10 Nepo Babies Who Are Legitimately Talented
After an exposé in Vulture, a discourse about the power of "nepo babies" in Hollywood exploded. Short for "nepotism babies," many argue that the celebrities of today who come from famous parents have an unfair advantage. Some stars acknowledge how their connections helped their career, while others take exception to the term "nepo babies."
Some famous nepo babies will deny that their famous families helped their careers, further enraging the less connected in Hollywood. But just because someone is a Nepo does not mean they aren't talented. True, there is an unfair advantage, but the public has been willing to accept some nepo babies as legitimately talented. These are 10 nepo babies who have earned their fandoms, even though they got a leg up.
10 Jack Quaid
Quaid is the son of actors Meg Ryan and Dennis Quaid. Ryan was a go-to leading lady in the 1990s, especially for rom-com films like When Harry Met Sally or You've Got Mail. Quaid has been both a comedy and action star, and now stars in the highly popular TV drama Yellowstone. Their son won the hearts of millions for his stirring performance as Hughie Campbell on the hit Neil Gaiman adaptation The Boys.
9 Benedict Cumberbatch
Cumberbatch will forever be associated with two roles, Doctor Strange of the MCU and Sherlock Holmes. He also played the iconic Star Trek villain Khan among several other award-nominated roles. Not many know that this generation's Sherlock is a nepo baby. He is the son of British actors Wanda Ventham and Timothy Carlton. Ventham had a recurring role as Sherlock's mother in Cumberbatch's series.
8 Dan Levy
It is hard to believe that Dan Levy could have gotten Schitt's Creek picked up without his father's connections. The son of comedy legend Eugene Levy won himself, his father, and their cast mates a sweep of awards for the show in 2020, and the show remains one of the most endearing and popular to stream. Eugene Levy's connections most likely helped the show's casting, since they were able to book his former SCTV co-star Catherine O'Hara.
7 Mariska Hargitay
Hargitay has played Detective Olivia Benson for Law and Order Special Victims Unit for decades, making her one of the most iconic and popular TV detectives. She is also the daughter of actress and sex symbol Jane Mansfield and bodybuilder Mickey Hargitay, who also dabbled in acting in Hercules and horror films. Mansfield was killed in a car crash in 1967.
6 Sofia Coppola
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The daughter of the legendary director Francis Ford Coppola got a role in his film The Godfather III before turning her attention to directing, where she has been much more successful. Coppola has proven she can match the talents of her father with films like Lost In Translation and The Virgin Suicides, both critically acclaimed hits.
5 Bryce Dallas Howard
Bryce Dallas Howard had roles in The Village and The Help before breaking out into mainstream Hollywood with her roles in the Jurassic World movies. Howard is the daughter of director Ron Howard, who was originally a child actor with his brother Clint Howard throughout the 1960s and '70s.
4 Drew Barrymore
Barrymore has earned her fame, not just because of her talent but because of the torture she went threw at the hands of her Hollywood stage mother. Barrymore was put to work early as a child as the latest member of the Barrymore Hollywood dynasty, which goes back to the black and white films of legendary actor John Barrymore. While growing up, Barrymore was given drugs, cigarettes, and alcohol by her mother. Barrymore was eventually able to leave her mother behind and started a respected independent career that includes action comedies like Charlie's Angels or rom-coms like 50 First Dates. She now hosts a daytime talk show.
3 Allison Williams
Williams is the daughter of newscaster Brian Williams, and she became famous thanks to her role in Lena Dunham's Girls. Williams was candid about how her connections helped her when the nepo baby dialogue began. Willaims told Vulture, "All that people are looking for is an acknowledgment that it’s not a level playing field. It’s just unfair. Period, end of the story, and no one’s really working that hard to make it fair. To not acknowledge that me getting started as an actress versus someone with zero connections isn’t the same — it’s ludicrous. It doesn’t take anything away from the work that I’ve done. It just means that it’s not as fun to root for me."
2 Elizabeth Olsen
Olsen is the sister of Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen, the famous child actor twins who grew up in the public eye thanks to Full House and their various straight-to-video films. Olsen won over hardcore Marvel fans when she joined the MCU as the Scarlet Witch, one of the most well-known members of the original The Avengers.
1 Zoë Kravitz
Kravitz is the daughter of rocker Lenny Kravitz and Lisa Bonet, who '80s and '90s kids might remember best as Denise Huxtable on The Cosby Show. Kravitz locked her career up with a stellar performance in The Batman as Catwoman, joining the likes of Eartha Kitt and Michelle Pfeiffer.
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