The “nepo baby” discussion has been raging in Hollywood for a few months now. Celebrities and entertainment buffs alike have been debating how some have been positively impacted due to their relationships with established stars. Celebrity kids have been at the forefront of the discussion, and a number of them have weighed in with thoughts. One of the latest to do so is Hopper Penn, the son of actors Sean Penn and Robin Wright. When asked to weigh in on the argument, the up-and-coming star shared a blunt comment.
Hopper Penn has been steadily building up acting credits over the past several years via television shows and short films. His latest project is the drama film Devil’s Peak, in which he stars alongside his famous mother. The two recently participated in a joint interview, during which Penn was asked for his thoughts on the concept of a nepo baby. The 29-year-old actor didn’t hold back when sharing his thoughts, declaring that he doesn’t “give a shit” if people see him as one. That’s because in his estimation, he doesn’t fit the bill. He also recalled the first time that he became aware of the highly discussed topic:
I don't give a shit about that, because I'm not one. It came up when we were shooting. Destry had shown me an article calling it a 'nepotism film' and I just laughed about it. I was like, 'They're just pissed that they're not in the movie!' And then Ben Stiller backed us up, and he also comes from an actor family. So I really don't care — I'm never going to see those people.
Tell us how you really feel about it. The comments that the Signs of Love alum share with Yahoo! Entertainment indicate that he’s over the conversation. Also, he seems to be even less fazed due to the fact that his detractors are people that he doesn’t know and likely won’t ever meet. His logic here is sure to be divisive amongst the public as has been the case with other celebrities who’ve weighed in thus far.
Last year, Johnny Depp’s daughter, Lily-Rose Depp claimed that she isn’t a nepo baby and, as a result, she got slammed by Italian model Diet Prada. Lily Collins defended her success as well, as she recalled the failed castings and other challenges that she’s come up against over the years. Meanwhile “OG nepo baby” Jamie Lee Curtis called the discourse hurtful while addressing her privilege and stating that she’s worked hard for what she has. Tom Hanks, who recently cast his son in A Man Called Otto, further argued that the entertainment industry is a “family business.”
Meanwhile, M3GAN’s Allison Williams straight-up admitted to being a nepo baby, fully acknowledging that she has advantages that many others in the industry don’t. Kaia Gerber, Cindy Crawford’s daughter, also had an honest take, as she didn’t deny her privilege and spoke about being grateful for the resources she’s had access to. Actress and producer Michaela Coel also called out nepo babies who don’t take their positions into consideration, though she admitted that her thoughts could change if she has kids and they choose to enter the business at some point.
This is a nuanced conversation, to say the least, and more stars are sure to chime in as time goes on. I wouldn’t expect to hear much more from Hopper Penn on the matter, though, considering his blunt thoughts. Then again, there’s always a chance that he’ll re-evaluate the discussion and provided further comment at a later time.
You can see Hopper Penn and Robin Wright in Devil’s Peak, which is now available via VOD.
