Underrated Nepo Babies Actresses
The “nepo baby” conversation has become a pop-culture fixture, shorthand for children of entertainment insiders who build their own careers in the same industry. New York Magazine’s cover package helped crystallize the term’s mainstream rise, and the label continues to spark debates about access, opportunity, and merit.
Below is a factual, verifiable look at 15 actresses with family ties in entertainment—who their relatives are, how they entered the business, and the projects and milestones that mark their careers. Where helpful, you’ll also see context about awards, notable collaborations, and other concrete career details.
Maya Hawke
Maya Hawke is the daughter of actors Uma Thurman and Ethan Hawke. Born in New York City, she studied at Juilliard and first gained notice playing Jo March in a BBC adaptation before breaking out on Netflix. Her parents met on the set of ‘Gattaca’, and she has discussed seeking guidance from both as her career developed.
On screen, Hawke is widely known for ‘Stranger Things’ and has appeared in films such as ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’ and ‘Asteroid City’. She has also worked alongside her mother in ‘The Kill Room’, and continues to balance film, television, and music releases.
Maude Apatow
Maude Apatow is the elder daughter of filmmaker Judd Apatow and actress Leslie Mann. She began appearing as a child in her father’s projects—often playing the daughter of her real-life mother—before moving into more varied work as an adult.
Her television profile rose significantly with ‘Euphoria’, and her film credits include ‘Assassination Nation’ and ‘The King of Staten Island’. Early roles in ‘Knocked Up’, ‘Funny People’, and ‘This Is 40’ illustrate her start within a family filmmaking environment that later broadened into collaborations with other directors.
Margaret Qualley
Margaret Qualley is the daughter of actress Andie MacDowell and former model Paul Qualley. Raised between Montana and North Carolina, she trained as a ballet dancer before transitioning to acting, first gaining attention on HBO.
Qualley’s work spans ‘The Leftovers’, ‘Fosse/Verdon’, and the Netflix miniseries ‘Maid’, along with films including ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’ and ‘Kinds of Kindness’. She has received multiple major-award nominations for television performances while continuing to appear in auteur-driven features.
Riley Keough
Riley Keough is the daughter of singer-songwriter Lisa Marie Presley and musician Danny Keough, and the granddaughter of Elvis and Priscilla Presley. She started as a model before moving into independent films and studio features.
Her credits include ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’, ‘The Girlfriend Experience’, and the lead role in ‘Daisy Jones & The Six’. She has spoken about navigating her family legacy while developing her own projects in film and television.
Zoë Kravitz
Zoë Kravitz is the daughter of musician Lenny Kravitz and actress Lisa Bonet. She grew up between her parents’ homes and began acting after a year at SUNY Purchase’s acting conservatory.
Kravitz’s screen work ranges from ‘Big Little Lies’ to portraying Selina Kyle/Catwoman in ‘The Batman’. Her filmography also includes early roles like ‘No Reservations’, and she has balanced acting with music and producing.
Dakota Johnson
Dakota Johnson is the daughter of actors Don Johnson and Melanie Griffith and the granddaughter of Tippi Hedren. She made her screen debut alongside her mother in a film directed by then-stepfather Antonio Banderas before moving into independent and studio projects.
Johnson’s career includes the ‘Fifty Shades’ trilogy and acclaimed turns in titles like ‘The Social Network’ and ‘Cha Cha Real Smooth’. She continues to alternate between comedies and dramas while maintaining collaborations across both indie and mainstream productions.
Lily Collins
Lily Collins is the daughter of musician Phil Collins and Jill Tavelman. Born in Surrey and raised in Los Angeles, she appeared on television as a child and later pursued acting and modeling in the late 2000s.
Her credits span ‘The Blind Side’, ‘To the Bone’, and the Netflix series ‘Emily in Paris’. Collins has discussed her family background in interviews while emphasizing the distinct path she has taken through fashion, television, and film work.
Eve Hewson
Eve Hewson is the daughter of U2’s Bono and activist Ali Hewson. She studied at NYU and began landing roles in European and U.S. productions, moving between film and prestige television.
Hewson’s notable work includes ‘The Knick’, ‘Bad Sisters’, and the film ‘Flora and Son’. She has discussed growing up in a creative household and the realities of building an acting career outside of music, including recent leading roles for streamers.
Mamie Gummer
Mamie Gummer is the daughter of actress Meryl Streep and sculptor Don Gummer. Raised largely outside the spotlight, she later studied at Northwestern University before working steadily on stage and screen.
On television she recurred on ‘The Good Wife’ and ‘The Good Fight’, and on film she appeared with her mother in ‘Ricki and the Flash’. Her stage resume includes a Drama Desk nomination for ‘Ugly Lies the Bone’.
Tracee Ellis Ross
Tracee Ellis Ross is the daughter of singer and actress Diana Ross and music executive Robert Ellis Silberstein. She started in independent projects and hosting before leading long-running television comedies.
Ross starred as Joan Clayton in ‘Girlfriends’ and later led ‘Black-ish’, earning major television awards. She is also the founder and CEO of hair-care company Pattern Beauty, reflecting an expansion from acting into entrepreneurship focused on textured-hair communities.
Bryce Dallas Howard
Bryce Dallas Howard is the daughter of filmmaker Ron Howard and writer Cheryl Howard, and the granddaughter of actors Rance Howard and Jean Speegle Howard. She studied at NYU Tisch and drew early attention from directors like M. Night Shyamalan.
Her screen work includes the ‘Jurassic World’ series, an acclaimed ‘Black Mirror’ episode, and directing credits in television. Howard has spoken publicly about working with and learning from her father while building her own acting and directing portfolio.
Laura Dern
Laura Dern is the daughter of actors Bruce Dern and Diane Ladd. Beginning with small appearances, including alongside her mother, she established a career that spans studio features and auteur cinema.
Dern’s roles include ‘Blue Velvet’, ‘Jurassic Park’, and ‘Big Little Lies’, and she won an Academy Award for ‘Marriage Story’, thanking her parents in her acceptance. Her family has a multi-generational connection to film and public service.
Zoey Deutch
Zoey Deutch is the daughter of actress-director Lea Thompson and director Howard Deutch. Raised in Los Angeles, she began acting as a child and trained at specialized arts schools before moving into television and film.
Deutch’s credits include ‘Set It Up’, ‘Before I Fall’, ‘Buffaloed’, and the series ‘The Politician’. Interviews and profiles frequently note her family’s filmmaking background alongside her work with a range of contemporary directors.
Lily-Rose Depp
Lily-Rose Depp is the daughter of actor Johnny Depp and singer-actress Vanessa Paradis. Born in France and raised between Paris and Los Angeles, she began acting in film and modeling in her teens.
Her projects include ‘The King’, ‘Voyagers’, and HBO’s ‘The Idol’, and she has recorded music associated with her television work. Her family background and bilingual career have positioned her in both European and American productions.
Jamie Lee Curtis
Jamie Lee Curtis is the daughter of actors Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh. She entered film not long after high school and became widely associated with genre work before expanding into comedy and drama.
Curtis’s credits range from ‘Halloween’ and ‘True Lies’ to ‘Knives Out’, and she won an Academy Award for ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’, acknowledging her parents’ legacies in her speeches. Her career includes decades of screen roles and published writing alongside advocacy work.
Share your picks and perspectives in the comments—who else belongs on this kind of list, and which roles would you add for each name?
