In more recent years, Hollywood has tried to find many ways to make itself more progressive. This relates not only to the stories it can tell on screens big and small, but also who the audience sees acting in the roles. For example, when it comes to the roles of characters of a particular racial background, status, and the LGBTQ+ community, fans are calling on the members of these groups to represent these characters. This allows the stories to be rawer and gives these actors a chance to represent their own communities on screen. This is happening more and more, but within the huge industry that is Hollywood, there are still problems. One of the most recent and common is nepotism and its impact.
The concept of nepotism in the Hollywood context refers to someone who comes from a family of past wealth and status. This often makes it easier for an up and coming actor to break through and in some cases land bigger roles than they would have if they didn’t have the last name they have. As this has become an increasingly prominent topic in recent years, a new lens has opened up for the Hollywood figures who have reaped these benefits, and the way they handle their privilege.
Some of the best-known products of nepotism are actors like Lily-Rose Depp, the daughter of actor Johnny Depp and actress Vanessa Paradis. She has been part of many popular projects such as Tusk, The kingYoga snakes. She will also appear in the upcoming HBO Max series the idol which will be directed by Euphoria’s Sam Levinson, and Depp will also co-star with music sensation The Weekend. the idol will begin streaming on HBO Max in November.
During an interview with Australian Vogue, Depp addressed her nepotism, stating:
“Of course, it’s a very easy assumption to think that because of my name I’d just get rolls on the doorstep, but that’s an idea I’ve always more or less rejected.”
She added, “I’ve always felt that I have to work twice as hard to prove to people that I’m not just here because it’s easy for me. I feel like you’re not what your name is. Not fit for anything, they’re not going to hire you just because your name looks good in the mail.”
Because Depp doesn’t own her privilege, she often finds her name in conversations about privilege in the entertainment industry. Now in court it was revealed that her father was reportedly instrumental in helping his ex-lover Amber Heard reprise her role as Mera in the Aquarius franchise, the odds that he’s done the same for his own daughter isn’t a far-fetched idea.
Another well-known nepotism baby is Gwyneth Paltrow, the daughter of director/producer Bruce Paltrow and actor Blythe Danner. Paltrow made her on-screen debut in a direct-to-television film High, which was written and directed by her father. During an appearance on fellow nepotism baby Hailey Bieber’s YouTube show “Who’s In My Bathroom,” Paltrow became candid about her privilege, stating:
“As the child of someone you get access to other people that they don’t have, so the playing field isn’t even that way. However, I really feel like once you put your foot in the door that’s where you entered wrongfully , then you have to work almost twice as hard and be twice as good.”
She added, “People are ready to take you down and say, ‘You don’t belong there’ or ‘You’re only there because of your father or your mother’. This perspective provides more insight, as Paltrow was candid about how her last name helped get her foot in the door. However, she goes further by noting that status only gets you part of the way there, and you have to have the talent to stay in the company.
Actress Lily Collins, the daughter of musician Phil Collins, has also spoken out on the topic of nepotism. In an interview with Marie Claire UK, Collins stated:
“When I first met agents, I was asked, ‘Well, what makes you so special? Everyone in LA is someone’s cousin or daughter.’ In the beginning, that was the most interesting thing about me.”
She added, “Now I’ve made eight movies, it’s an afterthought. I get kids who say, ‘Oh, I love your movie, but my mom loves your dad.’ It’s really nice to be able to share that with him, but it doesn’t define who I am in terms of career.” While she has used her family ties as a focal point in the past, Collins has now made a name for herself and her career catalog continues to grow as she takes on bigger roles.
Nepotism in Hollywood is not new, but it is being proclaimed more than ever. Kendall Jenner claims her family’s name is “holding her back.” In the meantime. The family of Full House star Lori Loughlin was embroiled in the college admissions scandal, in which Loughlin bribed the University of Southern California to admit her children. With incidents like this, everyone is watching the nepotism more closely and the fear of calling these people out has disappeared.
Being a product of favoritism in no way diminishes one’s talent. However, when it is called out, it is due to the concern that these people are using their privilege to get ahead, while others are left in the dust and struggling to catch up. Despite this, the conversation about nepotism is wide open, which was not the case in the past. It ensures that people can be held accountable for their actions as they affect anyone trying to thrive in the entertainment industry.
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