Maya Hawke Acknowledges Nepotism Influenced Her Casting In Quentin Tarantino Movie

Summary After being cast in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Maya Hawke acknowledges the reality of nepotism in Hollywood, sparking a wider debate on the issue.

Many famous actors in Hollywood have ties to famous parents, raising questions about merit.

The "nepo-baby" movement aims to question the prominence of unknown voices in the movie industry.

Maya Hawke readily admits that her role in Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time in Hollywood was the result of nepotism. Hawke, who is set to star in Stranger Things season 5, is the daughter of Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman, who are both acclaimed actors. She has featured in multiple Tarantino movies, including Hollywood and Asteroid City, and is slowly beginning to enjoy a prominent career. She starred in Maestro and Little Women, and she is soon to feature in Inside Out 2.

In an interview with The Times of London, Hawke spoke out about the accusations that nepotism potentially sparked her career. During the interview, she admitted that it did play a serious role in her casting in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. She stated that she did audition for the movie, but Hawke believes that she received the role because of her relationship with Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman. She states that she never intended to insinuate otherwise. Check out her quote below:

“I’ve been wildly made fun of for this clip when I said, on the red carpet, that I auditioned. I never meant to imply that I didn’t get the part for nepotistic reasons — I think I totally did..."

Nepotism Is Becoming A Bigger Question In Hollywood

The Nepo-Baby Discussion Prompted Wider Investigations

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Sparked by a New Yorker article that criticized the prominence of nepotism in Hollywood, the "nepo-baby" movement questioned how many Hollywood stars were born into fame. With prominent figures, including Michael Douglas, Jane Fonda, Lily-Rose Depp, Dakota Johnson, Gwyneth Paltrow, Ben Platt, Bryce Dallas Howard, and Miley Cyrus all being the children of famous faces, the meritocratic elements of the movie industry appear non-existent. There are still actors who do thrive with humble origins, but the "nepo-baby" movement questioned whether nepotism is too common in Hollywood.

Related What A Nepo Baby Is (& Why Everyone's Talking About Them Now) The conversation around nepo babies is one of Hollywood's biggest controversies, currently. Nepotism is sure to have an impact on the industry.

Maya Hawke's admission that she was cast solely as a nod to her famous parents is not a surprise, given how many similar stories exist within Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. She starred alongside Rumer Willis and Lena Dunham, who both had famous parents. Of course, the movie is an intentional nod to Hollywood's progression as an industry, so including the children of major stars is a way to consider that history and its coming future. Considering that Hawke will star in the major upcoming movie Inside Out 2, Tarantino was right about its direction.

The idea that actors primarily come from the children of pre-existing famous parents questions whether Hollywood actually cares about merit. Many of these actors are talented, but their ties to celebrity parents make a prominent role much more achievable for them than for regular actors without famous parents. The "nebo-baby" concept is a means to tackle that question and to attempt to promote unknown voices in the movie industry. Hawke's recognition that her Once Upon a Time in Hollywood role was nepotistic is her way of reckoning with that question.

Source: The Times of London