Although nepotism exists in every sector, Hollywood is particularly well-known for powerful and renowned people giving their children and/or relatives a leg up so they may more easily excel in the profession.
While many well-known actors nowadays have benefited from nepotism, there are still a few actors who have achieved success without the help of powerful family members. When Reddit member u/PM me Thor nudes asked the r/Movies community, “Which currently popular actor/actress is NOT a product of being well connected and/or rich?” people responded with a slew of examples. The top-voted responses are as follows:
1. Elijah Wood
Wood was “modelling in Cedar Rapids and came to Los Angeles for a convention” when he was 8, according to Buzzfeed. A talent representative approached him at the convention, asked if he was interested in acting (clearly he was), and one week later, he and his family packed their belongings and relocated to Los Angeles permanently.
2. Daniel Kaluuya
The New York Times reports that “Mr. Kaluuya was born in Uganda to Ugandan parents and grew up in north London on a council estate, the British equivalent of a housing project, with his mother and older sister. (His father lived in Uganda, and he didn’t meet that side of his family until he was 15 years old, he claimed.) Despite his mother’s disinterest in the arts, a primary school teacher observed him as a “very busy” child and suggested acting as an outlet.”
3. Dev Patel
Raju Patel, Patel’s father, is an IT consultant, and Anita Patel, Patel’s mother, is a healthcare worker. The New York Times reports that “Patel was a lively child, and his parents enrolled him in martial arts training for years to help him channel his energy. Still, he felt he could contribute more, and when his mother heard a casting call for Skins, a teen drama that would launch the careers of young actors like Nicholas Hoult and Daniel Kaluuya, she encouraged him to audition for the role of sex-crazed Anwar.”
4. Jessica Chastain
Chastain’s father is a firefighter, and her mother is a vegan chef. She became the first person in her family to attend college after receiving the Juilliard scholarship. “At a Juilliard presentation, she was hired to a 12-month standing deal by TV super-producer John Wells, which led to her first screen credit, a small cameo in an episode of ER,” according to the Independent.
5. Channing Tatum
According to an Elle article published in 2009, “Tatum and his older sister Paige grew up on a farm in Alabama, but his parents, Kay and Glenn (she worked for an airline, he worked in construction), relocated them to Tampa, Florida. He was offered a football scholarship to Glenville State College in West Virginia, but he left out and worked in a variety of jobs, including constructing houses and working as a mortgage broker. He traveled to Miami and was noticed by a model scout on the street, which led to him appearing in films and advertisements.”