Wanting to break into the entertainment industry is hard enough. You have to have connections, know the right people, and well, be talented. For celebrity nepo babies, though, none of that’s a problem at all. They have all of the right connections, all thanks to their parents. While some are more deserving than others, there are some who shouldn’t be following in their parents’ footsteps. For the talented nepo babies, who are the most successful ones?
What Are Nepo Babies?
A “nepo baby” is a slang term that refers to a child of a celebrity. These children, with the help of their famous parents, receive the support that they need to succeed in their careers, specifically in the entertainment industry. Many people believe that because of their famous parents, they were able to get opportunities that others couldn’t and became successful because of their parents, rather than doing it all on their own.
Dakota Johnson
Actress Dakota Johnson is the daughter of Melanie Griffith and Don Johnson. Dakota made a name for herself when she earned the coveted role as Anastasia in the Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy. Of course, the nepo baby comments swarmed around her when she landed the role, and she has aknowledged it before, even poking fun at it. According to People, though, Dakota was cut off financially by her parents when she decided that she wanted to pursue acting rather than attending college. She worked hard and has become a very successful actress despite the nepo baby accusations.
Lily-Rose Depp
Lily-Rose Depp is another celebrity child who faces the nepo baby accusations. Lily-Rose’s parents are none other than Johnny Depp and Vanessa Paradis, and thanks to the help of her parents, she’s launched her very own acting career. She’s addressed the nepo baby label and has acknowledged that her parents have helped her gain opportunities, but insists it’s her own talent that has landed the roles. She’s known for appearing in The King, The Idol, and most recently, Nosferatu.
Jack Quaid
Son of actors Meg Ryan and Dennis Quaid, Jack Quaid has also acknowledged the title of nepo baby and has embraced it. He knows that he has had help in his journey, but he still wants to prove to himself that he does have the acting chops. He made his acting debut when he had a minor role in The Hunger Games, but he really rose to fame when he played Hughie Campbell in the satirical superhero series The Boys. He’s also landed starring roles in Novocaine and Companion, proving that he does have the acting chops after all.
Billie Lourd
Compared to some of the other celebrity children on this list, Billie Lourd is much different than the others because she is a double nepo baby. Not only is her mother the late actress Carrie Fisher, but her grandmother is also the late and great actress Debbie Reynolds. Over the years, Billie has starred in multiple seasons of American Horror Story, as well as Scream Queens, and recently, The Last Showgirl.
Gracie Abrams
Gracie Abrams has been taking the music world by storm with the release of her debut album, Good Riddance, in 2023, and she was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best New Artist. That’s not all for Gracie — she was also one of the opening acts for Olivia Rodrigo’s Sour Tour as well as Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour. Many people might not realize that Gracie is a nepo baby. Her father is J.J. Abrams, a famous director behind some of our favorite works like Star Wars and Star Trek, making people speculate how much help her father gave her.
Kaia Gerber
When your mom is one of the most famous supermodels in the world, Cindy Crawford, it really shouldn’t be a surprise that her only daughter with businessman Rande Gerber, Kaia Gerber, got into the modeling industry. She made her Fashion Week debut in 2017 and won Model of the Year at the British Fashion Awards in 2018. Whether or not her mom helped her break into the industry or not, the nepo baby accusations are still there, especially when she got into acting. She’s most known for her time on American Horror Story, showing off that she’s not just a pretty face, but she can act, too.
Dan Levy
While we know Dan Levy for playing David Rose on the hit sitcom Schitt’s Creek, he’s also a nepo baby as his father is actor Eugene Levy. Dan co-created and co-starred in the show with his father, and even won Primetime Emmy Awards for the final season of Schitt’s Creek. He even went on to host the Primetime Emmy Awards in 2024. Dan doesn’t really like the title of nepo baby, as he claims they have to work “three times as hard” to establish themselves in the industry, according to The Daily Mail. He even admitted to distancing himself from his dad at the start of his career until he was established in his career.
Maya Hawke
Maya Hawke is the daughter of Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman. Known for her roles in Stranger Things, Do Revenge, and voicing Anxiety in Inside Out 2, Maya is already establishing herself as an actress in Hollywood. Because of her parents, she’s often referred to as a nepo baby, and she is definitely not ashamed of it. According to Variety, she understands that she has gotten opportunities because of her parents, and she’s okay with that, embracing the title of nepo baby.
Lily Collins
Lily Collins is yet another celebrity nepo baby as she is the daughter of musician Phil Collins. While she has acknowledged the fact that she is technically a nepo baby, she also worked to establish herself in the industry in her own right. She started acting at the age of two on the BBC sitcom Growing Pains. As she got older, she took on more acting roles such as The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones and Tolkien. Most recently, she’s most known for starring in the Netflix hit show Emily in Paris.
Margaret Qualley
Actress Margaret Qualley is the daughter of actress Andie MacDowell. While she’s been acting for quite a few years now, she made her debut in Palo Alto in 2013. She’s most recently been known for her roles in Poor Things, Kinds of Kindness, and The Substance. Like many others on this list, she’s well aware of the nepo baby claims, and she has embraced them, recognizing how privileged she is to have her mother.
Whether you like it or not, nepo babies are a thing in Hollywood, and they’re here to stay. Sometimes they accept help from their parents, and other times they want to do it on their own. Whatever they decide, it’s up to them to make their careers thrive.
