- ‘Nepo babies’ are a common occurrence in Hollywood
- The phrase refers to those who have been given a helping hand in the industry, because they are related to another famous face
- Here are five actors you didn’t realize were nepo babies
Hollywood is a famously hard place to gain access to – unless, of course, you happen to be a ‘nepo baby’.
If you’ve never heard of the term before, ‘nepo’ is short for ‘nepotism’ – ie, someone who has been given a leg up in life because of their family connections.
Of course, nepo babies can occur in any walk of life – but in the entertainment industry, there appears to be more of them than not.
While some disagree with the label (we’re looking at you, Lily-Rose Depp!), others choose to embrace it.
Jack Quaid, the son of actors Meg Ryan and Dennis Quaid, falls into the latter category.
“No matter what I do, people are going to call attention to it. People have called me a ‘nepo baby.’ I’m inclined to agree,” the Novocaine star, 32, told Variety. “I am an immensely privileged person, was able to get representation pretty early on, and that’s more than half the battle.”
But who are some of the nepo baby actors who may have fallen under your radar?
Timothée Chalamet
While there’s no denying Timothée Chalamet’s talents – at just 29 years of age, he has already been twice nominated for an Oscar – he is also a nepo baby.
Not only was his mother, Nicole Flender, a Broadway actress and dancer, but his uncle directed episodes of Dawson’s Creek, Gilmore Girls, and The O.C.
Furthermore, his writer-producer aunt has worked on hits like L.A. Law, In Treatment, and Masters of Sex.
Nico Parker
With season two of The Last of Us almost here, you may recall that series one starred Nico Parker as Sarah Miller, the daughter of Joel (Pedro Pascal).
But Parker, 20, is far from the only actor in her family.
The Dumbo actor’s mother is Thandiwe Newton – the Emmy award winning star of Westworld, who also won a BAFTA for her role in the 2005 movie, Crash.
ABBA fans will also know that Parker’s filmmaker father, Ol Parker, wrote and directed the 2018 musical film Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again.
George Clooney
Hollywood heartthrob George Clooney, 63, is also blue-blooded when it comes to showbiz.
His father is famous anchorman Nick Clooney, and his aunt is Old Hollywood star Rosemary Clooney.
Nicolas Cage
We were today years old when we realized Nicolas Cage was a nepo baby (even though he is 61!).
Cage’s father was August Coppola, a filmmaker. But much more famously, August’s brother is the Godfather director, Francis Ford Coppola.
This also makes Cage the cousin of the actor and director, Sofia Coppola. What a family!
Jennifer Aniston
While Joey may have landed a role on Days of Our Lives in the sit-com, Friends, Matt LeBlanc’s real-life co-star Jennifer Aniston, 56, has a much more personal connection with the soap opera.
Her father, John, played Victor Kiriakis on the real NBC daytime drama series Days of Our Lives on and off for 37 years, until his death in 2022.
His portrayal earned him a Daytime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series in 2017 and he received a Daytime Emmy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2022.
