“Not deserving and doing it anyway”: Maya Hawke and the inherent guilt of the “nepo baby”
In recent times, there has been a massive media storm any time the child of famous parents achieves even a moment of success. The career merits of Zoë Kravitz, Lily-Rose Depp and Kaia Gerba have all been called into question over the last year or so, and as far as big nepo babies go, it’s hard to look beyond actor and singer Maya Hawke.
The daughter of iconic Hollywood actors Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman has carved out a career of her own with performances in the BBC adaptation of Little Women and the Netflix science fiction series Stranger Things, as well as a handful of efforts in the films Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Asteroid City and Maestro.
Now, of course, considering the fact that Hawke is indeed the child of the actors known for their collective turns in the likes of Before Sunrise, Training Day, Pulp Fiction and Kill Bill (they’d also appeared together in 1997’s Gattaca), criticism has been aimed at Hawke by those who think that she might never have got her start in showbusiness were it not for the careers of her parents.
This may well be true, but on the other hand, famous actors have often given birth to future famous actors, many of whom supersede the careers of their parents. Just take Jeff Bridges and Ben Stiller as two small examples of a very, very long list (acting seemingly runs in the family). Sure, Hawke might not have become a star with such ease, but that doesn’t mean that she doesn’t deserve a shot at the big time.
In fact, it’s whether Hawke feels she deserves her opportunity in the world of showbusiness at all that seems to play a role in her mind. Speaking with The Times, the actor, who has also released a series of albums (ironically on the Mom + Pop label), noted, “‘Deserves’ is a complicated word,” she says. “There are so many people who deserve to have this kind of life who don’t.”
Indeed, there are countless actors and musicians who fall by the wayside without an entryway into their respective industries, so there is certainly an element of fortune when it comes to someone like Hawke. However, rather than shy away from the issue, Hawke has seemingly embraced it, suggesting, “I think I’m comfortable with not deserving it and doing it anyway.”
In the Times piece, Hawke went on to say that not trying to make it as an actor and a musician “wouldn’t help anyone”, and the only option other than using her parents’ contacts would have been to “change your name, get a nose job and go to open casting roles.” With that in mind, Hawke decided to use her position as a “nepo baby” even though she knew that she would likely be called out for it.
Still, there is an element of acceptance with that kind of criticism that Hawke is willing to take on. “It’s OK to be made fun of when you’re in rarefied air. It’s a lucky place to be,” she admitted. Sure, Hawke has been afforded a rare opportunity in the entertainment industry, but she deserves to try to carve out a career of her own regardless of her beginnings.
Nothing’s worse than a apparently talentless nepo baby like Brooklyn Beckham coming through and using their parents’ success as a way to cover up their own shortcomings. When it comes to Hawke, though, acting talent runs in her blood, and while she might be fortunate in her industry leg up, at least she’s aware of it and has proven that she’s got the talent to carve out her own unique path to stardom.
