Allison Williams starred in a few well-received YouTube shorts before being cast by Judd Apatow in the critically praised HBO series Girls. From this television series, created by and starring Lena Dunham, the young actress began to make a name for herself, and her career soon evolved, as she took on roles, like her villainous character in Jordan Peeles’ Get Out. Though she may be enjoying the limelight, Williams isn’t the first in her family to be a big name on TV. The M3GAN star is the daughter of two well-known individuals, Brian Williams, a news anchor, and Jane Gillan Stoddard, a journalist and news producer. Recently gallons of ink have been spilled about nepo babies — New York Magazine even dubbed 2022 “the year of the nepo baby” — and The Perfection actress opened up about how she personally feels about the nepotism debate and having famous parents.
If you’ve somehow managed to miss the conversation, a nepo baby describes a famous person who is assumed to be where they are in their profession due to relatives who paved the path for them–á la, nepotism. While speaking with Wired about her take on the nepo baby debate as the daughter of parents who are public figures, Allison Williams had a candid response in regard to if she belonged in that category. The star said people’s perception of her shaped her work ethic but didn’t “absolve” her from a privileged position. Williams explained:
I didn’t want anyone to see me growing, learning, changing, shifting. I was definitely concerned with making sure people understood I was a hard worker, as if somehow that would absolve me of the privilege.
The actress admits that this need to look like a complete product, even though she was new to the business, was how she first approached stardom. However, over time, she realized growth is a natural part of the human condition, and she felt less pressure after letting the need to seem perfect go. She continued:
Part of humanity is that evolution. Once I started to wrap my head around that, it took the pressure off having to seem perfect all of the time.
Allison Williams has no problem acknowledging her privilege in life. She admits having wealthy parents afforded her a sense of relative comfort that made it easier for her to accept parts she wanted and pass on ones she didn’t. She also has complete trust in her skills as an actress. Which she says is why it isn’t hard to acknowledge a degree of nepotism. Williams continued:
It doesn’t feel like a loss to admit it… If you trust your own skill, I think it becomes very simple to acknowledge.
In Hollywood, connections matter and have their perks. In the entertainment industry, as challenging and competitive as it is, having a relative make their mark first can work to your advantage. However, labels like “nepo baby” can reduce a person’s accomplishments and talent. I find it hard to connect the excellent performances Allison Williams has served to audiences as the product of having well-to-do and known parents.
Williams isn’t the only one being questioned or confronted with the “nepo baby” debate. Johnny Depp’s daughter, Lily-Rose Depp, landed in hot water with Italian model Vittoria Ceretti over nepotism comments. Others have been weighing in on the topic as well, like Kate Hudson (daughter of Bill Hudson and Goldie Hawn) and self-proclaimed OG “nepo baby” Jamie Lee Curtis. Curtis believes the whole conversation is designed to be hurtful, and she revealed that not a day goes by when she isn’t reminded that she is related to movie stars.
Whatever side you land on regarding the “nepo baby” discourse, it’s hard to deny Allison Williams’ acting talent. With only four movies under her belt and a fifth on the way (the upcoming horror movie M3GAN) in the ten years since she hit the scene, she’s been able to make a name for herself and become one of the actresses people should keep an eye on.
Fans can catch Allison Williams when her 2023 movie release, M3GAN, when slashes its way into theaters on January 6.