Emma Roberts weighed in on the ongoing “nepo baby” debate, sharing his unique perspective as a member of a famous Hollywood family. Roberts, daughter of actor Eric Roberts and niece of actress Julia Roberts, has faced scrutiny since her acting debut in Blow when she was just nine years old.
In a recent episode of Table for two podcastthe 33-year-old actress said she believes there are “two sides to the coin” in the nepo baby conversation.
“I always joke, ‘Why isn’t anyone calling George Clooney a nepo baby? (His aunt) Rosemary Clooney was an icon,'” she commented, highlighting a perceived gender disparity in criticism of celebrity children. “I feel like young girls have a harder time with the nepo baby thing. Like, I don’t really see people naming famous actors’ kids.”
Despite the perks her family’s fame may have given her, Emma emphasized the unique pressures that come with it. “People only see your victories, because they only see when you’re on a movie poster – they don’t see all the rejection along the way,” she said.
O Scream queens star says having Hollywood connections can hurt you just as easily as it can help you. “People like to say, you know, you have an advantage because you have family in the industry. But the other side of that is you have to prove yourself more,” she explained. “Plus, if people don’t have good experiences with other people in your family, you’ll never have a chance.”
Emma acknowledged the help she received breaking into the industry, but also shared the downsides of fame, citing her Aunt Julia’s experience as a cautionary tale. “I saw very close up what this really is like,” she said. “It’s obviously fun and great, but there’s a part of it that’s really scary.”
Instead of chasing massive stardom, the american horror story the star focused on carving her own path in Hollywood. “Fame was never the goal, because fame on a certain level is kind of scary,” she explained, noting that she never wanted her “fame to surpass (her) work.”
“There’s nothing scarier to me than being so famous that you’re never alone, but you also can’t get good jobs,” she said.
Despite the challenges, Emma’s career has been successful and sustained over the past two decades. “My career has not been ‘linear’ or ‘easy’,” she admitted – but it has been rewarding, much to her father’s delight.
Concluding her thoughts on the “nepo baby” debate, Emma said she doesn’t think “anyone should be called upon to pursue their dream.” The public, she noted, “loves an overnight success story” but often overlooks the hard work and persistence it takes to achieve it.
The “nepo baby” conversation came to the forefront of social consciousness in 2022, after new York MagazineThe nepotism cover has sparked an outcry in Hollywood and beyond. The magazine took a deep dive into the invisible web of family ties that make up the media industry.
But while some opposed for the label (like Kate Moss‘ half-sister, Lottie Moss), others such as Ice Cubeson of O’Shea Jackson Jr., hugged.
“My dad told me that in a perfect world, I would play him (Straight from Compton)”, wrote the 33-year-old in a series of messages on X. “I was already in screenwriting college at USC. I accepted the challenge. And he auditioned for two years before getting the role. After that it was up to me, he couldn’t hold my hand during my career. I had to get up and make it work. … Once the door was opened, it was up to me to walk through it and prosper.”
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