Drew Barrymore, Gwyneth Paltrow, Rumer Willis and Jamie Lee Curtis – What do all of these people have in common? – That they’re actresses? Yes, but the reason as to why we know them as actresses is another bonding factor- they all have famous relatives.
It is no secret that nepotism is prevalent when it comes to uncovering the journey to stardom for some famous faces. Whether it be aunts and uncles or highly acclaimed godparents, we all know connections are exceedingly advantageous in the fight for castings, but is it necessarily a bad thing?
Originating from the action of appointing nephews to powerful positions within the Catholic Church, nepotism has been around for as long as industries have been established. The film industry is a particularly prime example of this. It can be argued, that although the easy side-door that directors use to make a quick casting can lead to great careers, the obtaining of opportunities built on acquaintance rather than merit can and has led to the dilution of talent within the stories we see on screen, as well as behind the camera.
Well known directors such as Judd Apatow and Quentin Tarantino, have been called out in the past for favouring relatives and family-friends in the casting process, which some of us may recognise as extensive and tedious. One example is the picking of Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman’s daughter –Maya Hawke- for a substantial role in Tarantino’s Once Upon A Time In …Hollywood. Although many assumed that she received this role due to her mother’s past career with Tarantino, it was revealed at the film’s red carpet that she in fact went through the exact same process as her competitors but with some help from her father.
Watching the movie, myself, I believed Hawke’s performance was excellent, which led me to justify any favouritism that may have been shown towards her during casting. This sort of justification due to good performance has also been used in other cases such as Jake Gyllenhaal and Nicholas Cage as well as many other Oscar and Golden Globe nominees.
Although these examples present success stories and good character, one must also keep in mind, delivery of unsubstantial performances. When looking at talent, many forget that storyline has nothing to do with quality in presentation of character. Actors such as Kristen Stewart who have been part of multi-billion-dollar film sagas have often been excused of unsatisfactory portrayal due to the engrossing plot. Stewart – having received her start in the film industry with help from her parents in the television sector, received criticisms about her acting abilities after the movie’s release. Although the fictional storyline of Twilight may have left youngsters fawning over Robert Pattinson, it didn’t hold the emotional power of a message-conveying biopic for example. Stewart’s starring role in the moving story of Seberg – the journey of an actress’s support for a civil right movement against racial discrimination around the 1960s - gained many negative reviews due to the overall feeling that Stewart’s performance didn’t do the story justice.
Coming in with an approval rating of under 40% on movie reviewer Rotten Tomatoes, Seberg’s star was branded as doing a “disservice” to the unfulfilled storyline as it was felt by many that she delivered a lacklustre representation. It’s examples like these, that get viewers questioning the grounds on which these actors were given their first step in this industry and whether they truly deserved it.
When bringing the importance and power of stories from the past into the present through film, it is crucial that the emotion of the tale is conveyed to the audience in order to leave a lasting impression. Such stories deserve to be recognised not for their poor re-enactments but for their change to the historical timeline. Many can say that at the end of the day, filmmaking is an art form, which means that the artist gets to choose how to express their creativity. However, when it comes to stories that haven’t been imagined by scriptwriters but taken from non-fiction, all must recognise that compromising the integrity of the story due to a casting director’s need to owe a family-friend is unacceptable and some may even say careless, thus proving that nepotist bias is indeed having a negative impact in today’s film industry.
Written by Maya Kameneni, 11SG
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