Nepotism Babies: They’re Just Like You! (except better off) -

By Angela Hickey

Awards season is upon us, leaving many to debate who exactly deserves to win best in their respective categories. But with these talks on the rise, so are talks of whether or not certain actors are worthy of nomination in the first place.

According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, nepotism is defined as “favoritism (as in appointment to a job) based on kinship.” This type of favoritism is much more common than many people think, especially in Hollywood, where getting jobs on the screen or in music is all about knowing the right people.

There are many celebrities who were able to get a leg up in Hollywood due to famous relatives. From models to musicians to actors, there are so many celebrities who have climbed the ladder more quickly than their average associates due to their familial connections. While nepotism isn’t the worst thing going on in Hollywood, it’s still quite a privilege to those who can utilize it, and they don’t even know it.

While many famous celebrities got their jobs through nepotism, there’s definitely a fine line between those who can separate themselves from their family names and those who have weaponized their connections in harmful ways or just don’t really have the talent to back up their levels of fame. Also, something else to take into consideration is the fact that, despite utilizing nepotism to get ahead, there are talented celebrities who definitely deserve praise, and there are those who certainly fall flat.

“Timothée Chalamet nepotism and Lily-Rose Depp nepotism just isn’t the same thing!” said TikTok creator bellaluvsmatcha, clarifying just how different certain “nepotism babies” are from one another.

Celebrities like Kendall and Kylie Jenner are prime examples of how properly utilized nepotism can get you ahead in life even if you’re lacking in proper talent. Riding on the backs of their famous relatives, pretty much everyone knows who the Kardashians are, but not many people know what exactly they’re famous for. Honestly, I’m not sure, either. In the same vein are actors like Emma Roberts, who have used their connections in order to get ahead, but just don’t have the proper talent to back themselves up.

But, there are obviously those products of nepotism who have broken away from the brand of “nepotism baby.” Actors such as Laura Dern, Zoë Kravitz, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Elizabeth Olsen have proven themselves worthy of their status despite their famous connections and have even been rather open and public with the methods that were used to get them ahead.

“It’s important for me, given that I’m this bougie princess from Los Angeles—even if I claim I worked hard, I’ve never really worked hard a day in my life,” Lee Curtis said in an interview with The New Yorker. “I auditioned many, many, many times (for Halloween). And then it was between me and one other woman, whose name I know but I will never say publicly. I’m sure the fact that I was Janet Leigh and Tony Curtis’s daughter, and that my mother had been in ‘Psycho’—if you’re going to choose between this one and this one, choose the one whose mother was in ‘Psycho,’ because it will get some press for you. I’m never going to pretend that I just got that on my own, like I’m just a little girl from nowhere getting it. Clearly, I had a leg up.”

Nepotism in Hollywood isn’t going away any time soon, so the least that people can do is be honest about it. The presence of privilege doesn’t mean you don’t work hard or face other challenges, but it does mean that your life is easier than those without the same privilege. The separation of those who acknowledge this fact and those who don’t is evident in not only the way they conduct themselves but in the way they conduct their work.