From The White Lotus to The Pitt, Nepo Babies Are Proving Their Worth
Once upon a time, the phrase “nepo baby” was seen as derogatory.
Coined by combining the words “nepotism” and “baby,” it means the subject is a child of influential people in an industry and has (allegedly) benefited from these connections.
Nepo babies who wanted to go into the same field as their parents would go to great lengths to hide their privilege. Some would even change their names to avoid outing themselves.
The name is still not a term of endearment to some extent, but a current crop of nepo babies is challenging this stigma.
The actors in this list have proven that being the child of a talented performer should not be used as a metric to discount someone, and everyone should be judged by their work.
This list focuses on their work on television, but some have ventured beyond the medium and are killing it in music and film.
Fiona Dourif
The Pitt is high on the list of most people’s best shows of 2025 thanks to great performances from its huge cast. The show might also have the biggest list of nepo babies besides reality TV.
If Fiona Dourif’s name sounds familiar, she is the daughter of legendary actor Brad Dourif.
Her father gained prominence after starring in the Chucky film series and reprised the role in the 2018 TV series.
Dourif plays Doctor Cassie McKay in the Max drama series, and the role has proven that she is a powerful performer.
The actress has appeared on the small screen before, but some of her projects also featured her father, which might have led one to believe they resulted from nepotism.
While her father does appear on The Pitt, she is the star of that show.
Isa Briones
Also seen on The Pitt, Briones plays Doctor Santos.
Many might dislike Santos, but one can’t deny that Briones delivered a masterful performance as the annoying yet sharp student doctor.
The actress comes from a family of actors, with her father Jon Jon Briones gracing screens for decades. Her younger brother, Teo Briones, is also an actor and starred in Chucky Season 1.
Taylor Dearden
It might not be immediately apparent who Taylor Dearden is related to because she doesn’t use her famous parents’ last name.
Also appearing on The Pitt, Dearden plays the lovable Dr. King. The actress plays the autistic character with a soft yet confident touch; one can’t help but fall in love with Dr. King.
Dearden is the daughter of acting legend Bryan Cranston.
Her father has performed incredibly in shows like Malcolm in the Middle, Breaking Bad, and Your Honor.
Suffice it to say the apple doesn’t fall far.
Jack Quaid
Having famous parents like Meg Ryan and Dennis Quaid would make someone like Jack avoid acting.
Yet he has fully immersed himself in the craft and carved a path for himself.
Best known for playing Hughie on the Prime Video series The Boys, the actor has also starred in films and has gained wide acclaim in his latest film, Novocaine.
Quaid has proven himself a versatile actor who can win viewers over as the meek Hughie or the action aficionado Nathan.
Patrick Schwarzenegger
Few names are as recognizable as the Schwarzenegger name.
His multihyphenate father, Arnold Schwarzenegger, popularized the hard-to-write and risky-to-pronounce name.
One would think the name would kick doors open, but that was not Patrick’s experience in Hollywood.
While he’s been a constant presence on the small screen on shows like The Boys spin-off series Gen V and The Staircase, his breakout role was in the third season of The White Lotus, where he played Saxon Ratliff.
Patrick’s ability to embody his character made him a standout in a season full of strong performers.
Even for that singular post-incest crashout look, he deserves the awards.
Sam Nivola
The White Lotus Season 3 gave The Pitt a run for its money with nepo babies.
Sam Nivola starred alongside Patrick as Saxon’s younger brother, Lochlan.
The actor comes from a family of actors, with both his parents having been in the industry for a long time.
His mother is British actor Emily Mortimer, whose extensive filmography tells a huge story. Sam’s father is the American actor Alessandro Nivola.
He has mastered the art of playing innocent yet nefarious young men, and his performances keep audiences on their toes.
Lily-Rose Depp
Thanks to screen legend and heartthrob Johnny Depp, the Depp name is another popular name.
Lily-Rose, Depp’s daughter, began her career with minor film roles.
Her breakout role was in HBO’s The Idol, which allowed Lily-Rose to showcase her talents as an actress and singer despite its controversial reception.
The actress was recently seen in Nosferatu, where she was unsurprisingly lauded for her remarkable performance.
Riley Keough
Riley’s second name might not ring a bell, but she is the granddaughter of one of the world’s biggest stars.
Keough is Lisa Marie Presley’s daughter and Elvis Presley’s granddaughter.
The actress hit the ground running when she started her career, winning lead roles in movies and television.
She is capable of hitting emotional depths with her performances that many actors can not.
Her performances in recent shows, such as Daisy Jones & the Six and Under the Bridge, have won her major acclaim.
Zoë Kravitz
Born to musician Lenny Kravitz and actress Lisa Bonet, Zoe was immersed in art from a young age.
Unsurprisingly, she has tackled roles that combine both aspects of her upbringing.
From High Fidelity and Big Little Lies to The Batman, Zoe’s breadth of characters is a testament to her versatility as an actor.
Over to you, TV Fanatics.
Which nepo baby’s performance had you changing your thoughts about them?
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