For VMAN’s latest feature, Sam Nivola steps into the spotlight, photographed by Isaac Anthony. Styled by Nicola Formichetti in Burberry’s summer collection, Nivola cycles through easy tees, a hooded sweatshirt, a sharp trench, and shirting—all with the kind of lived-in ease that mirrors his screen presence.
Sam Nivola for VMAN
Fresh from his season in “The White Lotus,” where he played Lochlan opposite Patrick Schwarzenegger, Nivola reflects on a career already shaped by sharp instincts and even sharper taste: “I’ve always loved acting, it’s my big passion. But my first love was movies.”
That first love was born from hours spent with a Criterion Channel subscription and a curiosity that still guides everything he makes.
Nivola’s conversation with VMAN reveals a 21-year-old whose fascination with cinema runs deep. The American-British actor recounts getting his “White Noise” audition through a high school drama teacher—just to meet Noah Baumbach.
Nivola recalled thinking, “I know my parents don’t want me to be an actor, but I just want to at least get to the number of callbacks where I get to meet this guy.” That role in “White Noise” set off a chain reaction, leading him to “The White Lotus” and now, “Driver’s Ed,” his first full-blown comedy.
“You’re laughing all day, which is so good for your mental health,” he says of working with Bobby Farrelly on “Driver’s Ed.” He brings that same energy to his own production company, Cold Worm, which he runs with two close friends: “We’re all spending a lot of our own money to get these things made, because we just really care about it.”
While the fashion world may still be new terrain, Nivola is paying close attention. “I’m sort of starting to learn that right now is a really important, monumental and special time in the fashion world,” he says, marveling at the privilege of watching it unfold from the front row.
Whether building momentum through “The White Lotus,” stepping into comedy with “Driver’s Ed,” or shaping stories behind the scenes at Cold Worm—Nivola moves forward with curiosity as his compass.
Each role, each project, sharpens his point of view. And he’s doing it with a rare mix of humility and conviction. As he puts it best, “I think my dream role is a role that I couldn’t describe to you.”
