“Nepo Babies” Actors Who Made Fun of Their Parents
Some famous kids don’t shy away from the joke—they write it. Across award shows, talk-show couches, and even ‘SNL’ sketches, plenty of second-generation actors have ribbed their equally famous parents in good fun. The gags usually land because they’re specific, affectionate, and well-documented on camera.
Below is a sourced, verifiable roundup of actors who publicly poked fun at Mom or Dad. Every entry links to clips or coverage of the moment so you can see (or read) exactly how they did it.
Zoë Kravitz
At Lenny Kravitz’s Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony in March 2024, Zoë delivered a cheeky roast about her dad’s legendary see-through tops: “According to my dad, if it doesn’t expose your nipples, it’s not a shirt,” and “Your relationship with the netted shirt is probably your longest one.” Multiple outlets captured the lines and the context of her affectionate roast.
Lenny later said on ‘The Tonight Show’ that Zoë’s teasing was “quite appropriate,” underscoring that the ribbing was all in fun and reflected their rapport. Coverage of the ceremony and his reaction confirm the remarks and the public setting.
Dakota Johnson
Hosting ‘Saturday Night Live’ on January 27, 2024, Johnson leaned into her lineage during a viral Please Don’t Destroy “Roast” sketch, where they call a “nepo truce” and trade barbs that specifically reference having famous parents. NBC, Deadline and TheWrap recap the segment and its premise.
It wasn’t her first parent-centric bit on the show: back in 2015, Don Johnson and Melanie Griffith popped up during her monologue, playing into the family dynamic on live TV. People’s write-up documents the cameo.
Ben Stiller
Years before ‘Zoolander’ or ‘Severance,’ Ben Stiller literally roasted his father. He took part in the Friars Club Roast of Jerry Stiller in 1999, joining comedians in good-naturedly skewering his dad’s persona and career—coverage and footage of the roast are widely available.
The Friars format is built on affectionate jabs; Stiller’s participation is part of a long record of him publicly joking about his parents, the comic duo Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara. Contemporary listings and clips corroborate the event and his set.
Jack Quaid
Quaid has joked about growing up with movie-star parents—Dennis Quaid and Meg Ryan—including a story he tells about hearing ‘Great Balls of Fire!’ at inopportune times because of his dad’s role as Jerry Lee Lewis. Entertainment Weekly recaps the anecdote as he laughs about the family connection.
In additional interviews, he’s used these kinds of stories to lighten questions about nepotism and to place his parents’ fame in a humorous, lived-in context. That pattern shows up across profiles and appearances.
O’Shea Jackson Jr.
Jackson Jr. regularly jokes about being Ice Cube’s son—onstage and online. A representative example: he posted a tongue-in-cheek “nepo baby” thread and often riffs about “growing up with Cube” in interviews; hip-hop outlets have aggregated those bits, framing them as self-aware humor at Dad’s expense.
That playful tone also surfaced around his Big3 appearances and promo, where he teases Cube’s persona while still crediting him—coverage highlights the back-and-forth as part of their public dynamic.
Tracee Ellis Ross
On ‘Conan,’ Ross told funny, specific stories about Diana Ross being an extremely glamorous mom, turning maternal moments into punchlines (and occasionally embarrassing anecdotes). Team Coco’s clip library and recaps capture the segment and the on-air jokes.
Ross has repeated those glammed-up-mom tales across interviews, using humor to frame what it was like having Diana Ross pick her up from school in full star mode—again, documented in late-night segments and write-ups.
Lily Collins
On ‘Watch What Happens Live,’ Collins joked that some Genesis tunes felt like invented melodies from her childhood—only to realize at a concert that they were real songs her dad, Phil Collins, actually performed. People and Uproxx cover the quip and its “famous-dad” punch line.
She’s also told lighthearted stories about growing up around Phil’s icon status—talk-show appearances and profiles compile those bits and confirm the playful tone when she brings up her father.
Ireland Baldwin
At the 2019 Comedy Central Roast of Alec Baldwin, Ireland took the dais to “grill” her dad with prepared jokes, including references to the infamous voicemail. People’s report and Comedy Central’s official clips verify the set.
She’s kept the bit alive elsewhere—this year gifting Alec a pig-shaped grill as a winking callback to that voicemail, which People documented. Her social videos have similar “my dad is Alec Baldwin” humor.
Scott Eastwood
Eastwood has repeatedly impersonated and joked about his dad, Clint Eastwood, on talk shows—right down to the voice and squint. Check his ‘Kimmel’ and other late-night spots for those gentle digs; the show pages and clips summarize the bit.
He also tells stories that poke fun at “growing up with Clint,” which are archived across official channels and transcripts, placing the humor (and the target) squarely on Dad.
Patrick Schwarzenegger
Patrick has good-naturedly ribbed Arnold Schwarzenegger’s quirks—like not using a cell phone—and mimicked elements of his persona on ‘Kimmel,’ which ABC and the show’s channels recap. The segments are about Dad’s habits as much as Patrick’s projects.
He’s also told family stories that hinge on Arnold’s iconic lines and disciplinarian streak, delivered with a wink on talk shows and in short clips.
Maude Apatow
Judd Apatow has long said his daughters roast him at home—and in public. He told Family Circle (via Page Six) that Maude and Iris routinely tell him his jokes aren’t funny, a running bit he’s repeated on late-night shows—coverage records the quotes verbatim.
Maude’s own late-night appearances often include playful jabs at her parents, including the “Dad gave the show my embarrassing footage” gag on ‘Fallon,’ which the show promoted with receipts.
Maya Hawke
Asked about the “nepo baby” label, Hawke has cracked jokes while acknowledging her parents—Uma Thurman and Ethan Hawke—calling it “a lucky place to be.” People and The Times interview coverage capture her self-deprecating lines about the family business.
Press for ‘Wildcat’ (which Ethan directed and Maya stars in) also shows them joking about the “nepo dad” setup on camera, mixing candor with humor about working together. Entertainment Weekly’s report reflects those moments.
Colin Hanks
Colin often turns Tom Hanks’ mega-fame into a bit—doing quick riffs about “realizing Dad was famous” and even joking on air about mistaken-identity gags. The Dan Patrick Show and other program clips document those laughs.
He’s kept the jokes rolling in short segments and Q&As that hinge on “having Tom Hanks for a dad,” a recurring late-night and podcast premise with plenty of receipts.
Wyatt Russell
Russell has leaned into “nepo baby” questions with humor and has even joked on ‘Kimmel’ about his mom Goldie Hawn’s famous UFO story—defending her while quipping about it. Entertainment Weekly’s recap quotes his playful spin.
Interviews around his projects frequently include wry asides about following Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell into the business, which he treats with a shrug and a smile in coverage.
Zoey Deutch
Deutch has swapped affectionate jabs with her mom, ‘Back to the Future’ star Lea Thompson, in joint interviews and press—turning family memories into punchlines. Entertainment sites have covered their mother-daughter banter on stage and in Q&As.
People’s features on Deutch’s stage work also reference those shared stories about growing up around Mom’s productions, which they recount with humor in interviews.
Share your favorite parent-roast moment (or one we missed) in the comments!
