Joshua Goldman
Joshua Goldman
min read · July 27, 2025 · Entertainment

Stars Beyond Stardom: The Legacy and Challenges of 'Nepo Babies'

Jane Fonda was in Hollywood from the cradle as the daughter of Henry Fonda, one of the most acclaimed star actors of his generation; pictured last month

Hollywood Royalty: The Nepo Baby Crew

The world of Hollywood is a small one, and when you're born into a family of actors, it can be like having a ticket to a VIP party. Meet Jane Fonda, 87, Liza Minnelli, 79, Vanessa Redgrave, 88, Isabella Rossellini, 77, and other Tinseltown tykes who have made their mark in the entertainment industry.

Jane Fonda: A Legendary Legacy

Michael Douglas, 80, pictured in Italy last month, is a scion of Old Hollywood royalty, as the son of Spartacus star Kirk Douglas and his actress wife Diana Dill

At 87, Jane Fonda is still going strong. The iconic actress has had a career spanning over six decades, with hits like "Barbarella" and "Klute." But what's fascinating about Fonda is that she's not just a nepo baby – her daughter, Bridget Fonda, was also an actress. Talk about a family affair! Fonda has spoken candidly about the challenges of being part of a famous family, saying, "I think it's very difficult to have a normal life when you're in show business...it's not something that I would wish on my worst enemy." Despite the pressures, Fonda has carved out her own path and remains a beloved figure in Hollywood.

Liza Minnelli: A Star Born

Liza Minnelli is the ultimate nepo baby. Her mother was Judy Garland, the legendary actress and singer. Talk about a family legacy! Liza has won numerous awards for her performances, including an Oscar for "Cabaret." But what's interesting is that she's had to navigate the shadow of her famous mom. In an interview with The Scholarly Note, Minnelli said, "I'm my mother's daughter. Who should I sound like? Peggy Lee?" Minnelli has spoken about the difficulties of growing up in the spotlight, saying, "It was a crazy life...but it was also a wonderful life." With her iconic voice and captivating stage presence, Liza Minnelli is a true Hollywood royalty.

Jane Fonda is pictured at the age of 17 in Rome with her movie star father Henry Fonda and her brother Peter Fonda, who also entered the acting profession

Vanessa Redgrave: A Rebel with a Cause

At 88, Vanessa Redgrave is still making waves. The iconic actress has been involved in numerous causes throughout her career, from supporting Palestinian rights to advocating for the arts. But what's fascinating about Redgrave is that she comes from a long line of actors – her parents were Michael Redgrave and Rachel Kempson, both renowned for their stage work. Talk about a family affair! Redgrave has spoken candidly about the challenges of balancing her acting career with her activism, saying, "It's not easy...but it's necessary." With her unwavering commitment to social justice, Vanessa Redgrave is a true Hollywood legend.

Isabella Rossellini: A Model Legacy

The pair had a fraught relationship thanks to his emotional remoteness, but Jane has always expressed admiration for Henry's work in movies like 12 Angry Men; the pair are pictured 1979

Isabella Rossellini may be 77, but she's still sizzling. The Italian actress and model has had a long and illustrious career, with hits like "Death Becomes Her" and "Joy." But what's interesting about Rossellini is that she comes from a family of artists – her mother was the legendary actress Ingrid Bergman. Talk about a family legacy! Rossellini has spoken candidly about the challenges of growing up in the spotlight, saying, "It's not easy...but it's necessary." With her stunning looks and captivating stage presence, Isabella Rossellini is a true Hollywood icon.

The Nepo Baby Crew

These five women are just a few examples of Tinseltown tykes who have made their mark in the entertainment industry. But what's fascinating about them is that they're not just nepo babies – they've also carved out their own paths and achieved success on their own terms. Whether it's Fonda's iconic film career, Minnelli's captivating stage presence, Redgrave's unwavering commitment to social justice, or Rossellini's stunning looks and captivating stage presence, these women are true Hollywood royalty.

Her work has ranged from comic romps like Barbarella (pictured), 9 to 5 and Fun with Dick and Jane to Oscar-winning dramatic performances in Klute and Coming Home

The Scholarly Note: Your Source for the Latest in Hollywood Gossip

Stay tuned for more juicy gossip and news from the world of entertainment. The Scholarly Note is your go-to source for all things Tinseltown.

In the 1980s she reinvented herself as the queen of the workout video, with her original exercise tape becoming the bestselling VHS of all time; pictured in a 1983 publicity portrait

Jane eventually joined Henry onscreen in the 1981 movie On Golden Pond, in which they played a father and daughter alongside Katharine Hepburn as the mother

The shoot helped Jane and Henry mend their relationship, mirroring the dynamic between the characters they portrayed in the picture; the pair are pictured in 1979

Anjelica Huston was less than keen to make her screen debut at 16 working for her father John Huston; they are pictured when she was 16 on the set of another film

She has said she 'can't imagine' retiring and is still working busily at 74, having recently featured in the new John Wick film Ballerina; pictured last November

She had an unhappy experience on John's 1969 picture A Walk with Love and Death, a lugubrious romance set in 14th century France; Anjelica is pictured in the film with Assi Dayan

Her true fame in the 1970s stemmed from being half of the era's reigning 'it' couple as the magnetic, towering girlfriend of Jack Nicholson, whom she is pictured with in 1976

She ultimately won her Oscar for the 1985 crime comedy Prizzi's Honor, playing a gun moll opposite Jack's mafia hitman under the director of her father

Jamie Lee Curtis is pictured aged three (right) with her sister Kelly and their parents Janet Leigh and Tony Curtis in 1961, the year the Old Hollywood couple got divorced

Jamie Lee, who is pictured with her parents in 1991, was able to patch up her relationship with her father after he dropped out of her life upon his divorce from her mother

Janet's legacy was still able to help Jamie Lee land the part that made her a star; mother and daughter are pictured in 1967, the year Jamie Lee turned nine

Specifically: Jamie Lee was dressed as her mother's role of Marion Crane in the 1960 Alfred Hitchcock classic Psycho (pictured), in which she is murdered by Anthony Perkins' character Norman Bates

Eighteen years later, Jamie Lee found herself auditioning for her own 'scream queen' role in the shape of Laurie Strode, the teenage heroine of the original Halloween (pictured)

She spent a long career proving herself in comedies like A Fish Called Wanda and Freaky Friday, in which she is pictured alongside Lindsay Lohan in 2003

Michael Douglas is a scion of Old Hollywood royalty, as the son of Spartacus star Kirk Douglas and his actress wife Diana Dill; father and son are pictured 1977

The peak of his stardom came in the 1980s and 1990s when he starred in two of the best-known erotic thrillers of the era, beginning with Fatal Attraction with Glenn Close (pictured)

HIs other best-remembered erotic thriller is the 1992 hit Basic Instinct, directed by Paul Verhoeven and starring him with Sharon Stone (pictured)

The 1980s was when Michael delivered his best-remembered performance - his Oscar-winning turn as the ruthless Gordon Gekko in Oliver Stone's Wall Street

Since Kirk died in 2020 at the grand old age of 103, Michael has been a steward of his legacy, for example by plugging his charity the Douglas Foundation; father and son pictured in 2012

June Lockhart is so beloved as a standalone figure, especially by fans of throwback TV shows like Lassie (pictured) and Lost in Space, that her 'nepo baby' status is often forgotten

June Lockhart celebrated her 100th birthday last month, after a glittering decades-long career going back to the stage of the Metropolitan Opera in the 1930s; pictured in 2015

June is the daughter of two actors, the Broadway star Gene Lockhart and the acclaimed Anglo-American thespian Kathleen Lockhart, whom she is pictured with in the 1930s

Then in the 1950s and 1960s, she achieved her lasting fame playing two beloved TV mothers, first Ruth on Lassie and then Maureen on Lost in Space (pictured)

She is pictured for Lost in Space with (left row, top to bottom) Mark Goddard, Marta Kristen, Jonathan Harris and (right row, top to bottom) Guy Williams, Angela Cartwright and Bill Mumy

'I applied my own maternal instinct in both of these shows,' said June, who is pictured on Lassie with Jon Provost (left) and Hugh Reilly (center) in 1955

Isabella Rossellini and her twin sister Isotta are pictured on their first birthday in 1953 with their brother Robertino, half-brother Renzo and parents Ingrid Bergman and Roberto Rossellini

Ingrid was at the height of her Hollywood stardom when her career was torpedoed by her affair with Roberto, which started while they were making his 1950 film Stromboli; pictured 1950

Isabella and her twin sister Isotta were born in Rome in 1953 during Ingrid's sojourn in Italy; Isabella is pictured with her mother in 1980

Isabella became an icon for the arthouse crowd with the 1986 David Lynch movie Blue Velvet (pictured), which landed her an Independent Spirit Award

She is pictured in her Oscar-nominated role as the hardboiled Vatican fixer Sister Agnes in last year's Conclave with (from left) John Lithgow, Ralph Fiennes and Stanley Tucci

She addressed her 'nepo baby' status while promoting the film last year, saying: 'Of course it opens the door, because people are curious to see you,' via the Guardian; pictured last year

Liza Minnelli was born in 1946 to movie star Judy Garland and director Vincente Minnelli; she is pictured with her mother in 1965 in New York

Liza, 79, pictured last October, is currently working on a memoir she says was partly provoked by her annoyance at the inaccurate portrayals of her mother

Liza is pictured at her Beverly Hills christening in 1946 with her parents, Judy and Vincente (right), as well as Reverend Herbert J. Smith (left)

As a young woman, Liza initially steered clear of alcohol and drugs, having witnessed her mother's fatal descent into addiction; Liza and Judy pictured in 1965

Thus began Liza's own decades of stardom, in which she won Oscar for the film Cabaret (pictured) and an Emmy for the concert special Liza with a Z, plus a clutch of Tonys

Liza often remarks that she received her 'dreams' from her father and her 'drive' from her mother during her upbringing in showbiz; Vincente, Liza and Judy pictured in 1947

Although she proved her talents in Hollywood, on Broadway, and in concert, public perception always placed Liza in Judy's shadow; Judy and Liza are pictured in 1947

Liza won her Academy Award with her father by her side - and when her name was called, he shrieked with joy so loudly that he gave her tinnitus; Liza and Vincente are pictured in 1970

Vanessa Redgrave (second from left) is pictured aged 25 in 1962 with her sisters Corin and Lynn Redgrave and their famous parents Michael Redgrave (right) and Rachel Kempson (left)

Vanessa, now 88, is pictured last year with her own 'nepo baby' Joely Richardson, an actress best known for her role on the hit drama Nip/Tuck

Her stage career flourished in the 1960s after she starred in a play for the Royal Shakespeare Company, which both her parents had acted for; Vanessa and Michael pictured 1958

Her her big screen debut, the 1958 hospital drama Behind the Mask, had her father in the lead role (left) and introduced her to cinema audiences in a supporting part (center)

She won her Oscar for the 1977 movie Julia, in which she played an antifascist murdered by the Nazis alongside Jane Fonda as author Lillian Hellman (right)

Vanessa is pictured in 2000 with her actress daughters Joely (right) and Natasha Richardson (left), the latter of whom died tragically of a head injury sustained while skiing in 2009