Twitter Users Share 46 Celebrities Most Didn’t Know Were Related, It Sparks A Discussion About Nepotism In Hollywood

Whether it's honest or not (it's probably not), Hollywood is aiming at becoming more inclusive. In recent years, stories of sexism, racism and abuse have circulated the media more often than ever before. For this reason, the big execs at studios will surely do anything to not get canceled. However, in our humble opinion, one form of inequality gets overlooked more often than we'd like it to be—nepotism.

The word itself is derived from nepos in Latin, meaning nephew. In Italy, it became nipotismo, named after the practice of when popes would give jobs to their nephews. Centuries have passed but it appears that little has changed. If you're a frequent lurker on social media or like to read magazines on celebrities, you sure as hell know the names (and faces) of Lily-Rose Depp, Gigi Hadid, Gwyneth Paltrow, Lena Dunham... the list could go on and on and never reach its end. Yes, you guessed it correctly—all of these people came from rich, powerful, and talented families. Nothing wrong with talent, but we can guess that casting auditions are just slightly easier when your dad is the producer of the movie.

We recently came across one interesting thread on Twitter that points out the sometimes unexpected family relations between (semi) famous people. Some were really surprising, some—kind of obvious. Nonetheless, we hope it will help you to put some things in perspective. One of them being that, it's not always just hard work that it takes to make it, no matter how hard celebrities try to make us believe it. We surely don't deny that there are many outstanding actors, singers, musicians, and dancers that don't come from a famous background, but more about that next time. This time, let's put the focus on celebs who really made it, but not without the support of their famous family members. Bear in mind that the intention of the post is purely educational, we're not intending to trash talented people just because they have relatives in the industry. Scroll down below to see the list, have fun, and drop a comment on whether you remember any more celebs that probably benefited from nepotism!

More info: Twitter

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After Quentin Tarantino’s “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” came out, it sparked a debate online about nepotism. The widely popular film featured three young actresses—Margaret Qualley, Harley Quinn Smith and Maya Hawke. Surprisingly or not, all of them came from artistic families. Margaret's mother is none other than the legendary Andie MacDowell, while Harley Quinn is the daughter of Kevin Smith. Maya's parents probably need no introduction too—Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman. Yes, the same Uma Thurman who's been Quentin Tarantino's muse for years.

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One of the most obvious challenges that Hollywood is facing is its lack of diversity. However, with nepotism in the picture, it becomes even harder for creatives to cast diverse actors and create diverse films. One of the most famous recent examples is director Greta Gerwig’s recent adaptation of “Little Women”—in it, 3 out of 7 of the main cast members came from famous and powerful families in the business.

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There's no denying that while nepotism in Hollywood exists, children of famous parents can also be extremely talented. Take Sofia Coppola as an example. Daughter of the legendary Francis Ford Coppola, Sofia has made quite an impact on the industry with her one-of-a-kind film style. However, it certainly didn't hurt her career when her dad helped her to make The Virgin Suicides—her debut feature—by producing it using his own company, American Zoetrope.