Alessandro Nivola: Late Bloomer in Emmy Spotlight

Alessandro Nivola, an actor with a nearly three-decade career, is experiencing an unexpected surge in awards attention for his role in FX's "Love Story: John F. Kennedy and Carolyn Bessette." He plays fashion icon Calvin Klein in the Ryan Murphy-produced series. Nivola, who has often played supporting roles in critically acclaimed films like "Disobedience" and "Selma," feels this moment is a novel synchronization of industry recognition with his work. He prepared for the Calvin Klein role by meticulously studying archival YouTube interviews, focusing on the designer's distinctive accent, mannerisms, and voice from the 1980s. He describes the challenge of portraying Klein as balancing the designer's post-rehab dignity with his underlying mischievous and passionate personality. Nivola committed to mastering Klein's specific Bronx accent, which persisted despite decades of cosmopolitan sophistication. He views all acting as character acting, aiming for deep specificity in each role to achieve universality. Nivola also reflected on past projects, including his admiration for Daniel Day-Lewis's performance in "In the Name of the Father." He expressed significant disappointment over the collapse of Todd Haynes' planned Peggy Lee biopic, "Fever," for which he was attached to play Lee's collaborator. Currently, Nivola is filming "The 99ers," a movie about the 1999 US women's national soccer team, where he portrays coach Tony DiCicco. He wryly acknowledges his status as a "late bloomer" in receiving this level of awards consideration.