Some nepo babies have been able to make it with little to no help — but others
wouldn't be household names if it wasn't for their parents. From a rock star's son
to the President's daughter, these celebs owe it all to their famous moms and dads.
Director Judd Apatow may very well have given his daughter a career boost when he
cast her in roles for a few of his films. Maude is arguably most well-known for her
role as Lexi Howard in "Euphoria," but her big break came courtesy of her famous dad.
It also probably helps to be the daughter of actor Leslie Mann — who better to seek
advice from than a parent who has already made a name for themselves?
Judd Apatow-directed films Maude can be spotted in include "The King of Staten
Island," "Funny People," "Knocked Up," and "This is 40." The actor and her sister,
Iris, have been given roles in their father's films since they were children.
Judd Apatow appeared on "Serious Jibber-Jabber with Conan O'Brien"
and spoke about directing his daughters in 2012, saying —
"My kids are strangely funny. And they're bored of being on set,
so they're not scared that cameras are around."
The director continued —
"They get sucked into what their real problems are with each other. Like,
they're so annoyed with each other that they're not distracted by
the fact that they're shooting a movie and it needs to go well..."
Judd and Leslie talk about their daughters often — something that
Maude isn't always the biggest fan of.
"Does that bother you at all?"
"Um, yeah, sometimes! I mean, they really, they really throw me under the bus."
"They think it's okay."
"A lot."
Gwyneth Paltrow is so well-known on her own that it's easy to forget that she was born
into fame. The A-lister's mother is actor Blythe Danner, while her father is the late director
Bruce Paltrow. Gwyneth was actually cast in her first movie role thanks to her famous father:
Bruce put his daughter in his 1989 made-for-TV film "High," which he wrote and directed.
The late Bruce Paltrow not only gave his daughter a major career boost,
but he also gave her blunt, yet helpful advice on navigating fame and staying down to earth.
During an interview on "The Graham Norton Show," Gwyneth talked about a time when her
father sat her down after she'd won an Oscar for "Shakespeare in Love."
"He said, in his inimitable Brooklyn way, 'Uh, you're kind of turning into an a--hole.'"
Although you might think that Gwyneth has had it easier due to the guidance and connections
she's received from her famous mom and dad, she herself might not agree. As a guest on
Hailey Bieber's "Who's In My Bathroom?" in 2022, Gwyneth made a smoothie and shared —
"As the child of somebody, you get access that other people don't have, so the playing field
is not level in that way. However, I really do feel that once your foot is in the door,
which you unfairly got in, then you have to work almost twice as hard and be twice as good."
Anjelica Huston is always a delightful actor to watch — but it's undeniable that her father,
legendary director John Huston, played a role in her Oscar win. Anjelica was given
the role of Maerose Prizzi in her father's 1985 film,
"Prizzi's Honor," for which she won an Oscar in the category of best supporting actress.
Anjelica's father may have helped her earn an accolade that many actors can only dream of,
but what did she think of working with her dad on other projects? It was a mixed bag.
His film she starred in as a teenager, "A Walk with Love and Death," cost her a shot
at starring in "Romeo and Juliet." Speaking about her father, Anjelica told The Guardian in 2006 —
"Ultimately, he wrote a letter to [Franco] Zeffirelli to say that I wouldn't be doing
Juliet, which infuriated me, and that instead I would be working with him."
As for her "A Walk with Love and Death" character, the actor said —
"I wasn't crazy about the part. I was a big snob at the time. I felt
that the script was a bit saccharine [... it] struck me as being incredibly corny."
Anjelica was a bit more passionate about her character in "Prizzi's
Honor." She shared that she read the book that inspired the movie ahead of
filming and later helped influence John to move forward with directing the project.
When your father casts you in the finale of the greatest crime saga in film history,
the pressure to perform is pretty high. That's exactly what happened to Sofia
Coppola when she was cast in director Francis Ford Coppola's "The Godfather:
Part III" as Michael Corleone's daughter Mary. The young actor took on the role after Winona
Ryder stepped away from the project at the last minute due to an illness.
Sofia famously became a director after starring in the movie — and it might
have been for the best that acting wasn't the star's primary passion,
because she didn't exactly receive praise for her performance.
"No, I got beat up and it was right when I was 18, so you're already feeling a little awkward
about yourself, so it wasn't pleasant, but, but you know… it wasn't the end of the world."
"What doesn't kill me makes me stronger?"
"Yeah."
Critics slammed Sofia's acting work and even "The Godfather:
Part III" as a whole. During an interview with Vulture,
Francis took the blame for the harsh criticism of his daughter's acting, saying —
"I felt that I did this to her. Of course, Sofia went on to have a wonderful career of her own,
but it must have hurt her terribly to be told,
'You ruined your father's picture,' when in fact, she hadn't — in my opinion. At
any rate, the whole subject of 'The Godfather III' was painful for me."
In a separate interview with The Independent, Sofia confessed that she
has a hard time re-watching "The Godfather: Part III" — but she doesn't blame her dad.
Critics may not have had anything nice to say about the star's acting,
but her directing skills have garnered a different reaction. She's the mastermind
behind a number of successful films, including "Lost in Translation," "The
Bling Ring," "The Virgin Suicides," "Marie Antoinette," and more.
Francesca Eastwood got her big break after her father, Clint Eastwood, cast her as a waitress
in the 2014 film "Jersey Boys" and launched her film career. Given the fact that Francesca was
the daughter of one of the most well known actor-directors in Hollywood, her last name
earned her fame even before she landed a role in the movie. She and her sister, Morgan Eastwood,
documented their lives on the short-lived 2012 reality show "Mrs. Eastwood & Company."
Francesca is now much more than a reality TV star,
though. After using her small role in "Jersey Boys" as a jumping off point,
she's earned roles in a number of other projects, including "M.F.A.," "The Vault," "Outlaws and
Angels," and more. It seems that the actor is in the process of creating a portfolio of
work that will help her gain respect and recognition beyond her famous last name.
Carving out her own legacy is something Francesca has been
passionate about. In 2014, she told Refinery29 —
"Everyone thinks it must be so easy for me. But, it's challenging to differentiate
yourself from your family and have your own identity. I want to have longevity and
to do things that are meaningful, and you have to really prove yourself [for that]."
She added that this challenge motivates her to work harder, elaborating —
"That struggle isn't bad — nothing in my mind
is bad. It gives me a stronger drive to have my own career."
In 2022, Francesca signed on to star in a thriller movie called "Clawfoot."
Donald Trump's kids are perhaps some of the most infamous examples of inheriting success
and wealth. His daughter, Ivanka Trump, got a job in the White House after her father was elected
President of the United States in 2016. Some might say that she didn't have the skills for the role
— that Donald's status helped her earn the job regardless of her lack of experience in politics.
Ivanka officially became an advisor to the former President two months after Donald took office. She
had been working for her father since he was elected but didn't have an official title at
first, according to CNN. Ivanka focused on a number of issues during her time in the White
House: for example, she helped create the Women's Global Development and Prosperity
initiative. The former advisor also spent time traveling to help improve workforce development.
Ivanka's stint in the White House wasn't the only role her father helped her land.
She also worked as an executive vice president at The Trump Organization,
focusing on acquisitions and development. The businesswoman announced in 2017 that
she planned to temporarily step down from her role at Donald's company, writing on Facebook —
"When my father takes office as the 45th President of the United States of America,
I will take a formal leave of absence from The Trump
Organization and my eponymous apparel and accessories brand. I will no longer
be involved with the management or operations of either company."
"I really do think of my role as daughter, and I'm there to support my father."
It seems that Jon Bon Jovi's son, Jesse Bongiovi, knows how to capitalize on his family connections
and influence. The rock star's son partnered with his father to start a wine company called
Hampton Water — which was rated at 90 points by Wine Spectator for four consecutive years,
according to its website. Although Jesse likely plays an imperative role at the company,
it might be safe to say that his father's fame helped him earn the
opportunity to own and market such a successful business in the first place.
The father and son spoke about Hampton Water at the New York Water Experience,
according to Wine Spectator. Jon Bon Jovi told reporters —
"This is not a celebrity wine. This is a fine wine, made with love and created with family."
Jesse Bongiovi also chimed in —
"We really wanted to create a wine that not only had a catchy name, and a label that stood out,
but also had the complexity and structure to be taken seriously by the wine community."
During an interview with Who Australia, Bon Jovi revealed
that his son is in charge of the business side of things at Hampton Water. He joked —
"I'm just the number-one employee."