What do famous families say about industry equity?

In Hollywood, it all runs in the family.

With the emergence of stars like “Euphoria’s” Maude Apatow and “The GildedAge” actress Louisa Jacobson, conversation surrounding “nepo babies” hasbecome trendy on social media as fans uncover that their favorite breakoutstars have celebrity lineages.

“Nepo babies,” short for nepotism or the practice of favoring friends andfamily for jobs, has gained traction among social media users as they’ve usedthe term with both fascination and repulsion after learning up-and-comingstars might’ve had a helping hand in entering show business.

Apatow, 24, said in a Porter interview published in September that at first,she found the “nepo baby” label “sad” because people were judging her outsideof her talent.

“I try not to let it get to me because I obviously understand that I’m in sucha lucky position. A lot of people (in a similar position) have proventhemselves over the years, so I’ve got to keep going and make good work,” shesaid. “It’s so early in my career, I don’t have much to show yet, buthopefully one day I’ll be really proud of the stuff I’ve done by myself.”

She also shared her father Judd Apatow “always reads what I write, but I haveto be at a certain point. I’ll wait until I’m almost done and then get notesfrom him. I get annoyed because he’ll come up with a better idea, but he’ssuper-helpful. So is my mom.”

Maude Apatow as a young actor in her father Judd Apatow's movie

Maude Apatow as a young actor in her father Judd Apatow’s movie

Getting advice from an Emmy-winning director is an advantage of being a childof Hollywood parents. Just as it seems like the luck of the draw for anactress like Jacobson, the daughter of Oscar-winning actress Meryl Streep, toland her first major IMDb credit in an HBO series starring alongside Tony-nominated actress Denée Benton and bona fide TV stars including ChristineBaranski (“The Good Wife”) and Cynthia Nixon (“Sex and the City”).

Louisa Jacobson landed her first major role on HBO'sLouisaJacobson landed her first major role on HBO's

Louisa Jacobson landed her first major role on HBO’s

But according to industry insiders, it’s not rare at all.

“It’s so common in the industry,” says casting director Danielle Demchick, whois also vice president of advocacy for the Casting Society of America. “Itdoesn’t even resonate (to me) as a trend.”

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Maude Apatow in HBOsMaudeApatow in HBOs

Maude Apatow in HBOs

Is stardom genetic? Or an opportunity pipeline?

Lindsay Fulton, genealogist and vice president of research for the New EnglandHistoric Genealogical Society, says sometimes actors can come by talenthonestly.

“There’s definitely a lot of anecdotal evidence that shows that someoneusually has an aptitude for a talent that their parents or grandparent had,”Fulton says, who’s been featured on PBS’ “Finding Your Roots” web seriesspinoff “Finding Your Roots: The seedlings.”

What’s also “at stake,” Fulton adds, is that celebrity children have theopportunity to be connected with the right training and have access to gettheir auditions in the right hands.

“I think a lot of kids in this business are really good actors, and that’s whythey’re booking things. … They also do have the opportunity to be in the rightplace at the right time. And that’s a huge part of it, ” Demchick agrees.

“Maude discovered how to act this time,” Apatow’s actress mother Leslie Manntold USA TODAY in 2012 when the then 14-year-old starred alongside her mom indad Apatow’s movie “This is 40.” “It was really fun watching her do that. Itwas amazing. I cried.”

Gwyneth Paltrow, who is the child of “St. Elsewhere” producer Bruce Paltrowand Emmy-winning actress Blythe Danner, agreed that children of famous parentshave “access other people don’t have” during an episode of Hailey Bieber’s”Who’s in my Bathroom” YouTube series. However, she said there’s also a burdenthat comes with a famous family.

“I really do feel that once your foot is in the door, which you unfairly gotin, then you almost have to work twice as hard and be twice as good,” Paltrowsaid. “Because people are ready to pull **** you down and say ‘You don’tbelong there’ or ‘You are only there because of your dad or your mom.'”

But Leah Daniels-Butler, who has been a casting director for decades andworked on films including “2 Fast 2 Furious” (2003) and “The Butler” (2013),says sometimes talent doesn’t always pass to the next generation.

“There are instances where you have some actors who fall into their family’sor their parent’s footsteps and they’re very good,” Daniels-Butler says. “Andthen you have some that … Listen, everybody has talent. Some people just haveto work a little harder.”

Hiding in plain ‘fake baby’ sight

The list of “nepo babies” who have parents with household names is long andspans for many generations.

Oscar-nominated actress Kate Hudson is the daughter of Oscar-winning actressGoldie Hawn. **** For a triple-generation example, you have Tippi Hedren, whoearned a Golden Globe for “The Birds” and birthed “Working Girl” Golden Globewinner Melanie Griffith, who is the mother of “Fifty Shades” actress DakotaJohnson and actress and model Stella Banderas (whose father is AntonioBanderas).

“The Batman” actress Zoë Kravitz has “The Cosby Show” alum Lisa Bonet for amom (plus actor Jason Momoa for a stepdad) and musician Lenny Kravitz for adad. The “Are You Gonna Go My Way” singer had TV actress Roxie Roker and TVproducer Sy Kravitz for parents.

“It’s completely normal for people to be in the family business,” Zoë Kravitzsaid of being considered a “nepo baby” in a November interview with GQ. “It’sliterally where last names came from.”

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Drew Barrymore, who starred in “ET” when she was 7, comes from a long line ofactors on her dad’s side. Drew’s father John Drew Barrymore starred in moviesand TV throughout the 1950s and ’60s. And his dad? John Barrymore, an actor inthe early 20th century.

Many stars get their first credit while working alongside their parents, likeJohn David Washington, who was just a kid with dad Denzel Washington on screenin Spike Lee’s “Malcolm X” (1992) and “Devil in a Blue Dress” (1995).

John David Washington was the star of Spike Lee'sJohnDavid Washington was the star of Spike Lee's

John David Washington was the star of Spike Lee’s

Fast forward to 2018 Spike Lee leaned on the younger Washington to lead hismovie “BlacKkKlansman.” **** Before his career took off, Washington had a hardtime embracing his legacy and said “people changed” when they discovered hewas the son of Denzel Washington.

“I used to lie, saying he was a construction worker or in jail, just to havesome sense of normalcy. I felt like there was no way people would take meseriously, even if I was good,” Washington said in an August 2020 mr. Portinterview.

Nicolas Cage’s grandfather Carmine Coppola was an Oscar-winning composer forthe score of “The Godfather” movies. Cage’s uncle Francis Ford Coppola is theOscar-winning “Godfather” director and his aunt Talia Shire starred in thefilm.

Nicolas Cage is a descendant of the famous movie-making Coppola family.  Thestar changed his last name to create a sense of individuality for hiscareer.NicolasCage is a descendant of the famous movie-making Coppola family.  The starchanged his last name to create a sense of individuality for hiscareer.

Nicolas Cage is a descendant of the famous movie-making Coppola family. Thestar changed his last name to create a sense of individuality for his career.

Cage was born Nicolas Kim Coppola, but he opted out of the family name anddecided to go by Cage after being inspired by Marvel superhero Luke Cage andcomposer John Cage. Cage said in his GQ April cover story the change was toprove “that I had something, and it wasn’t simply because I was born into aCoppola family. It was because I thought I had a unique way of feeling thingsand looking at things.”

More: Nicolas Cage joined ‘Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent’ ‘becauseit scared the crap out of me’

Daniels-Butler, whose brother is the film and TV maker Lee Daniels, says she’snever had to fight against nepotism claims. In fact, she feels like havingfamily in the industry motivates her “show up with 110%.”

“I’m going to work harder than anyone,” says Daniels-Butler, who cast rolesfor her brother’s films “Precious” and “The United States vs. Billie Holiday.””I have to prove myself, especially if I’m working with my brother.”

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Lily-Rose Depp, daughter of Johnny Depp and singer Vanessa Paradis, is makingher TV debut on HBO’s “Idol.” She said in a November interview with Elle thatthe public has “preconceived ideas” about how children of celebrities landjobs.

“I can definitely say that nothing is going to get you the part except forbeing right for the part,” Depp said. “The internet cares a lot more about whoyour family is than the people who are casting you into things.” ****

On Twitter, star watchers consider the “best nepobabies” to be those who lead successful careers while keeping knowledgeof their notable relatives at bay, noting how Tracee Ellis Ross has a famousacting career independent of her mother Diana Ross’ singing career.

There are even some “nepo baby” models who have been part of the TwitterconversationincludingBella and Gigi Hadid who are the daughters of former model Yolanda Hadid andreal estate developer Mohamed Hadid.

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Demchick says a celebrity’s choice to embrace or distance their Hollywoodconnections is “case by case.”

Elizabeth Olsen of Marvel hero fame says she grappled with the concept ofnepotism when she was a kid watching her twin sisters Mary-Kate and AshleyOlsen shine in Hollywood.

“I guess I understood what nepotism was like inherently as a 10-year-old. Idon’t know if I knew the word, but there is some sort of association of notearning something that I think bothered me,” Olsen told Glamor in April 2021.”I don’t know how much I processed, but I did think, ‘I’m going to beElizabeth Chase (her middle name) when I become an actress.” “

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“Elizabeth Olsen didn’t just magically end up in a casting room, she obviouslyhad family connections,” Demchick says. “But I think we can all look at hercareer and say, she is a great actor, and should be working.”

Daniels-Butler says nepotism hires exist, and if they happen “that personshould be qualified.”

How can Hollywood level the playing field?

Before an actor is selected for a role there are many layers of approval, *which consist of submitting audition tapes and impressing * castingdirectors, producers, directors and studio executives.

Something Demchick says could balance the perceived nepotism in Hollywood isto better diversify the decision makers in the industry.

Daniels-Butler says she’s “experienced more” Black and brown people instorytelling and filmmaking seats since beginning her career in the ’90s, butthere’s still improvement to be made.

According to UCLA’s “Hollywood Diversity Report 2021: Pandemic in Progress,”people of color and female writers and directors remain underrepresented byabout two-to-one compared to their presence in the population.

“I know that people are only looking at who’s on camera. But in order tochange the industry we need to be changing that we have more directors of allidentities and walks of life,” she says. “We (need to) have more writers,costume designers, hair and makeup artists. … It’s a full ecosystem.”

Contributing: David Oliver

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Nepotism babies: Famousfamilies and their impact on Hollywood equity