Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

The Last of Us star Nico Parker joins ‘nepo baby’ discourse

‘It’s so important to know how many people would dream of being in that room,’ young actor acknowledged

Inga Parkel
Thursday 02 February 2023 17:52 GMT
Comments
The Last of Us trailer

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

The Last of Us star Nico Parker has weighed in on the “nepo baby” discourse.

A debate about the children of celebrities and their privilege erupted after Vulture released an exhaustive guide to the Hollywood “nepo-verse”.

Now, in a new interview with The Cut, Parker, the daughter of actor Thandie Newton and Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again director Ol Parker is the latest to join the conversation.

While the 18-year-old British actor said she sympathises with those who feel the argument “minimises” their achievements, she added: “But I think it’s incredibly important to recognise that with your parents being prevalent in the industry, it’s way easier to get in the room.

“It’s so important to know how many people would dream of being in that room, and how lucky you are to be there,” she acknowledged.

“Especially when you start, your parents know people, and you’ve known people since you were small, and they want to give you a chance because they like you. That is a reflection of your parents.”

Parker, who made her on-screen debut in Tim Burton’s 2019 film Dumbo, currently features in HBO’s apocalyptic drama as Sarah, the lead protagonist Joel’s (Pedro Pascal) daughter.

Ol Parker, Nico Parker and Thandie Newton
Ol Parker, Nico Parker and Thandie Newton (Getty Images)

Following her appearance, numerous The Last of Us viewers were shocked to discover Parker was the youngest daughter of Newton and Ol, who also share daughter Ripley, 22.

Other celebrity children to share the same gratitude as Parker include Ice Cube’s son O’Shea Jackson.

Meanwhile, a few, like Zoë Kravitz and Madonna’s daughter Lourdes Leon have defended their status as “nepo babies”.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in