Maya Hawke opens up on nepotism and Hollywood success
Maya Hawke has been conquering Hollywood for several years, appearing in popular films and TV series. The daughter of Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman does not hide the fact that her good start in the industry was due to nepotism.
11:02 AM EDT, June 3, 2024
The phenomenon of nepotism in Hollywood is nothing new. Some try to hide their kinship (like Nicolas Cage, whose real surname is Coppola), while others sign their names without any qualms, attributing their success to the family they were born into.
She got a role in Tarantino's film due to nepotism
Maya Hawke belongs to the latter group. She is the daughter of Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman. Professionally, she is known as Robin from "Stranger Things." Since her debut, the young actress has participated in many well-known productions, such as Wes Anderson's "Asteroid City" and the upcoming "Inside Out 2".
Before the world loved her as Robin in the Netflix hit, many viewers recognized her in Quentin Tarantino's film "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood." There she played one of Charles Manson's followers, who planned to murder Roman Polanski's pregnant wife, Sharon Tate (played by Margot Robbie).
Although the actress stated years ago that she auditioned and got the role through good auditions, in a recent interview with The Times of London, she reflected that this was not entirely true:
"I never explicitly said that I got this role because of nepotism, but I think that's why I got it," admitted Hawke.
Did Tarantino cast her intentionally?
Hawke later emphasized that, in her opinion, Quentin Tarantino completely consciously made the decision to cast her in this role. The director also cast other children of stars in the film (Andie MacDowell's daughter, Margaret Qualley, and Rumer Willis, daughter of Bruce Willis and Demi Moore). According to her, he wanted to show "young Hollywood."
On this occasion, Maya Hawke said that, in her opinion, benefiting from being the child of famous people is not bad because it doesn't harm anyone. She also mentioned that it is difficult to say whether the children of celebrities "deserve" special treatment:
"Deserving is a complicated notion. Hundreds or thousands of people deserve what I have but don't have it. However, I feel comfortable with the thought that although I may not deserve it, I still benefit from it. Besides, who would it help if I didn't do what I do?"
She also added that she is happy with the parents she has, as she has very good relationships with both, and for her, this is the most important.
