Euphoria fans have recently discovered who Maude Apatow’s parents are, and were shocked to find out she is a child of nepotism…but so what?
Last week Twitter user MeriemIsTired wrote, “wait I just found out that the actress that plays Lexie is a nepotism baby omg her mom is Leslie Mann and her dad is a movie director lol,” This tweet blew up and caused #nepotismbaby garnering almost 10 million views on TikTok. This has left many viewers wondering what nepotism is and if Maude Apatow’s acting career is a product of it.
What is Nepotism?
According to Glamor Magazine the term ‘nepotism baby’ or its shortened version “nepo baby” are the children of celebrities who are following in the (well-trodden) footsteps of their parents and pursuing careers in the spotlight.
The idea of nepotism babies is controversial, as explained in Glamor Magazine, “There’s a clear divide: the nepo babies getting it right, who are talented and therefore more palatable, and the ones getting it wrong, making their privilege clear and uncomfortable to watch. Audiences will forgive the fact you didn’t have to work very hard to get cast in a billion-dollar movie production so long as you can act. Fashion lovers won’t troll you for modeling and becoming the face of a massive brand on your sixteenth birthday, if you do it well and with some pizazz ( a la the Hadid sisters). Your music will get streamed, and even go viral like Willow Smith’s, if it is a banger.” For the part, it is understood that nepotism is impossible to avoid, however, it is not a bad thing as long as you genuinely have a talent. Some of the biggest Hollywood Icons are nepotism babies, Jaden and Willow Smith, Lily Rose Depp, Angelina Jolie, Emma Roberts, Jake Gyllenhaal, Kate Hudson, Timothée Chalamet, Dakota Johnson, Lily Collins, Kristen Stewart, Blake Lively, Kiera Knightley, Chris Pine, and Jennifer Anniston, to name a few. All of these celebrities may have gotten their start due to the fame of their parents, however, they have all established a name for themselves using their own talent.
Who is Maude Apatow?
Maude Apatow, who most recently has starred as Lexi Howard in Euphoria, is the daughter of famous director Judd Apatow and actress Leslie Mann. Her father, Judd Apatow, has directed comedy classics such as Knocked up, The Forty-Year Old Virgin, Superbad, King of Staten Island, and Bridesmaids. Her mother Leslie Mann has starred in countless films with some of the most famous being The Cable Guy, Big Daddy, Knocked Up, 17 Again, How To Be Single and This is Forty.
Maude started her acting career in 2007 when she starred in Knocked Up, which was directed by her father and cast by both Maude and her mother Leslie. Maude’s character was Leslie’s daughter in the movie. It would be a lie to say that Maude has not greatly benefitted from her parent’s success, however, it would be wrong to say that Maude Apatow has not worked hard to create a name for herself and has proved her acting abilities. In her latest show, Euphoria, Maude plays an extremely dynamic character, and she executes this role flawlessly, only further demonstrating her true acting talent.
Although Maude and her parents may be famous Hollywood stars, clips of her freaking out after meeting One Direction have proved she’s more relatable to than any of us ever thought. During Maude Apatow’s appearance on Jimmy Fallon she highlights being asked to interview One Direction when she was 14 as well as a clip of her reaction: freaking out much like any true Directioner would have done.
Overall, Maude Apatow is a nepotism baby and her parents’ fame has gotten her places in the past, however, her acting skills are all her own and they alone will take her to great places.