The Last of Us star Nico Parker joins ‘nepo baby’ discourse

The Last of Us star Nico Parker has weighed in on the “nepo baby” discourse.

A debate about the children of celebrities and their privilege erupted after Vulture released an exhaustive guide to the Hollywood “nepo-verse”.

Now, in a new interview with The Cut, Parker, the daughter of actor Thandie Newton and Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again director Ol Parker is the latest to join the conversation.

While the 18-year-old British actor said she sympathises with those who feel the argument “minimises” their achievements, she added: “But I think it’s incredibly important to recognise that with your parents being prevalent in the industry, it’s way easier to get in the room.

“It’s so important to know how many people would dream of being in that room, and how lucky you are to be there,” she acknowledged.

“Especially when you start, your parents know people, and you’ve known people since you were small, and they want to give you a chance because they like you. That is a reflection of your parents.”

Parker, who made her on-screen debut in Tim Burton’s 2019 film Dumbo, currently features in HBO’s apocalyptic drama as Sarah, the lead protagonist Joel’s (Pedro Pascal) daughter.

Following her appearance, numerous The Last of Us viewers were shocked to discover Parker was the youngest daughter of Newton and Ol, who also share daughter Ripley, 22.

Other celebrity children to share the same gratitude as Parker include Ice Cube’s son O’Shea Jackson.

Meanwhile, a few, like Zoë Kravitz and Madonna’s daughter Lourdes Leon have defended their status as “nepo babies”.