Shape-Shifter

Actor Alessandro Nivola is known throughout Hollywood for his chameleon-like ability to disappear into his roles

- A.D. Park

You might not recognize his name, but you’ve seen his face—or versions of it, at least. In movies like American Hustle, A Most Violent Year, Selma, and HBO’s The Wizard of Lies, Alessandro Nivola transforms seamlessly from role to role, playing a sleazy prosecutor with sideburns and slicked-back hair one moment, and Bernie Madoff’s suffering son Mark the next.

This April, Nivola sports a full beard, glasses, and a yarmulke in the buzzed-about new film Disobedience. He plays Dovid Kuperman, a likable middle-aged rabbi in North London’s Hasidic community, who is grieving after his mentor dies. Matters get complicated when his mentor’s estranged daughter (Rachel Weisz) returns to their community, rocking his relationship with his wife (Rachel McAdams).

The 45-year-old actor appreciates that he’s known for his talent as an on-camera changeling. “That’s definitely been one of the things I’m most proud of, and I think people associate me with it,” he says. “It’s probably been the thing that I’ve gotten the most respect for.”