Sam Nivola is giving the internet a very important reminder that sometimes television is best enjoyed with absolutely no distractions, except perhaps a shirtless man in bed. A clip of the actor in his new series, PHONY, is making the rounds, and we’re struggling to come up with a more accurate description than the twinkiest twink to ever twink.
Nivola is lying in bed, shirtless, looking like someone’s very specific type (and quite possibly everyone’s). There’s also another clip of him getting dressed up, because apparently one serving wasn’t enough. We don’t know what viewers were expecting from PHONY, but judging by the online attention, they may have found their favorite part already.
RELATED: Pedro Pascal Shirtless in BEHEMOTH! Trailer Out Now!
Sam Nivola in the new episode of ‘PHONY’ the twinkiest twink to ever twink https://t.co/eklRk4CnpJ
— ★ (@POPin4k) October 29, 2026
Sam Nivola Is Giving Viewers Another Reason to Watch ‘PHONY’
The clips come from PHONY, which stars Nivola alongside Connie Britton. The series follows Sonny after a car accident leaves him convinced that his mother has been replaced by an impostor.
It’s certainly an unusual premise, but we’re guessing a few viewers have temporarily forgotten about the mystery surrounding Sonny’s mother. It’s hard to investigate an alleged family impostor when there’s a shirtless Sam Nivola on screen.
The actor previously appeared in The White Lotus and Noah Baumbach’s White Noise, but PHONY gives him another opportunity to take on a leading role.
Sam Nivola is SONNY. https://t.co/haSKqi7mIS
— Hulu (@hulu) October 12, 2026
In a recent interview with Who What Wear, Nivola talked about what attracted him to the series, particularly its original script.
“In a decade that is just so obsessed with IP and reusing the same tired ideas and sequels and spin-offs and reboots and whatever, it’s unbelievably exciting and refreshing to read a script that’s about something new, that’s meaningful, that has good dialogue, that’s funny, all those amazing things.”
He also discussed his experience working with creator Nick Paley, describing their collaboration as particularly rewarding. The two would even continue discussing Sonny’s character after long shooting days, sometimes spending another couple of hours talking through the role.
There’s More to Sam Nivola Than a Shirtless Scene
Nivola initially wanted to become a filmmaker and director before landing his first film role in White Noise. Now, he’s working toward his feature directorial debut and has founded a production company called Cold Worm with two friends.
The company has already produced two feature films and a short directed by Nivola himself. He also spoke about his fashion interests in the interview, including his work with Dior and creative director Jonathan Anderson.
So, yes, there’s a lot happening in Nivola’s career beyond giving viewers a reason to pause their scrolling and watch a shirtless scene twice.
Still, we’re not going to pretend that the PHONY clips haven’t given us another reason to tune in. Sonny might have a mystery to solve, but viewers have already discovered something worth investigating.