A label that has been floating around popular culture for more than a decade, the term"nepotism babies"refers to individuals whose careers are similar to or have profited from the careers that their parents succeeded in. Often used as a pejorative label,a"nepo baby"will inevitably attract a degree of criticism if they are looking to follow in their mother or father’s footsteps as actors, with many arguing that their parents' influence offers them higher chances of success in a notoriously cutthroat industry than they would receive otherwise.
However, while numerous A-Listers' children do enjoy lucrative career opportunities despite an abject lack of talent, this state of affairs decidedly does not apply to every single celebrity’s child out there. Many of them have bucked the negative connotations associated with the nepo baby label by carving out a unique career path for themselves, producing excellent performances to give their parents a run for their money in terms of fame and reputation. As such, cinema is littered with examples ofexcellent"nepo baby casting"highlighting that the strength of an actor’s career is determined by them, not by who their parents are.
10Jack Quaid
Parents - Dennis Quaid & Meg Ryan
The son of Hollywood heavy hitters Dennis Quaid and Meg Ryan, Jack Quaid has found himself labeled as a nepo baby with the unenviable task of living up to not one, but two extremely famous actors. However, it’s a state of affairs that hasn’t fazed the American yet, with Quaid’s standout performance as deuteragonist Hughie Campbell in Amazon Prime’s flagship superhero satireThe Boyscementing him as one of current television’s most beloved and instantly recognizable faces.
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WhileThe Boysremains his most celebrated role by some stretch, Quaid’s status as one of Hollywood’s most accomplished celebrities with famous parents also stems from an array of high-profile movie performances. Debuting inThe Hunger Gamestrilogy in 2012,Quaid’s best moviesinclude roles in the acclaimed likes ofLogan Lucky,Oppenheimer, and theScreamfranchise to flesh out his filmography in impressive fashion.
9John David Washington
Parents - Denzel Washington & Paulette Washington
The eldest of four children born to Paulette Washington and cinematic titan Denzel Washington, John David Washington’s status as one of popular culture’s most successful alleged nepo babies is two-fold. A former running back for the United Football League’s Sacramento Mountain Lions, Washington followed his father into the movies after a successful career as a professional athlete, where he would also go on to produce a number of excellent performances.
At the age of seven, Washington had a cameo in Spike Lee’sMalcolm X, a movie that starred his father in the titular role.
Following a breakout role in Spike Lee’s critically acclaimedBlacKkKlansman,Washington’s movie careerwould see him go on to have starring roles in successful blockbusters like Christopher Nolan’sTenetor Gareth Edwards’The Creator. The rare example of an actor who can boast a successful sports career to complement an array of impressive dramatic performances, Washington’s status as the son of one of Hollywood’s finest performers is typically used to highlight his inherent talent as an actor, rather than an accusatory stick to beat him with.
8Maya Hawke
Parents - Ethan Hawke & Uma Thurman
Arguably the most beloved of all the later season additions toStranger Things’ensemble cast,Maya Hawke’s career-best performance as Robin Buckleyon the Netflix sci-fi horror titan has established her as one of Hollywood’s most talented young actresses. The daughter of cinematic standouts Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman,Hawke had huge shoes to fill as a result of her parents' storied credentials, a daunting state of affairs that she has clearly relished.
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In addition to her superb work onStranger Things, several ofHawke’s best movieshave seen her work with cinematic titans like Quentin Tarantino, Bradley Cooper, and Wes Anderson at the age of just 26. Appearing in one of the most commercially successful movies of all time in 2024’sInside Out 2also decidedly hasn’t hurt her steadily burgeoning reputation, underlining her status as an actress who doesn’t deserve the"nepo baby"label.
7Josh Brolin
Parents - James Brolin & Jane Cameron
Born to well-known Hollywood staple James Brolin and wildlife activist Jane Cameron, Josh Brolin’s career accomplishments have arguably outstripped those of his famous father at this point in proceedings. However, this wasn’t always the case. Bursting onto the scene as a child actor with a fan-favorite performance in 1985’s cult classic,The Goonies, Brolin’s career completely fell off until a remarkable resurgence in the 2000s saw him shake off the"nepo baby"tag for good.
Josh Brolin’s stepmother is the singer, Barbara Streisand.
Appearing in a host of critically and commercially successful outings across the course of the last 20 years, Brolin’s career turnaround began with a bow in 2007’sNo Country for Old Men, one of thegreatest Western movies ever made. Earning an Academy Award nomination for his turn as Dan White in the political biopicMilk, Brolin is also credited with one of the most iconic villainous roles in cinematic history; the MCU’s mad Titan, Thanos.
6Lily-Rose Depp
Parents - Johnny Depp & Vanessa Paradis
The daughter ofPirates of the Caribbeanicon Johnny Depp and French singer, actress, and model, Vanessa Paradis, Lily-Rose Depp arguably didn’t escape the"nepo baby"label until she played Ellen Hutter in Robert Eggers’Nosferatu. Depp had only been seen in obscure or supporting roles to date, reinforcing the stereotype of her as somebody shoehorned into movies off the strength of her second name, rather than her acting prowess.
…Depp’s reputation has changed dramatically in the wake of her mesmerizing bow inNosferatu.
This state of affairs wasn’t helped by her starring role on HBO’s hastily cancelled drama,The Idol, widely panned as one of the worst shows in recent memory. However, Depp’s reputation has changed dramatically in the wake of her mesmerizing bow inNosferatu. Widely regarded as thefinest performance in a Robert Eggers movieto date, the 25-year-old’s haunting turn as the subject of Count Orlok’s nightmarish affections received rave reviews and established Depp as one of Hollywood’s exciting new dramatic talents.
5Margaret Qualley
Parents - Paul Qualley & Andie MacDowell
Born to model Paul Qualley and actress Andie MacDowell, Margaret Qualley is well on her way to surpassing both parents in terms of fame and recognition. Boasting an array of award nominations at the age of just 30, Qualley is currently the toast of Hollywood following an acclaimed turn as the alter-ego of Demi Moore’s Elisabeth Sparkle in Coralie Fargeat’sOscar-nominated sci-fi body horror,The Substance.
However, Qualley’s impressive list of credits additionally include Emmy-nominated bows inFosse/VerdonandThe Maid, with the actress also earning a Golden Globe nomination for the latter. Having already worked with the likes of Shane Black, Quentin Tarantino, and Yorgos Lanthimos throughout her relatively short career, Ethan Coen is the next Hollywood titan Qualley has in her sights, with the actress slated to star in his upcoming project, the detective-comedyHoney Don’t!
4Bill Skarsgård
Parents - Stellan Skarsgård & My Skarsgård
One of eight children born to the beloved character actor Stellan Skarsgård and his wife My, fourth child Bill Skarsgård decidedly did not have it easy in terms of competition. Accordingly, it speaks volumes to the levels of excellence that he has managed to achieve throughout his career in Hollywoodthat he’s arguably the most successful member of the family outside his father,despite the fact that he has no fewer than three siblings who are also actors.
Bill is the second Skarsgård brother to star in a Robert Eggers production, playing Count Orlok in 2024’sNosferatufollowing his brother Alexander’s bow as the warrior Amleth in 2022’sThe Northman.
Known for his roles in acclaimed horror productions likeIt,Barbarian, andNosferatu, Bill also boasts credits in blockbuster outings likeAtomic Blondeand theJohn Wickfranchise. Outside a recent disastrously misjudged appearance in 2024’s dismal reboot ofThe Crow,Bill’s status asthe most impressive Skarsgård brotherappears set to continue, particularly in light of him reprising his iconic role as Pennywise in HBO’s upcoming horror series,It: Welcome to Derry.
3Zoë Kravitz
Parents - Lenny Kravitz & Lisa Bonet
The daughter of musician Lenny Kravitz and actress Lisa Bonet,attempts to label Zoë Kravitz as a nepo baby tend to fall flat in light of an array of blockbuster credits to her name.Breaking out with a performance in 2011’sX-Men: First Class, Kravitz has also featured in huge productions likeThe Batman,Mad Max: Fury Roadand theFantastic Beastsfranchise, to name but a few of her standout roles.
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Kravitz is also regarded as modern cinema’s quintessential Catwoman, having played the iconicBatmancharacter in two separate movie adaptations. Complementing her impressive list of film appearances, Kravitz has also received highly positive reviews for her bows on shows likeBig Little LiesandHigh Fidelity.Accordingly, arguments that the actress' considerable success is due to her famous parents fold like a deckchair in short order.
2Ben Stiller
Parents - Jerry Stiller & Anne Meara
Widely regarded as one of the greatest comedic actors in the history of cinema, Ben Stiller’s standing in modern popular culture is so impressive that the fact that his parents were the late celebrity couple, Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara, often gets overlooked in 2025. Two well-known comedians and actors,the career path of Stiller’s parents led their son to follow their example, and the rest, as they say, is history.
Both of Stiller’s parents were well known for making frequent cameos in their son’s movies.
Starring in some of the most beloved and influential comedies of all time,Stiller’s best moviesread like a who’s-who of iconic genre staples. It doesn’t hurt that the Frat Pack standout is also credited as a director and executive producer on Apple TV’s sci-fi thrillerSeverance, one of the finest and most ambitious shows currently airing on television.
1Robert Downey Jr.
Parents - Robert Downey & Elsie Ann
Of all the actors with famous parents that don’t deserve the label of “nepo baby,“there are few better examples than Robert Downey Jr. One of the most famous, influential, and instantly recognizable human beings walking the Earth today, the son of the late actor Robert Downey Sr. overcame a brutal battle with substance addiction to turn in one of the greatest career resurgences of all time.
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The long-time face of the Marvel Cinematic Universe after his bow in 2008’sIron Man, the actor’s status as the star of one of the biggest movie franchises of all time appears set to resume with the controversial announcement ofDowney’s casting as Doctor Doomin an upcoming pair ofAvengersmovies in 2026 and 2027 respectively. Starring in multiple blockbusters and winning his first Academy Award for his work in 2023’s Oppenheimer, purported"nepo baby"Downey is one of Hollywood’s most triumphant success stories.
