Ethan Hawke-Uma Thurman's daughter Maya Hawke acknowledges 'nepotistic' privilege
What's the story
Maya Hawke, daughter of renowned actors Uma Thurman and Ethan Hawke, recently admitted that nepotism played a significant role in her casting for Quentin Tarantino's iconic 2019 film, Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood.
In an interview with The Times of London, she stated that her casting was largely due to "nepotistic reasons."
She portrayed the character Flower Child, a follower of Charles Manson.
Stance clarification
Hawke clarified her stance on nepotism in the casting process
Hawke had previously stated that she auditioned for the role.
She clarified by saying, "I never meant to imply that I didn't get the part for nepotistic reasons — I think I totally did."
She explained that Tarantino intentionally cast her alongside other young Hollywood actors who are also children of famous parents, including Margaret Qualley and Rumer Willis.
The former is the daughter of Andie MacDowell and Paul Qualley, while the latter's parents are Bruce Willis and Demi Moore.
Opportunity debate
She wanted to change her name initially
When asked about whether children of famous individuals deserved such opportunities, Hawke responded: "'Deserves' is a complicated word. There are so many people who deserve to have this kind of life who don't, but I think I'm comfortable with not deserving it and doing it anyway."
"I saw two paths when I was first starting, and one of them was: change your name, get a nose job and go to open casting roles."
Positive outlook
Hawke maintains positive outlook despite nepotism criticism
Despite the criticism surrounding nepotism in Hollywood, Hawke maintains a positive outlook.
She stated: "It's OK to be made fun of when you're in rarefied air. It's a lucky place to be. My relationships with my parents are really honest and positive, and that supersedes anything anyone can say about it."
Hawke is known for projects such as Asteroid City, Maestro, and Stranger Things.