Nepotism in Hollywood

Let's start this off with a game of word association.

Hot. Potato.

Wet. Hair.

Flower. Child.

Hollywood. Nepotism.

Hollywood is known for many things, from good, bad, weird, and everything else. One of the things Hollywood is well-known for that could arguably fit into any of those categories is nepotism. It's not lost on me or anyone that Hollywood has normalized using nepotism to cast in their projects. Whether I believe this practice is good or bad will be discussed toward the end. For now, let's take a deeper dive into the word "nepotism," its impact in Hollywood, and some of these "nepo babies" in question.

According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, nepotism is "favoritism (as in appointment to a job) based on kinship." In other words, it's hiring someone solely due to the candidate's relationships, most likely their families. As I mentioned, Hollywood often uses nepotism, intentionally or not, when casting their projects. Directors and producers will see specific names, last names to be exact, and immediately hire them without any audition or questions. They're easily blinded by dollar signs and think, "Well, they're related to so and so; therefore they must have something resembling talent." News FuLash: that's not always the case. However, the definition of nepotism used today differs from the previous definition. The term often gets thrown around when an actor/musician/entertainer is related to other famous people. In other words, a celebrity having ties with other celebrities is the quickest way for them to be labeled a "nepo baby."

Before we dissect some "nepo babies," I want to make a couple of things known before I proceed. One: I will not discuss prominent nepotism like the Kardashians or the Smith family. I don't see the point of doing so since they need no further explanations. Two: I will talk about different levels of nepotism and why I believe they belong in specific categories. You'll understand what I mean the further we go along.

First, I want to talk about actress Tracee Ellis Ross, the daughter of singer and actress Diana Ross. Diana started her career as the lead singer of The Supremes, which granted her a successful solo career and a few acting roles. Tracee got her breakout role as Joan Clayton on Girlfriends and has been in multiple other projects throughout the years. Now, some of you may think this is an obvious one, which in turn negates my previous statement. Believe it or not, some people don't know these women are related, let alone mother and daughter. Furthermore, I wanted to start with someone who is a "nepo baby" by name but not by career. Simply put, Tracee has had such a prominent career that people often forget that her mother was the lead singer of The Supremes.

Next, I want to talk about actress and singer-songwriter Maya Hawke. She is the daughter of actors Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman. Ethan has starred in projects such as Dead Poets Society, Training Day, The Black Phone, etc. Uma is known for starring in Pulp Fiction, the Kill Bill series, Red, White & Royal Blue, and other projects. During their seven-year marriage (1998-2005), they had one other child including Maya: a son named Levon. While both children are actors, it seems like Maya is the more known sibling between the two. After her screen debut in the 2017 BBC version of Little Women, Maya's role in the Netflix series Stranger Things put her on the map. I did not know about Maya's parents until later after Stranger Things. Therefore, I may seem biased when I say she's a nepo baby by name and career (more latter than the former). Though both her parents have notable careers dating back decades, I believe Maya has the potential to make a name for herself.

Next, we have actress Maude Apatow; her parents are actress Leslie Mann and director and producer Judd Apatow. Leslie and Judd have been married since 1997. Along with Maude, the couple shares another daughter, Iris, who is also an actress. Like with Maya Hawke, I'll mainly focus on Maude as she, in my opinion, is the more notable sister. Today, Maude is best known as "Lexi Howard" in the HBO show Euphoria. However, her first few roles included the movies Knocked Up, Funny People, and This is 40. Maude acted alongside her mother and sister, and her father directed and produced the projects. Talk about a family affair! As far as her nepo baby status, I do believe that she has some talent. However, I also think the fact she starred in her father's projects with her mother and sister overshadows her potential.

I want to end this by talking about actor John David Washington, the oldest child of actor and film producer Denzel Washington*. With his film debut in 1977 in the TV Movie Wilma, Denzel has starred in many projects for the past few decades. These projects include Malcolm X, Remember the Titans (my favorite), and Antwone Fisher. John David was formally a professional football player before he shifted to acting. His breakthrough role was as "Ron Stallworth" in Spike Lee's 2018 film BlacKkKlansman. John David has also starred in Monster, Malcolm and Marie, and The Creator. Okay, this one's a little tricky for me. On one hand, the last name and shared mannerisms are dead give-aways to their father-son relationship. On the other hand, I also believe that John David has the potential to break away from his father's shadow if he hasn't done so already. I guess only time will tell if and when that will happen.

Final Thoughts

We've discussed the meaning of nepotism, its role in Hollywood, and some examples of "nepo babies." Now, allow me to answer the million-dollar question: Is the practice of nepotism in Hollywood a good or bad thing? My answer: Yes. I know it's a bit of a copout, but let me explain. Nepotism can be a good thing when it's convenient and done right. For example, if actor Bill Pullman played the older version of a character played by his youngest son, actor Lewis Pullman, that would be both convenient and done right. Don't believe me? Look up a side-by-side photo of them. However, there are downsides to nepotism, especially when it's repetitive. For example, writer, director, and producer Ryan Murphy casts the same group of people for his various projects, specifically the America Horror Story/Stories series. I mean, come on! How often can one see Emma Roberts or Evan Peters play variants of the same characters before getting bored? Overall, nepotism can be both a good and bad practice, depending on how it's practiced.

*Denzel's wife (and John David's mother), Pauletta, is also an actress. However, I did not know much about her career, so I stuck with Denzel's career for the "comparison."

Author's Note: I know several other "nepo babies" are in Hollywood. I may do another part of this; TBD. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this thinkpiece. Feel free to leave comments down below!