Underrated Nepo Babies Actors

The phrase “nepo baby” has become shorthand for performers with family ties in show business. It doesn’t describe talent or outcomes by itself; it just identifies a connection—often a parent or close relative—inside the industry. Publications have mapped out these family trees, showing how background and access shape career starts without determining the work that follows.

Here’s a sourced, verifiable list of male actors with documented industry parentage and substantive credits across film and television. Each entry notes the family link and selected roles you can confirm via reputable databases, studio/network pages, or major outlets.

Lewis Pullman

Lewis Pullman is the son of actor Bill Pullman. His screen work includes ‘The Ballad of Lefty Brown’, ‘Bad Times at the El Royale’, and ‘Top Gun: Maverick’, along with key TV roles in ‘Catch-22’, ‘Outer Range’, and ‘Lessons in Chemistry’.

On ‘Outer Range’, Pullman plays Rhett Abbott, and in ‘Lessons in Chemistry’ he stars opposite Brie Larson; both credits are documented by Amazon’s and Apple TV+’s show materials and entertainment press coverage.

Jack Quaid

Jack Quaid is the son of Dennis Quaid and Meg Ryan. His credits span ‘The Boys’, ‘Oppenheimer’, and voice leads in ‘Star Trek: Lower Decks’ and ‘My Adventures with Superman’.

Biographical profiles confirm his family background and career path from ‘The Hunger Games’ to recent lead roles in feature films.

Wyatt Russell

Wyatt Russell is the son of Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn. His roles include ‘Lodge 49’, ‘Overlord’, and John Walker in ‘The Falcon and the Winter Soldier’, as well as ‘Monarch: Legacy of Monsters’.

Apple’s MonsterVerse series cast Kurt and Wyatt Russell as the same character—Lee Shaw—in different timelines, a production choice noted by major outlets and network sites.

John David Washington

John David Washington is the son of Denzel Washington and Pauletta Washington. He starred in ‘Ballers’ and headlined features including ‘BlacKkKlansman’, ‘Tenet’, and ‘The Creator’.

He made his Broadway debut in August Wilson’s ‘The Piano Lesson’ and appears in the screen adaptation, with trade coverage detailing the stage-to-film transition.

Michael Gandolfini

Michael Gandolfini is the son of the late James Gandolfini. His filmography includes ‘Ocean’s 8’ and ‘The Many Saints of Newark’, where he portrayed a younger Tony Soprano.

He is part of Marvel’s ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ ensemble, with casting and role details reported by Entertainment Weekly and other trades.

Louis Ashbourne Serkis

Louis Ashbourne Serkis is the son of Andy Serkis and Lorraine Ashbourne. He headlined ‘The Kid Who Would Be King’ and appears in TV titles that include ‘Taboo’, ‘SS-GB’, and ‘The Queen’s Gambit’.

His credits also cover voice and motion-capture work—reflecting his family’s performance background—with role listings confirmed in reliable databases.

Patrick Schwarzenegger

Patrick Schwarzenegger is the son of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver. Recent TV work includes ‘Gen V’ and ‘The Staircase’, and he joined the Season 3 cast of ‘The White Lotus’.

Profiles and news coverage document his ongoing television roles and family ties, with updates on series involvement and premieres.

Max Irons

Max Irons is the son of Jeremy Irons and Sinéad Cusack. His screen credits include ‘The White Queen’, ‘The Host’, ‘Woman in Gold’, and the series ‘Condor’.

His training at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and subsequent UK-US work are summarized in biographies and filmographies.

Rafe Spall

Rafe Spall is the son of Timothy Spall. He stars in Apple TV+’s ‘Trying’ and has appeared in films such as ‘The Big Short’ and ‘Prometheus’.

Industry interviews and network features confirm his lead role in ‘Trying’ and outline other notable series appearances.

Jason Ritter

Jason Ritter is the son of John Ritter and Nancy Morgan. His TV work includes ‘Parenthood’, ‘Gravity Falls’, and ‘Raising Dion’.

Reference pages document his family lineage across multiple generations of performers and detail his television credits and nomination history.

Scott Eastwood

Scott Eastwood is the son of Clint Eastwood and Jacelyn Reeves. His films include ‘Fury’, ‘Suicide Squad’, ‘The Fate of the Furious’, and ‘Pacific Rim Uprising’.

Biographical and outlet pages confirm his early appearances in his father’s projects and subsequent roles in studio action franchises.

O’Shea Jackson Jr.

O’Shea Jackson Jr. is the son of O’Shea Jackson Sr. (Ice Cube). He portrayed his father in ‘Straight Outta Compton’ and has credits in ‘Ingrid Goes West’, ‘Den of Thieves’, ‘Long Shot’, and ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’.

Reputable filmographies and interviews track his transition into additional film and TV roles across comedy, action, and franchise television.

Milo Gibson

Milo Gibson is the son of Mel Gibson. His credits include ‘Hacksaw Ridge’, ‘Gangster Land’, ‘All the Devil’s Men’, and ‘Breaking & Exiting’.

Biographies note that he worked as an electrician before acting and list subsequent feature roles documented by major databases.

Rory Culkin

Rory Culkin is the son of Kit Culkin and the brother of Macaulay and Kieran Culkin. His work spans ‘You Can Count on Me’, ‘Signs’, ‘Scream 4’, and ‘Columbus’, with TV credits including ‘Under the Banner of Heaven’.

Official network and reference pages confirm his roles in recent limited series and earlier independent features.

Hopper Penn

Hopper Penn is the son of Sean Penn and Robin Wright. His films include ‘War Machine’, ‘Signs of Love’, and ‘Devil’s Peak’.

Entertainment outlets and filmographies document his collaborations with family members on projects like ‘Flag Day’ and ‘Devil’s Peak’.

Tell us which overlooked nepo-baby actors you’d add to this list in the comments!