What do ‘Stranger Things’ star Maya Hawke, actor John David Washington, and singer-songwriter Clairo have in common? They’re all extremely talented, and are all one step ahead, having parents in the cut-throat entertainment industry. Being a ‘nepo baby’ wasn’t controversial until the early 2000s, and only became widespread in 2020. If you want to be a singer and your dad has a record label CEO on speed dial, why wouldn’t you take advantage of it?

***Picture of the Hollywood Star, taken from Creative Commons, edited by Zeynah Yusuf***

In fact, in every line of work, people use existing connections to get ahead, whether that be networking with existing lawyers to secure an internship at a firm, or visiting that aunt who once worked for that famous tech company. Using the phrase ‘nepo baby’ in relation to celebrities often insinuates that their success is undeserved. But is their “leg up” in the industry really the cause of their fame?

The casting director of the Netflix show ‘Never Have I Ever’ had a choice between casting Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Phillipe’s son, Deacon Phillipe, to play a role, or to give another aspiring eighteen year old a chance. In the autumn of 2022, Phillipe made his acting debut in the show and another nepo baby was born. It’s impossible to truly know whether Phillipe’s casting was influenced by nepotism - maybe his upbringing means he has more knowledge about the industry than the average teenager, or maybe his parents made a call. Perhaps he is just a very good actor.

A sociological study called ‘Nepo Babies and the Myth of Meritocracy’ analysed over 300 in-print and online sources and found that nepotism among celebrity children is often defended by journalists and interviewers in the media. Parents of nepo babies, the directors that cast them, and the fans that love them all argue that celebrity traction is attributed to hard work, hiding the structural inequalities and privileges that nepo babies may benefit from. Lily Rose Depp, born to Captain Jack Sparrow and Mathilde Tessier (a.k.a, Johnny Depp and Vanessa Paradis) made her acting debut in 2014 at the age of 15, in the horror comedy film ‘Tusk’. Although it was only a minor role, Depp’s rise to fame was clearly helped by her parents’ connections - a year after landing her first role, Depp dropped out of high school and became a brand ambassador for Chanel. It is extremely rare to make it in Hollywood as a teenager, but Depp clearly had so much faith in her career that she was able to forgo her education to pursue it. Is it undoubtedly unfair that kids whose parents are rich and famous, who understand the inner workings of the acting industry, are able to focus their entire lives on acting alone, in almost certainty that they will make it.

It is also unfair, however, to claim that just because someone is given an extra boost to get to where they want to be, they don’t have the talent to deserve it. Lily Collins is the daughter of the English musician Phil Collins, drummer and singer of the rock band Genesis, and began her acting career at the tender age of 2 in the BBC series ‘Growing Pains’. She was supported by her parent’s financial background, able to travel between London and LA with ease as a young child. But her acting has become world-famous because of her world-class talent - I adore her work in ‘Love, Rosie’ and ‘Emily in Paris’ because of its emotional salience and incredible realism. Equally, Jaden Smith's 2010 portrayal of ‘Karate Kid’ received raving reviews. The fact that his dad is the renowned Fresh Prince of Bel Air shouldn’t really undermine his talent.

A child is not necessarily to ‘blame’ for being a nepo baby, either. Gracie Abrams, daughter of filmmaker J.J. Abrams (Shrek, Armageddon, Star Wars, Mission: Impossible), said in an interview with iHeartRadio: “the familial connections are… out of our control. But I also completely understand where anyone is coming from. I’m sure that it feels like there are unfair advantages and, it's inevitable, it's undeniable that there is a privilege in having even grown up around the knowledge of what the entertainment world looks like at all.” Abrams’ acknowledgement of her privilege gives us insight into the advantages that nepo babies receive. But her immense talent for singing and songwriting is hers alone; it cannot be helped that her father may have taught her the ins and outs of the industry, and more importantly, gave her the opportunity to compose music. If we began to disregard nepo babies, saying their success comes from connections alone, should we also disregard anyone who has grown up in a family where instruments are played and encouraged?

I would argue that success stories of celebrities that have come from under-privileged backgrounds proves that you don’t need your parents’ connections to get ahead. The infamous Barry Keoghan (Saltburn) has received BAFTA and Golden Globe recognition for his performances, despite his tough upbringing. He grew up in foster care in Ireland, after his mother passed from an overdose during the Irish heroin epidemic, living in an estimated 13 homes throughout his childhood. When he finally went to live with his extended family, his interest in acting grew, leading to award-winning success in his early twenties. As seen in inspiring cases such as Keoghan’s, and in the recent Oscar’s, talent is rewarded, not nepotism. The Palestinian-Israeli collective documentary ‘No Other Land’ won Best Documentary Feature in 2025, with the directors Basel Adra, Hamdan Balla, Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor working together to create striking art, even in war torn land. I believe that awards wouldn’t be won by underdogs such as these, if the only thing contributing to success was the prior connections in the industry.

In Hollywood, nepotism remains an ambiguous question. Using connections to one’s advantage has been made taboo in the industry. Should the children of existing stars really be skipping the hard work, and making calls to make the cut? It is clear that having family members to help you out improves your chances of success, but would the nepo babies of today really be famous if they didn’t have what it takes? Considering the celebrities that have ‘made it’ without connections in their back pocket, but ambition instead, I think it's safe to say that being a nepo baby won’t make you a star - but talent will.

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