Bryce Dallas Howard is a self-described “third-generation actor and director,” which technically makes her a second-generation nepo baby. Her dad, Ron Howard, is a wildly talented actor and filmmaker and that her uncle, Clint Howard, is also a successful actor. Well, her grandparents were also well-known actors with long careers and her mother, Cheryl Howard, is an actress and novelist. Oh, and her godfather is Henry Winkler. Basically, Bryce comes from a long line of industry success stories. And of course, Bryce herself has had a lot of success, as both an actress and director.
Thankfully, despite her pedigree, Bryce has stayed grounded. She knows what’s what. During a recent guest spot on Josh Horowitz’s Happy Sad Confused podcast, Bryce not only acknowledged her own privilege, but she pointed out that her father was fortunate enough to get a leg up in Hollywood because of his own parents. She didn’t try to justify anything or dismiss it. Instead, she fully owned how “very, very lucky” she’s been.
“I think it’s important to just say this: I’m a third-generation actor and director. My dad was incredibly privileged, my dad and uncle, to be raised in a household with parents who worked in the industry.
I, in turn, have been enormously privileged to be raised in a home where my dad is doing the work that he’s doing,” Bryce went on. “My mom is also a novelist and is absolutely incredible. And so, it’s a joy to get to do the stuff that we do, but also it’s a very rare thing.
I talk about all these things in ways that are very… It’s very fun, but I just want to acknowledge for a moment that this is a very unique way to be raised and I’ve been very, very lucky. I’ve tried my hardest to put everything that I’ve learned into my work.”
It is so refreshing to hear how self-aware she is. I’d expect nothing less from Ron Howard’s daughter! It reminds me of how Jack Quaid acknowledged his privilege after his mom, Meg Ryan, got all overprotective of the “nepo baby” moniker. I find the whole nepotism debate to be so annoying. I don’t know why it’s so difficult for some celebrities to just admit that as second- or third-generation actors/musicians/designers, they have a leg up that many of their peers do not. (Looking at you, Dakota Johnson and Patrick Schwarzenegger.)
I truly don’t get why some people’s psyche or egos cannot connect that being a nepo baby doesn’t mean you didn’t work hard or aren’t talented. It just means you had the privilege of opportunities that others did not. I think a good comparison is finding an advantage that lets you sit out of the first part of Survivor challenge that lets you automatically skip ahead to the final portion of the competition. No one is saying that you’re being handed individual immunity. They’re just saying that you skipped some of the earlier stages and didn’t have to start fighting until round two or three. So in short, in a world full of Ben Platts, be a Bryce Dallas Howard. Thank you for coming to my TED Talk.
photos credit: Roger Wong/INSTARimages, Jeffrey Mayer/Avalon, jpistudios.com/JPI Studios/Avalon and via Instagram
At least she’s grown out of that phase of “Don’t you know who I am? My father is Ron Howard” type of thing. In her late teens/early 20s she had a bit of a reputation of being bratty and disdainful to others. Like Emmy Rossum – who never capitalised on her starring role as Christine in the Phantom because she was difficult to work with.
What did she do to her face?
I don’t hear the term nepo baby being used benignly, it’s almost always used in a nasty dismissive way. If some people resent that I don’t blame them.
In that case you’re clueless about nepo privilege. Of course it’s not benign, their inherent privilege is not benign. You’re either clueless, or a troll of some sort. Celebrity privilege is unique and no one should be arguing about it. So many zero talents claiming they have no privileges. Please. They need to stfu
And you just made my point for me. Thank you.
It happens in every industry. It’s just more visible in entertainment.
I heard someone on a podcast give this comparison. ‘If you want to run a private bank the best way to go about it is to be born into a family that already runs a private bank.’
This exactly. I’m the only one in my family who didn’t go into education. Many children of cops, doctors, lawyers, etc follow in their parents footsteps. I agree it’s more visible in entertainment, but there’s also a jealousy factor too, as being an actor or musician is usually seen as a dream job.
I like Bryce a lot, she acknowledges her privilege, but she’s also talented and worked to use that privilege and build a career.
Really good response from her. We should start a tag for “good nepo baby responses.”
And honestly for most nepo babies, once their talent is established, that phrase isn’t really used anymore. Bryce IS a nepo baby but I think she has absolutely established herself as more than “Ron Howard’s daughter.” its a part of the conversation but not the whole focus. Dakota Johnson is still a nepo baby because her talent just isn’t there otherwise (in my opinion.)
thats why younger generations forget that some people ARE nepo babies – because their career is a lot more than that – Jamie Lee Curtis, Carrie Fisher, Mariska Hargitay. Their famous parents are mentioned but aren’t the focus.
There are nepo babies in every industry – its a lot easier to be successful as a lawyer or doctor if you’re moving into a well established practice that your parents started 30 years ago – and it is always annoying when those people dont acknowledge their privilege. But actors/models are more famous and more visible so their privilege is more obvious.
every industry and profession has multiple generations serving and working in the field from police and firefighters to lawyers, bankers, teachers, farmers, plumbers. I don’t get the obsession with multiple generations serving in entertainment and more public facing fields and the need to shame denigrate for doing what they want. Also, what is so bad about using family connections or some other relations to get ahead? The best opportunities are usually found through a relationship ie who you know. Just about every job I have had I have networked my way versus answering an ad.
Its not at all about shaming or denigrating someone for doing what they want. its when these actors/celebs act like their journey was the same as someone just starting out with zero connections. It’s not.
It’s possible for these people to acknowledge their privilege and the big step up it gave them without having it diminish their entire career.
As it happens, teachers, doctors, plumbers wouldn´t deny having received the benefits of a family entrepreneurship that allowed them to learn faster or to earn a living through seamless oportunities. The phrase ´it´s the family business´ just encapsulates that. But actors need to believe they would have succeeded even if directors and producers auditioning them were not their neighbourhood pals or their pals´ relatives who all met at same schools, holiday spots and birthday parties. Zoe Kravitz put it right ´I had an agent the minute I decided to get into acting bc of my name´. No one is saying there´s no talent or desire to put in the hard work, but the same can be told for countless aspiring youth who dont share memories with the suits or lack influential names. It´s the difference between pounding a door and having a key to the door.
Good god, these people. I’m so sick of celebrities I could scream.
“Lucky”.
All these people do is prove that anyone from anywhere can be turned into a Hollywood ‘success’ story.