Alessandro Antine Nivola (born June 28, 1972) is an American actor. His work includes both screen and stage, and his accolades include a

Screen Actors Guild Award Screen Actors Guild Awards (also known as SAG Awards) are accolades given by the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA). The award was founded in 1995 to recognize outstanding performances in movie an ...

, in addition to nominations for a

Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ce ...

and an

Independent Spirit Award The Independent Spirit Awards, originally known as the FINDIE or Friends of Independents Awards, and later as the Film Independent Spirit Awards, are awards presented annually in Santa Monica, California, to independent filmmakers. Founded in ...

. Nivola made his acting film debut in ''

Face/Off ''Face/Off'' is a 1997 American science fiction action film directed by John Woo, from a screenplay by Mike Werb and Michael Colleary. It stars John Travolta as an FBI agent and Nicolas Cage as a terrorist, who undergo an experimental surg ...

'' (1997) and has since acted in films such as ''

Mansfield Park ''Mansfield Park'' is the third published novel by the English author Jane Austen, first published in 1814 by Thomas Egerton (publisher), Thomas Egerton. A second edition was published in 1816 by John Murray (publishing house), John Murray, st ...

'' (1999), ''

Jurassic Park III ''Jurassic Park III'' is a 2001 American Science fiction film, science fiction adventure film, adventure action film directed by Joe Johnston and written by Peter Buchman, Alexander Payne, and Jim Taylor (writer), Jim Taylor. It is the third ...

'' (2001), '' Laurel Canyon'' (2002), '' Junebug'' (2005), '' Coco Before Chanel'' (2009), '' Ginger & Rosa'' (2012), '' American Hustle'' (2013), '' Selma'' (2014), '' A Most Violent Year'' (2014), '' Disobedience'' (2017), '' You Were Never Really Here'' (2017), '' The Art of Self-Defense'' (2019), ''

The Many Saints of Newark ''The Many Saints of Newark'' (marketed with the subtitle ''A Sopranos Story'') is a 2021 American crime drama film directed by Alan Taylor and written by David Chase and Lawrence Konner. A prequel to Chase's HBO crime drama series ''The Sop ...

'' (2021), ''

Boston Strangler The Boston Strangler is the name given to the murderer of 13 women in Greater Boston during the early 1960s. The crimes were attributed to Albert DeSalvo based on his confession, on details revealed in court during a separate case, and DNA profi ...

'' (2023), '' The Room Next Door'' (2024), and ''

The Brutalist ''The Brutalist'' is a 2024 Epic film, epic Historical drama, period drama film directed and produced by Brady Corbet, who co-wrote the screenplay with Mona Fastvold. It stars Adrien Brody as a History of the Jews in Hungary, Jewish-Hungarian ...

'' (2024). He portrayed Aleksei Sytsevich / Rhino in the

Marvel Marvel may refer to: Business * Marvel Entertainment, an American entertainment company ** Marvel Comics, the primary imprint of Marvel Entertainment ** Marvel Universe, a fictional shared universe ** Marvel Music, an imprint of Marvel Comics ...

superhero film Superhero film/movie is a film genre categorized by the presence of superhero characters, individuals with extraordinary abilities who are dedicated to fighting crime, saving the world, or helping the innocent. It is sometimes considered a sub ...

Kraven the Hunter Kraven the Hunter (Sergei Nikolaevich Kravinoff; Russian: Сергей Николаевич Кравинов) is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, th ...

'' (2024). He founded the production company King Bee Productions with his wife

Emily Mortimer Emily Kathleen Anne Mortimer (born 6 October 1971) is a British and American actress and filmmaker. She began acting in stage productions and has since appeared in several film and television roles. In 2003, she won an Independent Spirit Award ...

in 2013. On television, he acted in and produced the

HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American pay television service, which is the flagship property of namesake parent-subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is based a ...

comedy '' Doll & Em'' (2015), and has portrayed Mark Madoff in the HBO television film '' The Wizard of Lies'' (2017), Mr. Dean in the FX /

BBC One BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's oldest and flagship channel, and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television b ...

series '' Black Narcissus'' (2020) and Bert Schneider in the

Apple TV+ Apple TV+ is an American subscription over-the-top streaming service owned by Apple. The service launched on November 1, 2019, and it offers a selection of original production film and television series called Apple Originals. The service w ...

thriller miniseries '' The Big Cigar'' (2024). On stage, he made his Broadway debut in the play '' A Month in the Country'' (1995) for which he was nominated for the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play. He returned to Broadway acting in the revivals of Terence Rattigan's ''

The Winslow Boy ''The Winslow Boy'' is an English play from 1946 by Terence Rattigan based on an incident involving George Archer-Shee in the Edwardian era. The incident took place at the Royal Naval College, Osborne. Background Set against the strict cod ...

'' (2012), and Bernard Pomerance's ''

The Elephant Man Joseph Carey Merrick (5 August 1862 – 11 April 1890) was an English man known for his severe physical deformities. He was first exhibited at a freak show under the stage name "The Elephant Man", and then went to live at the London Hospital, ...

'' earning a

Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play The Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play is an honor presented at the Tony Awards, a ceremony established in 1947 as the Antoinette Perry Awards for Excellence in Theatre, to actors for quality supporting roles in a Broadway theatre, Broa ...

nomination for the latter.

Early life and education

Nivola was born in

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

Massachusetts Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...

to Virginia (née Davis), an artist, and Pietro Salvatore Nivola, a professor of political science and a senior fellow at

The Brookings Institution The Brookings Institution, often stylized as Brookings, is an American think tank that conducts research and education in the social sciences, primarily in economics (and tax policy), metropolitan policy, governance, foreign policy, global eco ...

. Nivola's paternal grandfather was the Sardinian sculptor Costantino Nivola, and his paternal grandmother, Ruth Guggenheim, was a

Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...

refugee from Germany. The elder of two boys (his brother, Adrian Nivola, a painter, is five years younger), Alessandro Nivola's childhood was divided between Boston;

Burlington, Vermont Burlington, officially the City of Burlington, is the List of municipalities in Vermont, most populous city in the U.S. state of Vermont and the county seat, seat of Chittenden County, Vermont, Chittenden County. It is located south of the Can ...

, where he attended the Mater Christi School (a ministry of the Sisters of Mercy); and

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

He later attended

Phillips Exeter Academy Phillips Exeter Academy (often called Exeter or PEA) is an Independent school, independent, co-educational, college-preparatory school in Exeter, New Hampshire. Established in 1781, it is America's sixth-oldest boarding school and educates an es ...

and

Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Stat ...

Career

Nivola graduated from Yale University with a BA in English in 1994. A year later he made his Broadway debut opposite

Helen Mirren Dame Helen Mirren (; born Ilyena Lydia Vasilievna Mironov; 26 July 1945) is an English actor. With a career spanning over six decades of Helen Mirren on screen and stage, screen and stage, List of awards and nominations received by Helen Mirre ...

in '' A Month in the Country'', earning a Drama Desk Award nomination. That year he also starred opposite

Gwyneth Paltrow Gwyneth Kate Paltrow ( ; born September 27, 1972) is an American actress and businesswoman. The daughter of filmmaker Bruce Paltrow and actress Blythe Danner, she established herself as a leading lady appearing in mainly mid-budget and perio ...

in the 1995 Williamstown Theater Festival production of Shakespeare's ''

As You Like It ''As You Like It'' is a pastoral Shakespearean comedy, comedy by William Shakespeare believed to have been written in 1599 and first published in the First Folio in 1623. The play's first performance is uncertain, though a performance at Wil ...

''. Shortly after that came his breakthrough performance in John Woo's feature film ''

'' (1997), playing Nicolas Cage's brother Pollux Troy. In the ensuing years he has starred in many films, including ''

'' (1999), ''

Love's Labour's Lost ''Love's Labour's Lost'' is one of William Shakespeare's early comedies, believed to have been written in the mid-1590s for a performance at the Inns of Court before Queen Elizabeth I. It follows the King of Navarre and his three companions as ...

'' (2000), ''

'' (2001), '' Laurel Canyon'' (2002), '' Junebug'' (2005), '' Goal! 1'' & ''2'' (2005, 2007), '' Coco Before Chanel'' (2009), '' Ginger & Rosa'' (2012), '' American Hustle'' (2013), '' A Most Violent Year'' (2014), '' Selma'' (2014), '' The Neon Demon'' (2016), '' One Percent More Humid'' (2017), '' You Were Never Really Here'' (2017), '' Disobedience'' (2017), '' The Art of Self Defense'' (2019), and '' The Red Sea Diving Resort'' (2019). He played Dickie Moltisanti, the lead role in ''

'',

David Chase David Henry Chase (born August 22, 1945) is an American writer, producer, and director. He is best known for being the creator, head writer, and executive producer of the HBO drama ''The Sopranos'', which aired for six seasons between 1999 and 2 ...

's feature film prequel to his television series ''

The Sopranos ''The Sopranos'' is an American Crime film#Crime drama, crime drama television series created by David Chase. The series follows Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini), a New Jersey American Mafia, Mafia boss who suffers from panic attacks. He reluct ...

''. In 2022, he appeared in David O. Russell's ''Amsterdam'' opposite

Christian Bale Christian Charles Philip Bale (born 30 January 1974) is an English actor. Known for his versatility and physical transformations for his roles, he has been a leading man in films of several genres. List of awards and nominations received by C ...

and Margot Robbie, as well as the comedy feature '' Spin Me Round'' opposite

Alison Brie Alison Brie Schermerhorn (born December 29, 1982) is an American actress, writer, and producer. She earned recognition for playing Trudy Campbell in the drama series ''Mad Men'' (2007–2015), and had her Breakthrough role, breakthrough starring ...

and

Aubrey Plaza Aubrey Christina Plaza (born June 26, 1984) is an American actress, comedian, and producer. She began performing Improvisational theatre, improv and sketch comedy at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre. After graduating from New York University ...

. Nivola worked frequently in television, starring opposite

Robert De Niro Robert Anthony De Niro ( , ; born August 17, 1943) is an American actor, director, and film producer. He is considered to be one of the greatest and most influential actors of his generation. De Niro is the recipient of List of awards and ...

Barry Levinson Barry Lee Levinson (born April 6, 1942) is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. Levinson won the Academy Award for Best Director for '' Rain Man'' (1988). His other best-known works are ''Diner'' (1982), '' The Natural'' (1984 ...

's Madoff family biopic '' The Wizard of Lies'' (2017), as well as the TNT miniseries '' The Company'' (2007), the UK Channel 4 series '' Chimerica'' (2019), and the three-part BBC miniseries '' Black Narcissus'', broadcast 27, 28, and 29 December 2020. Onstage, he starred off-Broadway in a revival of the

Sam Shepard Samuel Shepard Rogers III (November 5, 1943 – July 27, 2017) was an American playwright, actor, director, screenwriter, and author whose career spanned half a century. He wrote 58 plays as well as several books of short stories, essays, ...

play '' A Lie of the Mind'' (2010), with

Laurie Metcalf Laura Elizabeth "Laurie" Metcalf (born June 16, 1955) is an American actress and comedian. Known for her complex and versatile roles across the stage and screen, she has received various accolades throughout a career spanning more than four d ...

and directed by

Ethan Hawke Ethan Green Hawke (born November 6, 1970) is an American actor, author, and film director. He made his film debut in ''Explorers (film), Explorers'' (1985), before making a breakthrough performance in ''Dead Poets Society'' (1989). Hawke starr ...

. On Broadway, he starred in 2013 in ''

'' and in 2014 in the revival ''

'' opposite

Bradley Cooper Bradley Charles Cooper (born January 5, 1975) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is the recipient of various accolades, including a British Academy Film Award and three Grammy Awards. In addition, he has been nominated for twelve Acade ...

(for which he earned a Tony Award nomination). In 2013, Nivola established King Bee Productions with his wife

. The company produced two seasons of the half-hour comedy '' Doll & Em'' for HBO and BSkyB. He also produced '' To Dust,'' starring

Matthew Broderick Matthew Broderick (born March 21, 1962) is an American actor. He starred in ''WarGames'' (1983) as a teen government hacker, and ''Ladyhawke (film), Ladyhawke'' (1985), a medieval fantasy alongside Rutger Hauer and Michelle Pfeiffer. He play ...

. It won the Audience Award at the 2018 Tribeca Film Festival and was nominated for a 2020 Independent Spirit Award. In 2024, Nivola appeared in Sony's ''

'' film, in which he played

Spider-Man Spider-Man is a superhero in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, he first appearance, first appeared in the anthology comic book ''Amazing Fantasy'' #15 (August 1962) in ...

antagonist The Rhino.

Personal life

Nivola married British actress

Buckinghamshire Buckinghamshire (, abbreviated ''Bucks'') is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England and one of the home counties. It is bordered by Northamptonshire to the north, Bedfordshire to the north-east, Hertfordshir ...

in January 2003. The couple have a son, Sam, born 26 September 2003, and daughter, May, born 2010, and live in Boerum Hill,

Brooklyn Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...

. Sam and May play brother and sister in the 2022 Netflix film ''

White Noise In signal processing, white noise is a random signal having equal intensity at different frequencies, giving it a constant power spectral density. The term is used with this or similar meanings in many scientific and technical disciplines, i ...

'' as the children of characters played by Adam Driver and Greta Gerwig. Nivola became a British citizen the same day Mortimer became an American citizen.

Acting credits

Film

Television

Theater

Awards and nominations

He has won a British Independent Film Award (BIFA), and the Best Actor Award at the 2017

Tribeca Film Festival The Tribeca Festival is an annual film festival organized by Tribeca Enterprises. It takes place each spring in New York City, showcasing a diverse selection of film, episodic, talks, music, games, art, and immersive programming. The festival ...

among others.

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Nivola, Alessandro 1972 births 20th-century American male actors 21st-century American male actors American male film actors American male Shakespearean actors American male stage actors American male television actors American people of German-Jewish descent American people of Italian descent People of Sardinian descent American expatriate male actors American expatriates in the United Kingdom Living people Male actors from Boston Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture Screen Actors Guild Award winners People from Echo Park, Los Angeles Phillips Exeter Academy alumni Yale University alumni People from Boerum Hill, Brooklyn Mortimer family (show business) Naturalised citizens of the United Kingdom Male actors from Brooklyn Male actors from Los Angeles Male actors from Vermont