When it comes to youth in Hollywood, the scalpel seems to be mightier than the script.
At least, that’s the view of White Lotus breakout star Sam Nivola, who’s thrown some unexpectedly sharp words at older actors still trying to play twentysomethings on screen, sometimes with the help of a surgeon’s knife.
In a new interview with Variety, the 21-year-old actor lamented the lack of space for emerging talent, placing the blame squarely on a generation of ageing stars unwilling to let go of the spotlight... or the Botox.
“The old movie stars are getting plastic surgery, and they're looking younger and staying young,” he said. “You have these really old people playing young roles… it's not giving any space for the young’uns to move in and make a name for themselves.”
It’s the kind of blunt honesty rarely heard from someone with Hollywood lineage.
Nivola is the son of British actress Emily Mortimer and American actor Alessandro Nivola, but he insists his career isn’t riding on their coattails.
“Other than my genes, I don't think I can attribute much of my success to my parents,” he said. “I feel proud that I've done it for myself, and sometimes in spite of them.”
His role in The White Lotus Season 3 as troubled teen Lochlan Ratliff didn’t just generate buzz, it provoked headlines, thanks to a controversial incestuous storyline involving his character and an older on-screen brother played by, another nepo kid, Patrick Schwarzenegger.
“It was very weird,” he admitted. “Patrick’s a good friend. It felt sort of f**ked up.”
Strange as the plotline was, Nivola handled it with ease and even humour. But it’s his thoughts off-camera that might make the bigger impact.
As the industry continues to wrestle with diversity and representation, his comments tap into a newer, quieter frustration among Gen Z actors: what happens when the industry’s obsession with youth doesn’t actually make space for young people?
“They will have to create new stars,” he added. “One day, they won’t be here anymore, literally.”
His critique feels particularly relevant at a time when Hollywood’s biggest blockbusters increasingly rely on de-aged stars or veteran actors stretching the limits of plausibility to stay in roles they once grew out of.
Meanwhile, young actors often struggle to land roles that might define a generation because those roles are being digitally or surgically preserved for someone twice their age.
And yet, Nivola isn't all cynicism. He’s full of admiration for actors like Timothée Chalamet, calling him “one of the best actors alive.”
The comparison is telling: Chalamet’s brand of fame is low-key, talent-driven, and accessible. “He’s not huge and jacked,” Nivola joked. “He looks a little more like me. I wish!”
With upcoming projects, including the teen comedy Driver’s Ed, alongside Kumail Nanjiani and Molly Shannon, Nivola’s career is clearly gaining momentum.
Whether Hollywood listens to his critique is another matter.
