As the ominous voice in The Substance that repeatedly reminds Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley’s characters to “respect the balance” makes clear, being the fun, new young thing isn’t always all it’s cracked up to be.
Considering the current prominence of first-gen nepo babies in mainstream culture—The Substance’s own star Qualley (whose mother is Andie MacDowell) being just one of many examples—it’s all too easy to overlook the Hollywood dynasties that are already welcoming third-tier branches in their A-List family trees, knocking that “balance” off-kilter. These are kids who are, in particular, working out how to get a foot in the door as their famous parents decide if it’s yet their turn to take over—whether for seven days or forever.
Unlike the nepo baby who is simply a child to a famous parent, the nepo grandbaby unlocks a shiny new layer of nuance along with their inherited privilege.
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Noble families around the world have been doing this for centuries, of course, but the all-American excess that comes with Hollywood royalty engenders a different type of dynasty. Does the thing, the product of capital F fame, get better over time? As a famous fam grows its celebrity and influence, are their offspring naturally more talented? More beautiful? Or is it all diluted with each addition?
And when it’s all to play for, who ends up holding all the star power?
- Is it a) The OG source of fame, the nobody turned somebody who made a career for themselves?
- b) The first gen nepo baby who’s spent years building a name for themselves outside their parent’s spotlight—and, hopefully, succeeded at long last?
- Or c) The pretty new young thing the public is desperate to get to know, but on whose terms? Are there even enough seats at the award show table or pages in the tabloids to share?
Some of today’s nepo grandbabies have already made their mark, and others are still taking that first, well, baby steps onto the world stage that’s been groomed for them. But all are worth keeping your eye on:
The Jolies
It’s a family tree with a few broken branches—see the crash and burn of Brangelina for reference—but one still sprouted from golden seeds nonetheless. Actors Jon Voight and Marcheline Bertrand (left) had two children together before their divorce; their daughter Angelina Jolie (right) became one of Hollywood’s leading ladies. Jolie and her ex-husband Brad Pitt share six children, including daughter Shiloh (center), who at age 18 is already starting to explore opportunities in acting.
The Martins
You can’t cause a scene at your debutante ball if you don’t have the lineage to land an invite, after all. Apple Martin (center), rumored high society diva, is the daughter of Gwyneth “Goop” Paltrow and Coldplay frontman Chris Martin (right)—a “consciously uncoupled” pair who also have a son Moses. Paltrow is in turn the daughter of actors Bruce Paltrow and Blythe Danner (left).
The Kardashians
Taking inspiration from her mom’s career, 11-year-old North West (center) is already shaping up to a multi-hyphenate mogul. The eldest of Kimye’s (right) four kids has already bagged several high-profile gigs under her belt including performing as Simba in the Hollywood Bowl’s rendition of The Lion King and expanding her music career well beyond her 2020 hit “What are those, these are clothes.”
Kim meanwhile, is the daughter of her own momager, Kris Jenner, and Hollywood attorney Robert Kardashian (left).
The Coppolas
It’s dialogue that not even the most auteur director could script—and yet, it’s courtesy of a scion of cinematographic royalty: “Make a vodka sauce pasta with me because I’m grounded because I tried to charter a helicopter from New York to Maryland on my dad’s credit card because I wanted to have dinner with my camp friend,” recounted then-16-year-old Romy Mars (center) in a 2023 TikTok video that went viral worldwide before being deleted.
Romy is the daughter of Sofia Coppola (right) and indie musician Thomas Mars. Coppola. Like her father Francis Ford Coppola (left), Sofia has focused her career behind the camera; Romy, however, is pursuing acting roles while releasing her own music.
The Johnsons
Three generations of Hollywood heavy hitters and it all comes down to one line: “He was in the Amazon with my mom when she was researching spiders right before she died.” That web really does connect everything...
Dakota Johnson (center), the brilliant messenger of the aforementioned quote from hate-to-love-it flop Madame Web, is the daughter of actors Melanie Griffith and Don Johnson (right). In turn, Griffith is the daughter of storied actress and Hitchcock muse Tippi Hedren (left).
The Kravitzs
Great genes! Beautiful genes! Musician Lenny Kravitz (right, pictured with his ex-wide, model and actress Lisa Bonet) is the son of actor Roxie Roker (left). Kravitz and Bonet welcomed their daughter, director-actress-model-multihyphenate extraordinaire Zoë Kravitz (center) in 1988.
The Presleys
A quintessential American dynasty, the Presleys have been a force in the entertainment industry ever since Elvis (left, pictured with his wife Priscilla) sang about his “Blue Suede Shoes” back in 1956. Generations later, Elvis’ legacy continues through his granddaughter Riley Keough (center), welcomed by his only daughter Lisa Marie Presley (right) and Danny Keough in 1989.
Riley not-so subtly paid homage to her heritage when starring in Amazon Prime Daisy Jones & The Six, a role that saw her flexing her singing chops.
The Reynolds-Fishers-Lourds
Eddie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds’ (left) enjoyed era-defining careers during Hollywood’s Golden Age. (Plus, you know, that whole little scandal with Liz). Their daughter Carrie Fisher (right) brought to life to one of cinema’s most eternally recognized roles—the nun in Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle, of course, but also Princess Leia. And Fisher’s daughter Billie Lourd (center) has in turn become an indie darling and star of numerous dubious Ryan Murphy series. Why be satisfied with owning the big (and small) screen for just one generation, after all, when you can do so three times over?
The Howards
In one of the most acclaimed episodes of the hit mind- bender series Black Mirror, Bryce Dallas Howard plays a woman obsessed with her ever-dwindling social capital. Something about her real-life connections though, tell us that maybe isn’t the case?
Dallas Howard (center) is the daughter of the Oscar-winning director Ron Howard (right), whose credits include A Beautiful Mind, Apollo 13 and, well, the big screen remake of J.D. Vance’s memoir Hillbilly Elegy.
Howard’s parents in turn were the actors Rance Howard (left) and Jean Speagle Howard.
And the Trumps
Perhaps the truest form of nepo-nobility on this list, the Trumps offer what will likely be one of the most documented American dynasties in recent history. The latest to stake her claim on the spotlight is golfer/YouTuber Kai Trump (center). The 17-year-old is the eldest child of Donald Trump Jr. (right) and his ex-wife Vanessa Kay Haydon, born in 2007. Trump Jr. meanwhile, was President Trump’s own first born, welcomed his first wife, Ivana, in 1977.
