Catherine Zeta-Jones is pushing back against the “nepo baby” label surrounding her children and their Hollywood ambitions. The Catherine Zeta-Jones Swings Hard At ‘Nepo Baby’ Label Despite The Douglas’ Generations In Hollywood first appeared on The Blast

Catherine Zeta-Jones is pushing back against the “nepo baby” label surrounding her children and their Hollywood ambitions.

Zeta-Jones and Michael Douglas have spent decades at the center of Hollywood, making their children’s career choices impossible to separate from that legacy. Their family tree also includes Michael’s father, Oscar-winning Hollywood legend Kirk Douglas.

Catherine Zeta-Jones’s children, Dylan and Carys, are the third generation connected to the entertainment industry in the family. That history inevitably makes the “nepo baby” conversation more complicated for the family. 

Catherine Zeta-Jones Slams The ‘Nepo Baby’ Label As ‘Horrific’

Zeta-Jones said both of her children are currently “plugging away” as they explore careers connected to their parents’ world. Dylan is 26, while Carys is 23, and both have shown interest in following the family business. The actress acknowledged that having famous parents makes forging an independent path difficult.

She believes the public can easily reduce their efforts to their family connections instead of recognizing their individual ambitions. Carys once wanted to become Amal Clooney, the human rights lawyer, before pursuing other dreams. Zeta-Jones believes her daughter should follow whatever passion genuinely drives her.

The mother of two described “nepo baby” as a “horrific phrase” because children do not choose the families into which they are born. The Times shared that Zeta-Jones believes Dylan and Carys are “finding their own way in life.” She added that she and her husband would be the first to suggest law school if their children were not good at acting.

The Actress’s Husband Previously Defended His Family’s Hollywood Legacy

Michael has been married to actress Catherine Zeta-Jones for 24 years, with the couple sharing two children. Their children are also exploring careers in the family business, but Michael does not want their opportunities dismissed as nepotism. He believes parents naturally try to help their children succeed in whatever profession they choose.

Michael admitted that he was initially offended by the “nepo baby” conversation. He recalled a New York Magazine article from around two years ago, from the time of his comment, that discussed second-generation actors.

“I thought, how snarky,” he said, questioning why helping children enter a parent’s profession should automatically be viewed negatively. According to TimeInk, the actor also acknowledged that he is part of the same cycle himself. “I’m a nepo baby too,” he admitted. “That’s the way it goes,” he added.

His family’s Hollywood connections have not stopped him from building a career of his own. His filmography includes “The China Syndrome,” “Romancing the Stone,” “Fatal Attraction,” “Basic Instinct,” and “Traffic.”

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The ‘Nepo Baby’ Debate Extends Beyond The Douglas Family

The pressure surrounding famous children is not unique to the Douglas family. Other Hollywood families have faced the same “nepo baby” allegation.

The Blast previously reported that Robert De Niro has also pushed back against the idea that having a famous parent makes an acting career easy. He said famous performers’ children can actually face greater pressure because people watch them more closely. 

“If you don’t look like you’re really sincere about it and busting your ass and working hard, it’ll have a negative impact,” De Niro explained. De Niro’s daughter Airyn said her parents deliberately protected her from Hollywood exposure while she was growing up. She said her father was “very big on us finding our own sort of path.”

She also revealed that she spent seven years pursuing voice acting and modeling. According to Airyn, casting directors repeatedly rejected or ghosted her, and she wanted any eventual success to happen on her own merit. De Niro’s comments suggest that a famous name can create expectations that ordinary performers do not face. 

Zeta-Jones’ Son Experience In The Entertainment Industry

Zeta-Jones’s son has built his own entertainment profile as an actor, producer, and SiriusXM host. Dylan’s recent television experience has also demonstrated the pressure that can come with the Douglas name. He appeared on CNN during a debate with Scott Jennings about the U.S. government shutdown.

Reports later claimed Zeta-Jones and Michael were furious with CNN after Dylan appeared unprepared during the discussion. A representative for Zeta-Jones denied that the couple planned to boycott the network. The representative said the family supports accurate news reporting and that Dylan himself had no reservations about appearing on CNN again.

His career has continued across acting, producing, and broadcasting. Sources later claimed Dylan wanted to avoid platforms where he could feel exposed. One insider said CNN “really spooked him” and claimed he wanted appearances where difficult questions would not corner him.

Catherine Zeta-Jones’ Career History And Life Outside Hollywood

Her early experience in Wales included dancing and singing, eventually leading her toward theater and screen acting. Zeta-Jones won a national talent contest at 10 before moving into London stage productions. She later landed a lead role in “42nd Street” at 17 after serving as the production’s second understudy.

Her early career also involved repeated rejection. By 1991, she landed a role in “The Darling Buds of May,” which made her widely recognized in the United Kingdom. Zeta-Jones described the experience as “a learning curve.” She said one hour of the show screening changed her life because she suddenly became recognized everywhere.

The actress has spent much of her adult life on the East Coast rather than building her social world around Los Angeles. She said she has “never been in L.A. schmoozing.”

Her social circle instead includes New York business people, “Wall Street” figures and people connected to the art world. She said those relationships give her a different experience from what her life might look like in Los Angeles.

She enjoys visiting fancy houses in the Hamptons to look at art and has begun collecting pieces. She also discussed bringing $60,000 worth of Leica cameras she had collected throughout her life. The Blast shared that Zeta-Jones’ East Coast lifestyle has kept her social world away from many traditional Hollywood circles.

Catherine Zeta-Jones believes the “nepo baby” is an “horrific phrase” to be used to address her children.

The Catherine Zeta-Jones Swings Hard At ‘Nepo Baby’ Label Despite The Douglas’ Generations In Hollywood first appeared on The Blast