Sam Nivola: I've earned my success in Hollywood

Sam Nivola thinks he's earned every bit of his success.

The 21-year-old star is the son of actor Alessandro Nivola and actress Emily Mortimer - but Sam refutes the idea that he's a so-called nepo baby.

Sam - who has featured in films such as White Noise and Eileen - told Variety: "Other than my genes, I don’t think I can attribute much of my success to my parents. I feel proud that I’ve done it for myself, and sometimes in spite of them."

Sam insists that his parents had no influence over his first film role. And the actor is "proud" of what he's already managed to achieve in his career.

He said: "I didn’t get my dad’s agent to call up so-and-so. I did it by myself.

"I didn’t want to give anyone an excuse to be able to say that anything I’ve achieved has been because of anyone other than me. And I’m proud of that."

Sam actually defied his parents when he chose to drop out of college in order to pursue his acting ambitions.

The movie star explained: "My parents were upset. It totally scared them, which is understandable.

"I wasn’t happy at the time because I couldn’t dedicate everything in me to acting. And I have problems with authority figures."

Sam hopes that his new film project, Driver’s Ed, will breathe new life into the comedy genre.

The actor reflected: "It’s rare to have comedies at all. It’s been pretty dry for a little while. Can you think of any good ones that have come out in the last five years? Other than Friendship?"

Sam believes that movie studios have actually become more data-driven and more risk-averse in recent years.

The actor believes that the new approach has been detrimental for the comedy genre.

He said: "They’ve Moneyball-ed the film industry!

"Everything is about data now — and trying to predict, to the nearest dollar, how much money a movie’s going to make. It screws the idea of risk-taking, and comedy is more about risk-taking than any other genre."

Sam also thinks that studios are reluctant to invest in up-and-coming actors and actresses. Instead, he suggested that studios are throwing their support behind big-name movie stars, who have a proven track record of success.

He said: "The old movie stars are getting plastic surgery, and they’re looking younger and they’re staying young. You have these really old people playing young roles. And it’s not giving any space for the young’uns to move in and make a name for themselves.

"With all due respect to those people, one day they won’t be here anymore, literally, and they will have to create new stars."