Why “nepo babies” must own their privilege
Patrick Schwarzenegger, who’s starring in The White Lotus season 3, has pushed back against claims that having a famous father may have helped him get the role, in an interview with The Times, saying he’s spent years in acting classes and worked hard.
To be fair, he also said he wouldn’t trade his life and feels incredibly fortunate.
But his defensive response still misses the point.
The conversation around nepotism and privilege in Hollywood isn’t about whether actors with famous, influential parents work hard.
It’s about recognising that they don’t face the same barriers as everyone else.
Having privilege doesn’t mean your life is easy or free of obstacles. It means that because of your identity and background, specific obstacles hold others back that you don’t face.
No amount of acting classes or personal struggles can change the fact that Patrick Schwarzenegger’s name and background has given him access and connections that many talented, hardworking actors don’t get.
And this isn’t just about Hollywood - structures of privilege exist in every industry and every aspect of our society.
When we downplay the impact that privilege plays on success and life outcomes, and instead centre the conversation on how hard we’ve worked, we reinforce the myth of a level playing field, that’s used to uphold unjust systems.
We don’t all have the same experience, and the more we openly recognise that, the more we can build bridges of empathy between us and work toward solutions that create fairer outcomes for all.