Hollywood Nepotism: The Good, the Bad, and The Ugly

[Ms Blue Jay]

(Deleting something I already posted about ).

Edited July 26, 2022 by Ms Blue Jay

[Mabinogia]

5 hours ago, caracas1914 said:

He does and he doesn’t look like them, hard to explain.

I get it. He does look like them if you know he's their kid but if you didn't know he was their son you wouldn't immediately think "OMG That's Dennis Quaid and Meg Ryan's kid!" Not the way you see someone like Kate Hudson and you're all "Oh, that's totally Goldie Hawn's kid". Someone like Mamie Gummer, since she doesn't have the same name as her mom I didn't know for sure, but when I first saw her I thought she looked like she could be Meryl Streeps kid. 

Maybe it helps that Dennis and Meg aren't that distinct looking. Well Meg a little with her quirky smile, but they are fairy generic looking so there isn't a distinct feature that Jack Quaid has that screams "those are my parents!"

[Ms Blue Jay]

He kiiiiiiiinda looks like Meg.  They have the cute little button nose and squishy face, LOL.  But I do not see a resemblance to Dennis at all.  Actually, okay, the mouth.

Edited July 27, 2022 by Ms Blue Jay

[Spartan Girl]

The actress playing Lily in Rob Zombie’s The Munsters is his wife. And judging from the trailers that’s probably why she got the part because her impression of Lily is terrible.

[absnow54]

8 hours ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

He kiiiiiiiinda looks like Meg.  They have the cute little button nose and squishy face, LOL.  But I do not see a resemblance to Dennis at all.  Actually, okay, the mouth.

I think he actually looks a lot like Meg Ryan with the round cheeks and a button nose. He's like the tall, lanky version of her. I really like him, and think he's built a real niche in the Comic Con crowd that will probably lead to a long, steady career. 

[Angeltoes]

Here are pictures of Dennis when he was young.  I can see the resemblance in these.

DQ

[methodwriter85]

On 7/26/2022 at 1:42 PM, caracas1914 said:

He does and he doesn’t look like them, hard to explain

Someone wrote that Jack Quaid looks like the offspring of Michael Shannon and Joel McHale, and I can't unsee it. As for Jack, he won me over with the romantic comedy he did called Plus One.

[absnow54]

3 hours ago, methodwriter85 said:

Someone wrote that Jack Quaid looks like the offspring of Michael Shannon and Joel McHale, and I can't unsee it.

Funny, I've been watching The Boys recently, and I see Rainn Wilson and Joshua Jackson. 

[Ms Blue Jay]

4 hours ago, methodwriter85 said:

Someone wrote that Jack Quaid looks like the offspring of Michael Shannon and Joel McHale, and I can't unsee it. As for Jack, he won me over with the romantic comedy he did called Plus One.

Yeah two pages ago I said Joel McHale and Joshua Jackson somehow had a baby.  He was very very appealing in Plus One.

1 hour ago, absnow54 said:

Funny, I've been watching The Boys recently, and I see Rainn Wilson and Joshua Jackson. 

I could see Rainn Wilson too.

Edited July 29, 2022 by Ms Blue Jay

[xaxat]

The WAPO, Hollywood ‘nepo babies’ know what you think of them. They have some thoughts.

Quote

Nepotism and Hollywood have gone together since the industry’s beginnings. But a younger generation of fans more attuned to inequality and privilege have put a different kind of spotlight on the kids of famous parents.

[methodwriter85]

They made an interesting bit now about how we're seeing more people of color benefit from this system as well.

I'm not wild about the KarJenners but it's going to be interesting to see how NorthWest, Stormi, etc navigate Hollyweird as black women. Will they have the same open doors their parents had? I know for damn sure Kris Jenner is also counting on at least a few of her grandchildren to be moneyprinters, but society is going to be pretty different in the 2030's when those kids are old enough to start modeling lingerie or whatever the hell Kris plans on.

[Bookish Jen]

18 hours ago, methodwriter85 said:

They made an interesting bit now about how we're seeing more people of color benefit from this system as well.

I'm not wild about the KarJenners but it's going to be interesting to see how NorthWest, Stormi, etc navigate Hollyweird as black women. Will they have the same open doors their parents had? I know for damn sure Kris Jenner is also counting on at least a few of her grandchildren to be moneyprinters, but society is going to be pretty different in the 2030's when those kids are old enough to start modeling lingerie or whatever the hell Kris plans on.

And is the public going to be obsessed with reality show types 20 years from now.

[methodwriter85]

I'm not that familiar with Daisy Bevan's work, but damn, this is adorable.Three generations indeed. She's not the copy/paste that her mother was for her grandmother, but the cheekbones and nose carried on. She actually reminds me more of her late Aunt Natascha, especially here.

I can't help but root for the Redgrave descendants. They've just all been so awesome. Definitely one of my favorite acting dynasties.

Edited August 15, 2022 by methodwriter85

[Luckylyn]

Idris Elba's Refusal To Hire His Daughter for Film Sparks Debate

I don’t think you should hire your kid if you have reason to believe they aren’t right for the part.  The critics and audience would eat her alive.  Better to use connections to get her a part where she’ll show her best work.  

[Hiyo]

Brooklyn Beckham’s ever-evolving career path is a balm in our dark times .

Quote

A full rundown of the more priceless career ventures would be impossible, but special mention must be made of the Penguin Random House collection of Brooklyn’s photography, which featured iconic images such as an elephant taken against the light so that only the background could be clearly discerned, glossed by the self-penned caption, “elephants in Kenya. so hard to photograph but incredible to see”. Or perhaps you prefer the blurred one of a restaurant dinner: “i like this picture – it’s out of focus but you can tell there’s a lot going on.” A launch party at Christie’s London would accompany the work’s publication.

This week, Brooklyn graces the cover of Variety’s Young Hollywood issue, despite in no sense being part of what we’d call Hollywood. According to the cover headline: “Brooklyn Peltz Beckham, Heir of Britain’s Other Royal Family, Has Instagram Eating Out Of His Hand.” Does he? No idea, darling. He certainly has 14 million followers, and we are informed that last Valentine’s Day, he and his new wife Nicola Peltz “baked heart-shaped pizzas in a Vogue video that’s been viewed more than 3m times”.

At present, Variety insists that Brooklyn is “eye[ing] a food empire”, which – if the accompanying interview is anything to go by – currently consists of Brooklyn making fish and chips for the interviewer in a random cottage on his billionaire father-in-law’s estate in Mount Kisco, NY, to which he has puttered up by golf cart from one of the grander bits. Brooklyn only has to discard two tries at battered fillet before producing something he feels he can serve to the magazine’s emissary, and still have the journalist get back to the office without food poisoning so he is able to file the article. A tiny part of me wonders whether any chef throwing away two versions of fried fish before he got one that conformed to basic food safety standards would be something of a red flag, but I fully salute the interviewer’s spiritual constitution as well his physical one. “We had this idea,” reveals our serial innovator, of why he and his new wife are now known as the Peltz Beckhams. “We kind of combined our last names. I was just like, oh, we could start a new thing … ” So yes, you have to have a pretty strong stomach to swallow lines like that and not give them both barrels. Double barrels. Whatever.

[Ohiopirate02]

6 minutes ago, Hiyo said:

Brooklyn Beckham’s ever-evolving career path is a balm in our dark times .

That piece is just hilarious.  But that writer knows nothing about frying foods--  A tiny part of me wonders whether any chef throwing away two versions of fried fish before he got one that conformed to basic food safety standards would be something of a red flag.  You never serve the first when frying homemade.  Brooklyn getting it right on the third try is in no way a red flag if he was frying up fish he hand-battered and fried.  

[Hiyo]

Really? I don't eat seafood, but none of these sites mention anything about not serving the first one...if people did, I imagine that would lead to quite a bit of wasted seafood.

https://www.bhg.com/recipes/fish/basics/how-to-fry-fish/

https://www.onthewater.com/news/2019/04/05/5-tips-for-better-fried-fish

https://blog.thermoworks.com/fish-seafood/fish-and-chips/

Granted, that last one has them cooking the fries/chips in the same oil used to cook the fish, but still.

Edited August 17, 2022 by Hiyo

[Ohiopirate02]

Just now, Hiyo said:

Really? I don't eat seafood, but none of these sites mention anything about not serving the first one...if people did, I imagine that would lead to quite a bit of wasted seafood.

https://www.bhg.com/recipes/fish/basics/how-to-fry-fish/

https://www.onthewater.com/news/2019/04/05/5-tips-for-better-fried-fish

https://blog.thermoworks.com/fish-seafood/fish-and-chips/

Granted, that last one has them cooking the fries/chips in the same oil used to cook the fish, but still.

Frying at home takes practice.  I don't know if Brooklyn was using an electric deep fryer or if he was using a pot of oil on a burner.  The deep fryer helps to keep your oil at the correct temperature, a pot of oil needs a thermometer.  If the oil temp is not right, you will either end up with a soggy mess or burnt fish.  If Brooklyn did not have a thermometer handy, he could very easily mess up that first piece.  Then, he can adjust the heat on the burner and get the oil to the correct temp before dropping in subsequent pieces.  Frying anything homemade is like making pancakes.  

[Hiyo]

Either way, not a good start for someone thinking of a food empire lol

[Ohiopirate02]

2 minutes ago, Hiyo said:

Either way, not a good start for someone thinking of a food empire lol

Not necessarily.  In a commercial kitchen staffed by competent chefs, the deep fryers are much more manageable, and the fish servings will be consistent.  Sure, there will be food waste the first day when the recipes are tested, but that happens in every kitchen. Brooklyn will be the face and checkbook of the operation, and his staff will be able to produce edible food.  

[Hiyo]

Quote

his staff will be able to produce edible food. 

Hopefully doing a better job than he does lol

[Ms Blue Jay]

[Ambrosefolly]

I wonder if Idris Elba is looking at Will Smith's kids, especially "After Earth" and deciding he doesn't want to buy his daughter's career. I have nothing against his kids, and respect Willow for turning down the lead in "Annie", despite her parents bribing her to go to New York, but they didn't earn a single role. If Idris Elba's daughter ends up landing a role down the line, she can say that her dad only gave her a few connections but she had to win the roles on her own merit. 

[methodwriter85]

4 hours ago, Ambrosefolly said:

I wonder if Idris Elba is looking at Will Smith's kids, especially "After Earth" and deciding he doesn't want to buy his daughter's career. I have nothing against his kids, and respect Willow for turning down the lead in "Annie", despite her parents bribing her to go to New York, but they didn't earn a single role. If Idris Elba's daughter ends up landing a role down the line, she can say that her dad only gave her a few connections but she had to win the roles on her own merit. 

Will basically handbought his son a whole fucking franchise with the Karate Kid and the fact that there wasn't a sequel despite the movie doing really well is pretty telling about what Jaden actually wanted. He's more interested in music and voice acting as opposed to trying to be a big movie star. Jaden knows what it takes to be the kind of star that his dad is and clearly he doesn't want that type of life. Even his acting choices in recent years point to this.

The fact that there wasn't a sequel with the reboot movie made it possible for Cobra Kai to happen, so thank you, Jaden!

Edited August 21, 2022 by methodwriter85

[kiddo82]

I'm watching Not Okay on Hulu and nepotism schmepotism Zoey Deutch is a star no matter who her parents are. (I'm a poet and I didn't know it.) Did it get her an in that others couldn't imagine in their wildest dreams?  Of course.  But she delivers time and time again in all these "prove it" roles.  It doesn't feel like she's simply been handed the keys to the kingdom on sight.  

[methodwriter85]

On 8/21/2022 at 9:46 AM, kiddo82 said:

I'm watching Not Okay on Hulu and nepotism schmepotism Zoey Deutch is a star no matter who her parents are. (I'm a poet and I didn't know it.) Did it get her an in that others couldn't imagine in their wildest dreams?  Of course.  But she delivers time and time again in all these "prove it" roles.  It doesn't feel like she's simply been handed the keys to the kingdom on sight.  

Zoey Deutch has her mother's charisma, but she's also not a copy and paste of her. She does edgy pretty well. Of course Lea Thompson has been typecast as the good girl (now the good mom) for most her career save for a few parts while Zoey has gotten the chance to be more eclectic with her movie roles.

[Ms Blue Jay]

It's cool that Lea Thompson did Caroline in the City though.  At least that gave her a lot more to do.  Sometimes I forget, but when I watch it, I still like it.  Zoey is just really hot and charming and talented, no doubt about it.

[andromeda331]

6 hours ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

It's cool that Lea Thompson did Caroline in the City though.  At least that gave her a lot more to do.  Sometimes I forget, but when I watch it, I still like it.  Zoey is just really hot and charming and talented, no doubt about it.

I loved that show.

[Ms Blue Jay]

Looks like Miles Robbins plays the Evil Millennial in Bill Burr's directorial debut, "Old Dads".

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0730428/?ref_=tt_cl_t_8

Miles Guthrie Tomalin Robbins is an American musician and actor. Miles Guthrie Tomalin Robbins was born on May 4, 1992, in New York City. He studied documentary film and music production at Brown University for three years but left before graduation. He is a son of the actors Tim Robbins and Susan Sarandon. His half-sister is the actress Eva Amurri, and his older brother is the director Jack Henry Robbins.

Old Dads:

When three best friends sell their company to a millennial, they find themselves out of step and behind the times as they hilariously struggle to navigate a changing world of culture.

[methodwriter85]

Sosie Bacon is exactly how I would have expected the offspring of Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick to be, and she's delightful in a real earthy way. (Lookswise she's mainly her mother with her dad's nose.)

I mean, if you really think about it, neither of her parents have ever been that airbrushed, superficial Hollywood couple- Kevin Bacon is really a character actor who just so happens to have hit on his most famous role when he was in his 20's. Neither of them were ever really that superglam, super A-List couple that lived on a different reality. Also, when she was 16 she would have watched her parents get absolutely screwed by Bernie Madoff so I'm sure that had an effect on her as well.

The fact that there's absolutely nothing about her mannerisms here that remind me of her character in Smile tells me how good this woman actually is.

[Ms Blue Jay]

Sosie was great in "Mare of Easttown".  Absolutely no glam or vanity to that role either!

[andromeda331]

I liked her when she played Brenda's niece on the Closer. Her mom Kyra's show. I really didn't expect to like Charlie and thought she'd be annoying but she was really great for the episodes she was on and so was her arc. I liked the way they got to Charlie's issues with each case and/or characters.

[Bastet]

On 11/13/2022 at 1:37 AM, andromeda331 said:

I liked her when she played Brenda's niece on the Closer. Her mom Kyra's show.

That's the only thing I've seen her in.  When I got to her first episode, I rolled my eyes, thinking this was going to be an example of an actor using their producer credit to toss a role their questionably-talented teen's way.  But she was natural enough it didn't wind up feeling that way at all.

[methodwriter85]

1 hour ago, Bastet said:

That's the only thing I've seen her in.  When I got to her first episode, I rolled my eyes, thinking this was going to be an example of an actor using their producer credit to toss a role their questionably-talented teen's way.  But she was natural enough it didn't wind up feeling that way at all.

I have only seen her work in Smile, and she's fantastic. Sosie really made me buy into her character's descent into madness and since the film largely relies on her, she really sold it.

[methodwriter85]

Replied to this comment on the Emily in Paris thread:

Comment by: aghst

DECEMBER 18, 2020

Obviously the show was kind of a vehicle for Collins.  Never heard of her before watching the show. I’d say she’s more than just a pretty face.  Has some charisma to carry off a lead role. She’s actually older than I thought so she might have had to have some grit and grind in her career, despite her father.

My reply:

Lily Collins came into Hollywood and had two big box office bombs with Mirror Mirror (a Snow White comedy) and The Mortal Instruments (a Scifi dystopian movie) which didn't exactly endear her. Since then Lily has mostly had a supporting actress career in various films and television, although she's done lead stuff in smaller films like her romcom Love Rosie. Her partnership with Netflix began in 2017 with To the Bone, where she played a girl struggling with anorexia.

This is honestly the most successful project Lily has had where she's the headliner. If Lily Collins had been Reese Witherspoon or Kate Hudson's age, I'm sure she would have been swimming with successful romcoms but unfortunately her entry into Hollywood coincided with the death of the genre.

Further thoughts:

I do really like Lily Collins. I think she has charisma and is very likeable. She did stick it out for as long as she has before finally coming across the marque vehicle. Is Emily in Paris the best show? No, but it doesn't take itself seriously and Lily Collins looks like she's having a blast making the show. It keeps her working, it keeps her social media levels up (she's got like 25 million Instagram followers), and her partnership with Netflix seems like a solid one. I can see her having a pretty long career.

Still keeping my fingers crossed Netflix will greenlight an Audrey Hepburn biopic for her. Lord knows she's campaigning for it:

Edited December 5, 2022 by methodwriter85

[Ms Blue Jay]

[Scarlett45]

On 12/5/2022 at 2:10 AM, methodwriter85 said:

Replied to this comment on the Emily in Paris thread:

Comment by: aghst

DECEMBER 18, 2020

Obviously the show was kind of a vehicle for Collins.  Never heard of her before watching the show. I’d say she’s more than just a pretty face.  Has some charisma to carry off a lead role. She’s actually older than I thought so she might have had to have some grit and grind in her career, despite her father.

My reply:

Lily Collins came into Hollywood and had two big box office bombs with Mirror Mirror (a Snow White comedy) and The Mortal Instruments (a Scifi dystopian movie) which didn't exactly endear her. Since then Lily has mostly had a supporting actress career in various films and television, although she's done lead stuff in smaller films like her romcom Love Rosie. Her partnership with Netflix began in 2017 with To the Bone, where she played a girl struggling with anorexia.

This is honestly the most successful project Lily has had where she's the headliner. If Lily Collins had been Reese Witherspoon or Kate Hudson's age, I'm sure she would have been swimming with successful romcoms but unfortunately her entry into Hollywood coincided with the death of the genre.

Further thoughts:

I do really like Lily Collins. I think she has charisma and is very likeable. She did stick it out for as long as she has before finally coming across the marque vehicle. Is Emily in Paris the best show? No, but it doesn't take itself seriously and Lily Collins looks like she's having a blast making the show. It keeps her working, it keeps her social media levels up (she's got like 25 million Instagram followers), and her partnership with Netflix seems like a solid one. I can see her having a pretty long career.

Still keeping my fingers crossed Netflix will greenlight an Audrey Hepburn biopic for her. Lord knows she's campaigning for it:

I agree with this. I think Lily is charming, and she is certainly pretty (and I think she will mold into different types of beautiful as she ages, she has a baby face and can still play much younger than her 33yrs). I liked her a lot in The Blind Side, if she wants to do films, Netflix Rom-Coms are probably her best bet, and she can be a consistent working actress.

[BetterButter]

How a Nepo Baby Is Born

Quote

Hollywood has always loved the children of famous people. In 2022, the internet reduced them to two little words.

[Popples]

"She has her mother's eyes. And agent." has me rolling!

[Fool to cry]

One big advantage a "Nepo baby" has is not only famous parent(s) but their famous friends. If a kid ends up estranged from mom or dad they get help from good old "Uncle Sly" or "Aunt Meryl".  Marlene Dietrich was Liza Minelli's godmother. Steven Spielberg is Gwyneth Paltrow's godfather.

[DearEvette]

Ok, apparently the article is about John David Washington as one of the nepotism kids but the picture on the front is non-actor brother Malcolm Washington?  Yeah, they look alike but come on...!

Also why even use the term Nepo baby for kids who are not in show biz and whose professions probably are not benefitted by their parent's fame.  For instance,   Why even mention Bruce Sprinsgteen's firefighter son and even adjacently refer to them as a Nepo Baby?  It feels like they just wanted to drop as many names as they could.

[methodwriter85]

Quote

But it can be off-putting to discover that “It” may indeed be hereditary, to see a Zoë Kravitz or Kate Hudson display that same intangible sparkle you saw in their parents. “They walk in the room, and they have this thing,” says the casting director. “They just know. They literally know. You’re drawn to that, and you’re a little bit afraid of it. Because it’s bigger than you.”

I remember watching Dakota Johnson in her small little bit in The Social Network before I had any clue who she was and thinking that girl lit up a screen. Honestly I'd say she gets that ability more from her father and grandmother than her mother...Melanie Griffith never really did much for me.

Anyway, Daisy Edgar Jones is getting quite a push. She's in that second category of "parents not really famous but well-connected in the industry" type, similar to Cody Horn or Timothe Chalamet. I remember Paula Poundstone's joke about Darryl Hannah and while she isn't the daughter of a movie executive, she did have industry connections with her stepfather and his brother. Although in Darryl Hannah's case, I think a lot of her fame was based on the fact that she had exactly the right look for the 1980's.

I do think Daisy has a refreshingly natural, earthy look, which is why it makes sense to me that she's getting to play Carole King. She has kind of an "everywoman" quality to her which I think can help her a lot. 

Edited December 20, 2022 by methodwriter85

[caracas1914]

Understandably, Kate Hudson misses the whole point:

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/kate-hudson-nepo-babies-debate-hollywood-1235287453/

Here are some of her gems

Quote

“I look at my kids and we’re a storytelling family,” she continued. “It’s definitely in our blood. People can call it whatever they want, but it’s not going to change it.”

Quote

“I actually think there are other industries where it’s [more common]. Maybe modeling?” she said. “I see it in business way more than I see it in Hollywood. Sometimes I’ve been in business meetings where I’m like, wait, whose child is this? Like, this person knows nothing!”

You can't make up her arguments.

[DearEvette]

Having just watched her in The Glass Onion, it sounds as if Kate is still in character cuz that sounds like something her character Birdie would say. 
 

For anyone who hasn't seen the movie... let's just say Birdie was not that bright.

[Ambrosefolly]

Tara Mooknee said it best: we don't necessarily mind when people get a head because of their connections. A lot of them are talented, either through  getting free direct access to some of the great talents (helps when it is literally mom or dad, like in Sofia Coppla's case when it comes to directing) or  inheriting the abilities, or a combo of both. But be honest about it. One thing endearing about Jamie Lee Curtis is that she admits it that being Janet Leigh's daughter gave her the edge in the Halloween auditions.  It gets frustrating when some of these nepo babies deny this fact and say it makes it harder to prove themselves. (I get the sentiment, but a few good performance, people will accept them)

Also add, if it can be helped, don't cast people if for whatever reason they aren't talented enough, especially if the part is crucial. Beanie Feldstein is a good comedic actress, but was not up to doing Funny Girl and was replaced with Lea Michele, since she is a reliable talent. I don't have the same level of hate that others have for LM, but I agree with the online sentiment that there might have been a talented non famous performer that lacked Beanie's clout that could have nailed the role, but they went with Beanie anyways. Now Lea is headlining it since they are too far in to find the next Sutton Foster. Seeing  projects like the Last Airbender, tank in part because they casted someone like Nicola Peltz in the lead female role, maybe don't take the money if that is what it takes to make the movie, since it flopped so badly. 

Other frustrating thing about the rampant nepotism: unless an average or kind of "cute" actor or actress is cast in a surprise hit where they are praised, they can't get by just being a good or even great actor. They either have to have a skill like dance or gymnastics or be a kid actor. Otherwise, be Kevin Bacon or Pamela Aldon's daughters if you start in early adulthood. 

[methodwriter85]

I watched the first three or so seasons of Bates Motel and thought Nicola Peltz was so bad that I rushed to see if she had any movie connections. Not technically but her dad is a billionaire businessman so I'm assuming "sponsorships with an understanding" probably happened. Did we see Wendy's products consumed in The Last Airbender? That would be a definite clue. LOL Although Nicola seems to be backing off on the "acting" now.

Quote

Other frustrating thing about the rampant nepotism: unless an average or kind of "cute" actor or actress is cast in a surprise hit where they are praised, they can't get by just being a good or even great actor. They either have to have a skill like dance or gymnastics or be a kid actor. Otherwise, be Kevin Bacon or Pamela Aldon's daughters if you start in early adulthood.

Kate Hudson really lucked out with a bang out part in Almost Famous that she was perfect for. She flew on the good vibes of that role for years.

1980's Melanie Griffith was able to get by on being a sex pot and then eventually hit paydirt with Working Girl.

Edited December 27, 2022 by methodwriter85

[Irlandesa]

10 hours ago, caracas1914 said:

Understandably, Kate Hudson misses the whole point:

I don't know that she misses the point, exactly. She flat out states that she doesn't really care much about the nepo baby conversation.  Nor is she wrong that nepotism isn't exclusive to Hollywood.  In fact, I think Lily Allen's point was pretty accurate in that it happening in less public places can be more damaging.  In Hollywood, the failure of a nepo baby can be pretty public and hard to ignore.

But I think some of the examples given in the Nepo Baby article also seem pretty silly.

 

[Ambrosefolly]

@methodwriter85To clarify: I forgot to put average looking to "kind of" cute. I think Kate Hudson and Melaine Griffin luck out in addition to being well connected and somewhat talented, they are extremely attractive (makes sense: there mothers are known as great beauties). So even without their connections, they had a better shot than most to succeed.

If Sosie Bacon wasn't Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick's daughter (with Kevin being so prolific that "8 degrees of Kevin Bacon" is a thing), there is very little chance she would have gotten that lead in Smile. I am not saying Sosie isn't talented and I know she did study acting in college, but she is at best described as "cute." While being ordinary looking fits the role, she wasn't buzzed about beforehand, which is the only way that someone with Sosie's level of attractiveness could have gotten that role without being a nepo baby or a transitioning child star. Her first acting jobs were in projects her parents were heavily involved in.

With 22 episode season show no longer being as prevalent, it seems it is even harder with unconnected college trained actors to get a big break or even build up the momentum to have a long sustaining career, if they aren't super attractive. I don't know if I will see another Tatiana Maslany emerge again. 

 

[Enigma X]

I did not read the nepo baby article but does it discuss nepo babies as far back as the Barrymore (not just Drew's generation but before) family, the Bridges, Clooney, Aniston, Jolie, Downey Jr., Ross, etc. I am just curious. 

The follow-up articles have mentioned some older generations (pre-millennial and even pre-Gen-X).

[methodwriter85]

8 hours ago, Ambrosefolly said:

With 22 episode season show no longer being as prevalent, it seems it is even harder with unconnected college trained actors to get a big break or even build up the momentum to have a long sustaining career, if they aren't super attractive. I don't know if I will see another Tatiana Maslany emerge again. 

I feel like soaps were also a really good stepping stone for non-connected people to break into the entertainment industry. Although of course you had to be super attractive for soaps. I was thinking about that because of Anne Heche's recent passing and how Another World plucked her out of obscurity. You won't see stories like that anymore with the death of soaps. On the other hand, because Netflix is filming a lot of shows in Georgia, they're giving actors who aren't from New York/LA a chance to get experience and break in. Madelyn Cline is from the South and a non-nepo baby who got her start as an extra in Stranger Things. Of course she's super attractive so your point stands.  

Edited December 27, 2022 by methodwriter85