Topics: Celebrity, Film and TV, Parenting, US News, Podcast, Social Media
Zooey Deschanel has opened up about her relationship with her parents and why she rejects the label of being a 'nepo baby'.
The 44-year-old actor is best known for her roles in several iconic comedies, from Christmas hit Elf to 2008 release Yes Man and Fox sitcom New Girl. However, a fact you might not know about Zooey is that her whole family is in the film and TV industry too.
While admitting she 'can't possibly emphasise enough how much creative help' she's had from her relatives, Zooey doesn't believe she deserves to be branded a so-called 'nepo baby'; although her explanation as to why has divided social media users.
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Appearing on Lewis Howes' podcast The School of Greatness, Zooey explained that her parents - her mom being Twin Peaks' actor Mary Jo Deschanel and her father, cinematographer and director Caleb Deschanel - bargained with her that once she could 'drive herself to auditions' she would then be allowed to get an agent.
So, when Zooey turned 16 years old, with 'creative help from [her] family unit' she started chasing her dream of becoming an actor even more determinedly.
Zooey's parents being in the industry has led her to receive comments about her benefiting from 'nepotism' - her parents' roles in the industry allegedly giving her an advantage over others in getting into it and up the ladder herself - however, the actor denies she deserves such a label.
She tells Howes: "I'm like no, my dad's a Director of Photography (DP) like no one's getting jobs because their dad's a Do, LIKE IT'S definitely not."
However, she admits her dad is a 'great creative mind' and 'very talented person' who knows 'everything about film' and her mom is 'a great actor' and is 'so nurturing' and would 'coach' her when she didn't have an acting coach.
"They both would help me so much," she adds.
Alas, despite Zooey's rejection of being called a nepo baby, it would seem many social media users have been left unconvinced by her reasoning.
One X user said: "Denial is not just a river in Egypt."
"There’s nothing wrong with being a nepo baby, especially when you’re talented but don’t act like your parents didn’t put you in a better position to succeed than others due to their connections in the industry," another added.
However, a third commented: "People really only care about nepotism when the child has clearly no skills to back up why they got that job. She is a good actor and so is her sister. People are just jealous."
And a final resolved: "Nepo baby aside, she did well carrying her weight with her acting skills."
UNILAD has contacted Zooey Deschanel's representatives for comment.
