Nepo-connection issues: Why famous parents aren’t always a win
Don’t hate on nepo babies. They play the hand they were dealt. And life’s no kinder when your folks are famous
It’s inescapable. Promos, reviews and chatter about The Archies movie (streaming on Netflix) are everywhere. Suhana Khan looks like her dad, but is she a convincing Veronica? Doesn’t Agastya Nanda, aka Archie, smile just like his uncle, Abhishek Bachchan? Can Khushi Kapoor, a perfect Betty, light up the screen the way her mum, Sridevi, once did? And who’s Dot? Do we know her mummy-papa?
Zoya Akhtar, daughter of famous parents, directs children of famous parents in the film. Regardless of the mixed reviews, it’s got India talking, again, about nepo babies and their supposedly smooth ride to the top.
Nepotism isn’t new. The term has been around since the 17th century, and was used to refer to the preferential treatment given to a pope’s nephew (essentially his illegitimate son). But celebrities hate the term nepo-baby being applied to their children. In an interview with Bustle magazine in October, Gwyneth Paltrow (daughter of actor Blythe Danner and ex-wife of singer Chris Martin) said the term got in the way of her daughter Apple Martin’s desire to lead a normal life. Apple, at 19, is worth $114 million. The world’s smallest violin played in sympathy.
There’s no doubt that kids of famous folks grow up different. They’re used to cameras, wealth, fans, public interest. Opportunities open up more readily than they would for nobodies. How did Maude Apatow land a role on Euphoria? She’s a good actor. But it can’t have hurt that her parents are actor Leslie Mann and director Judd Apatow. Gracie Abrams, relatively unknown in music, opened for Taylor Swift on the Eras Tour. Having director JJ Abrams for a dad sure made discoverability easier. Lily Rose-Depp walked the runway for Chanel despite being only 5’2’’. Being the daughter of Johnny Depp and Vanessa Paradis adds the extra inches, doesn’t it?
Nepo kids didn’t choose to be born into famous families. There’s nothing wrong with following a family profession either. But choosing to enter the hyper-competitive entertainment business without acknowledging one’s home advantage? That’s not a good look.
Some fight it. Ronan Farrow is the son of Woody Allen and Mia Farrow. But he’s famously known for downplaying his looks and connections, using his privilege in the vastly different world of investigative journalism. Nicolas Cage changed his last name to minimise references to his director uncle, Francis Ford Coppola, and become a star in his own right.
No one’s entirely self-made. We’re the product of our opportunities and privileges as much as our skills and ambitions. So instead of hating on how someone got to the top, how about examining how someone is using that opportunity? Sure, Zoe Kravitz’s parents are Lenny Kravitz and Lisa Bonet. But that’s hardly why she shines as Catwoman in The Batman. Maya Hawke, on Stranger Things, is eerily familiar. Her parents are Uma Thurman and Ethan Hawke. She disappears perfectly into her role, regardless.
Nepotism can look like a blessing from afar. But it can only take a nepo-baby so far. Brooklyn Beckham, son of David and Victoria Beckham, tried photography. His photo book, What I See, was widely panned. He tried cooking. The show is a disaster. From modelling to soccer, it’s been all false starts.
Nepo babies are fighting back too. In Bollywood Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor have argued that family connections make entry into entertainment easy. But the constant scrutiny and pressure makes it harder for stars’ kids to build careers. “I had a platform, I never took that for granted,” says model Kendall Jenner in an episode of Keeping Up With the Kardashians. “It almost made my job a little bit harder... people didn’t want to hire me because I was on a reality TV show.”
It’s still easier than being a complete nobody. But, as any minor Kardashian will attest: Even family fame has its limitations.
