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White Lotus' Lochlan star Sam Nivola has a famous British mum - and fans can't believe it

Sam Nivola, who also appeared in White Noise and Eileen, is experienced when it comes to the ins and outs of the showbiz industry as his mother and father are famous actors

White Lotus' Lochlan star Sam Nivola has a famous British mum - and fans can't believe it
White Lotus' Lochlan star Sam Nivola has a famous British mum - and fans can't believe it(Image: FilmMagic for HBO)

The White Lotus fans were shocked to discover Sam Nivola, who plays Jason Isaacs and Parker Posey's character's son Lochlan Ratliff in the third series of the HBO show, has a famous mum. So far, five episodes of the show have been released and fans have tuned in to some disturbing scenes and hilarious moments.


Sam, who also appeared in White Noise and Eileen, is experienced when it comes to the ins and outs of the showbiz industry as his mother is none other actor, writer and director Emily Mortimer - known for her roles in Lovely and Amazing, The Newsroom, Doll & Em and The Pursuit of Love. She's also been nominated for a BAFTA, a Saturn Award, and more.


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Sam Nivola
Sam stars as Lochlan in The White Lotus series three(Image: AFP via Getty Images)

Fans were shocked to discover Sam's relation to Emily and rushed to X/Twitter to share their excitement. One user said: "Sam Nivola has his mom Emily Mortimer’s whole face, any time I see him on #TheWhiteLotus all I can think of is her on 30 Rock lol."

"Sam Nivola iS from the UK? His mum is Emily Mortimer??" another posted. One said: "Today years old when I found out that The White Lotus' very own Sam Nivola (Lochlan) is Alessandro Nivola and Emily Mortimer's offspring."

"Just found out Emily Mortimer is married to Alessandro Nivola and that Sam Nivola is their son… I love nepotism," one added.


Emily Mortimer and Alessandro Nivola
His parents are Emily Mortimer and Alessandro Nivola(Image: WireImage for Vanity Fair)

Sam's father is Alessandro Nivola, who is an actor known for Mansfield Park, The Brutalist, Selma, American Hustle. He also received many nominations, including for a Tony Award, an Independent Spirit Award and the actor also won a SAG.

The British American actor was born in London back in 2003 and spent his early years growing up between Notting Hill and Brooklyn, New York.


Sam recently described The White Lotus as his 'biggest role yet'. He also praised Mike White as a genius and added: "We shot it in Thailand for seven months, and I was there with no connection to the outside world, which was really scary - but creatively, it was very fulfilling to be able to have a role that's big enough to really sink your teeth into."

The actor is dating another successful actor also dubbed a nepo baby, Iris Apatow, whose parents are comedy filmmaker Judd Apatow and actress Leslie Mann. According to some reports, they have been together for a couple of years.

Iris attended The White Lotus season three premiere with her boyfriend, with Sam revealing she visited him while filming in Thailand.


He said: "It was so nice of her to sacrifice that time to come be with me and I'm incredibly grateful to her." In an interview with British Vogue earlier this year, Sam made a joke about them both being nepo kids. He described his friendship group as a “secret cabal of nepo kids who hang out in black robes".

Sam isn't the only nepo baby on the show as Patrick Schwarzenegger plays the role of Lochlan's brother. Patrick is the eldest son of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver.

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