- Some famous actors began their Hollywood journeys before they were born.
- Many appeared in their parents' projects or alongside them on red carpets.
- Old photos reveal the Hollywood pasts of stars like Jennifer Aniston, Dan Levy, and Lily Collins.
From attending events like the Oscars at a young age to being formally introduced to the press as newborns, these celebrities have been in front of the cameras their whole lives.
The term "nepo babies," which is short for nepotism babies, surfaced on social media before New York Magazine published a 2022 cover story listing dozens of celebrities continuing their parents' legacies in the entertainment industry.
While many of these celebrities have resisted the label, saying it undermines their efforts and work, others have embraced it.
These 25 pictures show today's stars when they were just kids of famous Hollywood actors, directors, and producers.
Jane Fonda
Academy Award winner Jane Fonda is the daughter of Hollywood and Broadway legend Henry Fonda and the Canadian-American socialite Frances Ford Seymour.
In the above photograph, Jane Fonda is pictured second from right, between her father and her brother, Peter. Left, Henry Fonda's third wife, Susan Blanchard, holds their daughter Amy.
Angelina Jolie
Actor, director, producer, and humanitarian Angelina Jolie is the youngest child of Hollywood actor Jon Voight and his second wife, TV actor Marcheline Bertrand.
Jolie is pictured at the 1986 Academy Awards with her brother, grandmother, and father.
Benedict Cumberbatch
The "Doctor Strange" and "Sherlock" actor was born in 1976 to British TV actors Wanda Ventham and Timothy Carlton, who also had a career in theatre.
Mariska Hargitay
Hargitay, best-known for playing detective Olivia Benson in "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," was one of the five children of Playboy Playmate and 1950s sex symbol Jayne Mansfield. Her father, Mickey Hargitay, was an actor and bodybuilder famous for winning the 1955 Mr. Universe. A 1-year-old Hargitay is pictured second from right.
Charlie Sheen
Born Carlos Irwin Estévez, the "Two and a Half Men" actor (center) is the child of actors Janet Sheen and Emmy-winning Martin Sheen. Martin Sheen (second from right) has had a lengthy career in Hollywood, appearing in movies like "Apocalypse Now" and "Badlands" and shows like "West Wing" and "Grace and Frankie."
In fact, all four of Janet and Martin Sheen's kids have enjoyed careers in Hollywood: Emilio Estévez (pictured second from left) was part of the Brat Pack, Renée Estevez (left) appeared in movies including "Heathers," and Ramón Estévez acts, produces, and directs.
Jennifer Aniston
The "Friends" actor was born in 1969 to Greek "Days of Our Lives" actor John Aniston and TV actor Nancy Dow.
Gwyneth Paltrow
The Goop founder and actor was born in 1972 to Emmy- and Tony-winning actor Blythe Danner and producer Bruce Paltrow. Her godfather is Steven Spielberg.
She had her acting debut in "High," a 1989 film her father directed.
Nicolas Cage
Born Nicolas Kim Coppola, the "National Treasure" actor is part of the Coppola family, which includes his uncle, filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola. He's also related to Sofia Coppola and Jason Schwartzman, both cousins.
Kate Hudson
The "Almost Famous" and "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days" actor is the daughter of Oscar winner Goldie Hawn and musician Bill Hudson, and she is close with her mother's longterm partner, actor Kurt Russell.
"The nepotism thing, I mean … I don't really care," Kate Hudson told The Independent in 2022. "I remember ['Almost Famous' director] Cameron Crowe saying that it wasn't as if Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell showed up to his door with, like, trench coats on, holding a gun to his head and making him put me in the movie. That's not how any of this works."
Lily Collins
The daughter of musician Phil Collins, the "Emily in Paris" actor began her acting career at the age of 2. She had her breakout role in 2009, playing Sandra Bullock's daughter in "The Blind Side."
Zoey Deutch
Known for her roles in "The Politician" and the satirical "Not Okay," Deutch (second from left) is the daughter of "Back to the Future" actor Lea Thompson and "Pretty in Pink" director Howard Deutch.
Her older sister, Madelyn Deutch, is also an actor and musician.
Carrie Fisher
"Star Wars" actor Carrie Fisher was the daughter of "Singin' in the Rain" star and Hollywood legend Debbie Reynolds and musician Eddie Fisher, who married Elizabeth Taylor after divorcing Reynolds.
Carrie Fisher was the mother of a nepo baby herself — her daughter, Billie Lourd, has also made a name for herself in acting.
Dakota Johnson
The "Fifty Shades of Grey" star is the daughter of "Miami Vice" actor Don Johnson and second-generation Hollywood actor Melanie Griffith. Her maternal grandmother, Tippi Hedren, starred in Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds" in 1963.
Dakota Johnson made her film debut at age 10 in "Crazy in Alabama," directed by her then-stepfather Antonio Banderas.
Johnson has called the "nepo baby" discourse "incredibly annoying and boring," People reported in 2024.
Margaret Qualley
Qualley, who is known for her recent role in "The Substance" alongside Demi Moore, is the daughter of Andie MacDowell, with whom she starred in the Netflix show "Maid" in 2021.
She made her modeling debut at New York Fashion Week in 2011, at age 16, and the following year walked for Valentino and Chanel in Paris Fashion Week. She made her acting debut in 2013, appearing in Gia Coppola's "Palo Alto."
Maya Rudolph
The SNL comedian and actor is the daughter of musicians Minnie Riperton and Richard Rudolph.
Her mother's biggest hit, the 1974 "Lovin' You," was written for Maya by her parents as a nighttime lullaby.
Dan Levy
The "Schitt's Creek" star, writer, and producer is the son of Canadian actor and comedian Eugene Levy, who co-starred and executive-produced the show alongside his son.
Zooey and Emily Deschanel
The sisters are the daughters of cinematographer Caleb Deschanel, who worked on "National Treasure" and "The Passion of the Christ," and TV actor Mary Jo Deschanel.
Mia Farrow
The "Rosemary's Baby" actor is the child of Academy Award-winning film director John Farrow and Irish actor Maureen O'Sullivan, who played Jane Parker in the "Tarzan" films.
Michael Douglas
The Academy Award-winning "Wall Street" actor is the son of actor and filmmaker Kirk Douglas, who appeared in over 90 films throughout his career, and actor Diana Douglas.
Tracee Ellis Ross
Daughter to the legendary singer Diana Ross and her then-husband, music executive Robert Ellis Silberstein, Tracee Ellis Ross grew up in an artistic sphere — she was even photographed by Andy Warhol during her childhood.
Drew Barrymore
When Drew Barrymore shot to fame, aged 7, for "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial," she was the youngest of a long line of performers — the Barrymore family has its acting roots in mid-19th-century London. Her father, John Drew Barrymore, starred in many films in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s.
But growing up in the spotlight was not easy, and Drew Barrymore has spoken of the challenges of stardom at a young age.
Jack Quaid
Better known for his role in "The Boys," Jack Quaid is the son of "When Harry Met Sally" star Meg Ryan and "The Parent Trap" actor Dennis Quaid.
"Jack is really talented," Meg Ryan told Glamour in 2023. "He's more of a natural than I'll ever be … That nepo stuff is so dismissive of his work ethic, his gifts, and how sensitive he is to the idea of his privilege."
Following her comments, Quaid told The Daily Beast of the "nepo baby" label, "I don't think it undermines my talent. I know that I work hard, and I know I've heard 'no' way more than I've heard 'yes.' But I also know that this industry is insanely hard to break into, and I had an easier time doing that than most. Both things can be true."
Bryce Dallas Howard
The "Jurassic World" actor is the eldest child of legendary Hollywood director and Oscar winner Ron Howard and writer Cheryl Howard.
Jamie Lee Curtis
The scream queen is the daughter of "Psycho" star Janet Leigh and actor Tony Curtis, who appeared in more than 100 films.
In a 2022 Instagram post, Jamie Lee Curtis criticized the nepo baby discourse.
"The current conversation about nepo babies is just designed to try to diminish and denigrate and hurt," Curtis wrote. "There's not a day in my professional life that goes by without my being reminded that I am the daughter of movie stars."
Ben Stiller
The "Zoolander" star and comedian was born in 1965 to actor Anne Meara and comedian Jerry Stiller, who made up the comedy duo Stiller and Meara in the 1960s and 1970s.
