniversary.
