Ben Stiller faces backlash over debate about nepotism in Hollywood

[ProfessionalClown 9,683]

2 minutes ago, CautiousLurker said:

Ashely Judd, Carrie Fisher, Liza Minelli, Quincy Brown, Enrique Iglesias, Jennifer Aniston, Kiefer Sutherland, Kelly Osbourne, Liv Tyler, Lenny Kravitz, Maya Rudolph, Miley Cyrus, Nicole Richie, Scott Eastwood, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Margaret Qualley, Jason Schwartzman, Isabella Rossellini, Jamie Lee Curtis 

Who of these are new school actors besides Miley though 

I’m talking about recently. It’s not that prevalent anymore. Within the past 10 years nepotism in Hollywood has gone down considerably less and a lot more actors and actresses from non-famous families are becoming a lot more Prevalent 

[ProfessionalClown 9,683]

1 minute ago, BUtterfield 8 said:

 

 

How many of them started acting in the past 10-15 years? Maybe 2? 3? The rest of them have already had a long career.

in talking about NEWER actors & actresses. The idea that nepotism is just as prevalent now as it was then isn’t really true. Many upcoming actors and actresses in the industry now aren’t from families like that. 

[HIM820 1,594]

It’s quite upsetting when you think there are people who have dreams of working in the entertainment industry, and they might be legitimately great at it, but can’t because it’s so hard to get their foot through the door. I totally get that and have had feelings similar to them. 
 

But I’ve seen it the other way too. I went to a well known college on the east coast that had some celebrities that attended, but tons of children of famous people. Only a handful were ever in my actual classes, but I witnessed them being treated differently just because who their parents were. People would ask them questions (even professors) and it was just really awkward. I can also see that side of it where that could get incredibly frustrating. A few ended up going back to California/ wherever else they lived to be closer to people who just wouldn’t care. So that whole society just stays very insular in that regard and I don’t really blame them. 

[CautiousLurker 16,578]

4 minutes ago, ProfessionalClown said:

Who of these are new school actors besides Miley though 

I’m talking about recently. It’s not that prevalent anymore. Within the past 10 years nepotism in Hollywood has gone down considerably less and a lot more actors and actresses from non-famous families are becoming a lot more Prevalent 

I'm willing to bet it just appears so due to lack of knowledge - famous people in show biz don't exactly advertise how they got their leg up, and I don't have family trees up to check every single newcomer - you need to actively go digging for that information, and I'm sure in time there will be articles listing off newer starlets and their ties once they get established enough 

[Chlorine Sevigny 45,535]

Maya Hawke from Stranger Things is a recent example. I bet there's a ton of recent ones but as @CautiousLurker said they're not as well known yet. 

[ProfessionalClown 9,683]

14 minutes ago, CautiousLurker said:

I'm willing to bet it just appears so due to lack of knowledge - famous people in show biz don't exactly advertise how they got their leg up, and I don't have family trees up to check every single newcomer - you need to actively go diffing for that information, and I'm sure in time there will be articles listing off newer starlets and their ties once they get established enough 

I mean like for instance Adam Driver, his parents weren’t in the industry at all.

Neither does Anya Taylor Joy, Emma Stone, Margot Robbie, Millie Bobby Brown, Chloe Grace Moretz, Jennifer Lawrence, McKenna Grace, Jacob Tremblay, Aaron Taylor Johnson, Daniel Radcliffe, Kirsten Dunst, there’s a lot.

Especially with most younger actors out rn are from non-famous families. 

[CautiousLurker 16,578]

8 minutes ago, ProfessionalClown said:

I mean like for instance Adam Driver, his parents weren’t in the industry at all.

Neither does Anya Taylor Joy, Emma Stone, Margot Robbie, Millie Bobby Brown, Chloe Grace Moretz, Jennifer Lawrence, McKenna Grace, Jacob Tremblay, Aaron Taylor Johnson, Daniel Radcliffe, Kirsten Dunst, there’s a lot.

Especially with most younger actors out rn are from non-famous families. 

Noone is claiming NO person who doesn't have Hollywood tie-ins breaks through, but saying there are only a couple is pretty disingenuous... I don't have time to go through each name now, but I remember one ofDaniel Radcliffe's parents is a casting agent, so I'm gonna bet even among the names you mentioned there are people who from the getgo had connections in the industry...

Again, famous people don't advertise their ties, just because it looks like they made it all on their own doesn't make it so. 

 

[ProfessionalClown 9,683]

32 minutes ago, CautiousLurker said:

Noone is claiming NO person who doesn't have Hollywood tie-ins breaks through, but saying there are only a couple is pretty disingenuous... I don't have time to go through each name now, but I remember one ofDaniel Radcliffe's parents is a casting agent, so I'm gonna bet even among the names you mentioned there are people who from the getgo had connections in the industry...

Again, famous people don't advertise their ties, just because it looks like they made it all on their own doesn't make it so. 

 

I never said there weren’t any, I’m saying it’s a loss less common now.

his mom I think was an agent for the BBC only for a bit and it really didn’t do much for him getting big roles.

[MACATL 835]

I hate social media for making this a thing.  WHO GIVES A DAMN? 

[JusKeepBreathin 19,311]

2 hours ago, Healed My Heart said:

Rashida Jones, Jaden Smith, Alexander Skarsgard, Mariska Hargitay, Lily Collins, Bryce Dallas Howard, Allison Williams, etc. etc.

Even singers like Elle King and Lily Allen.

[RAMROD 96,361]

Hollywood is always a place about who you know or what clan you were born in. Even if your family and friends isn't from showbiz, so long you have famous parents or friends, you're in.

Your agency is important part to get you to know of those people, and hence get yourself some connections. All those parties and dinners are usually the main venue for people to mingle. Some connections are more powerful than the others, and people will less willing to disturb that just because how influential they are in there. 

Without getting a good agency and great connection, just dream on enjoying one of those glitzy lifestyle that A-listers have. Likewise, if you are getting shunned by these big influential names, you will find it hard to get acting  or writing gig anymore cos nobody will want to offend those influential names and get themselves in crossfire, and this will still happen even if you were an Oscars winning person. 

[Economy 44,039]

3 hours ago, CautiousLurker said:

Honestly I don't know how they cope with the challenge of figuring out what to do with their parent's money and influence, must be hard 

Money issues arent the only challanges u can have in life...

 

The hardest moments in my life and biggest traumas were not necessairily in the times of my life i was poorest

[SevenWonder 3,074]

2 hours ago, ProfessionalClown said:

I never said there weren’t any, I’m saying it’s a loss less common now.

his mom I think was an agent for the BBC only for a bit and it really didn’t do much for him getting big roles.

It's not less common. I promise you that. It's just not. Trust me on this.

Also, if you think one's parent being an agent isn't huge? You just don't understand the industry. Which is cool. But, again, trust me. Having a parent be a producer, agent, manager, in casting, etc. is leaps and bounds ahead of what most actors start with.

Because it's not just that the parent is an agent. There's an entire cascade of connection that is derived from that one, seemingly small thing. For instance, the "agent" parent knows a director because they worked together on a past project. And then that director knows the star of another TV show. And that star knows a role that's about to be cast... and the star owes the director a favor and so the kid of the agent gets a call for that role. And then the part.

And so on. 

 

 

 

 

[ProfessionalClown 9,683]

1 minute ago, SevenWonder said:

It's not less common. I promise you that. It's just not. Trust me on this.

Also, if you think one's parent being an agent isn't huge? You just don't understand the industry. Which is cool. But, again, trust me. Having a parent be a producer, agent, manager, in casting, etc. is leaps and bounds ahead of what most actors start with.

Because it's not just that the parent is an agent. There's an entire cascade of connection that is derived from that one, seemingly small thing. For instance, the "agent" parent knows a director because they worked together on a past project. And then that director knows the star of another TV show. And that star knows a role that's about to be cast... and the star owes the director a favor and so the kid of the agent gets a call for that role. And then the part.

And so on. 

 

 

 

 

She was for the BBC and not really that long, she didn’t have the connection that got him the role in Harry Potter which was his breakout role. He auditioned just like everyone else and was picked through the entire process as well. They have videos of the audition process. 
 

maybe it could’ve gotten him an audition but it definitely didn’t get him the role or past regular auditions. 

[SevenWonder 3,074]

2 minutes ago, ProfessionalClown said:

She was for the BBC and not really that long, she didn’t have the connection that got him the role in Harry Potter which was his breakout role. He auditioned just like everyone else and was picked through the entire process as well. They have videos of the audition process. 
 

maybe it could’ve gotten him an audition but it definitely didn’t get him the role or past regular auditions. 

Getting the audition is half the battle. Most actors go years without a decent one. Especially when they're first starting out.

Anyway, I am not talking about anyone in particular (there's always exceptions) in any of my comments here. More general rules of thumb and giving my two cents as someone who works in the business.