Nico Parker is fully aware of the privilege that comes with being a “Nepo” baby, in her case – the daughter of Hollywood stars, and she’s not afraid to admit it.
The 20-year-old actress, known for her roles in How to Train Your Dragon and The Last of Us, says she understands why people talk about her as a “nepo baby”, and she agrees it’s important to acknowledge it.
Speaking to Sunday Times Style, Nico said, “I never want to discredit myself and what I’ve done, but I also want to give full credit to my parents. They’ve both had brilliant careers and I am really fortunate because I get to reap the benefits.”
Her parents, director Ol Parker and actress Thandiwe Newton, have helped her navigate the industry in ways most young actors can’t relate to. She admits doors have opened for her simply because of her last name. “Especially very early in my career, I think you walk into rooms in a different way because people know who your parents are,” she said. “You do need to acknowledge it, if you don’t, where does that leave you? I totally get why it’s annoying.”
Despite growing up on film sets, Nico didn’t always think her mom had a cool job. In fact, she found it kind of dull. “I remember being fascinated in the sense it was a movie set, and you can feel the air is different,” she said. “However, then you sit down and watch the monitor and she just talks, talks, talks… I was just like, ‘My God, you have a boring job.’”
As a kid, she was even a little embarrassed by Thandiwe’s fashion sense. “She’d wear things and I’d be like, ‘Mum, oh my God.’ I would walk in front of her when she would pick me up from school,” Nico said. But now? She’s raiding her mom’s wardrobe. “All the time. Is it borrowing or is it stealing? I know she’ll read this and text me. But my mum has loads of cool stuff that she doesn’t even wear.”
Even with a rising career, Nico sometimes wonders what life would be like without the fame. “A lot of my closest friends are at university and doing what you could view as the ‘normal’ 20-year-old experience,” she shared. “And when I go visit them, part of me wishes this is what I was doing. But I really enjoy working.”
Nico Parker may be a nepo baby, but she’s navigating fame with honesty, and a good sense of humor.
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