To many of us, Andie MacDowell is a household name in her own right, famous for her roles in Four Weddings and Funeral, Groundhog Day and more.
But to younger generations, it seems these screen credits are irrelevant – the actress’ claim to fame is simply being Margaret Qualley‘s mum.
Once one of Hollywood’s biggest names, MacDowell jokes she’s now enjoying a curious case of “reverse nepotism” as her daughter’s star continues to skyrocket.
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“They always accuse the children of [nepotism], but I’m now cool because I’m Margaret Qualley’s mum,” MacDowell said on Jimmy Fallon’s talk show in January.
Watch the video above.
The actress joked that it’s a “double whammy”, as she’s also the mother-in-law of Jack Antonoff – the music producer famed for his work with Taylor Swift, Lorde and more.
“[I get] letters in the mailbox, like, ‘I think you’re wonderful,’ and they’re 13!” she laughed.
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It’s a fascinating side-effect of the new wave of “nepo babies”, as Hollywood offspring who follow in their parents’ footsteps have been branded.
While being Andie MacDowell’s daughter certainly helped Qualley as she took on her first acting roles, these days – with films like The Substance, Poor Things and Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood to her name – she’s arguably superseded her famous mum.
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As a result, Qualley is, in a way, pulling MacDowell back into the spotlight, introducing her to a whole new younger audience who aren’t otherwise familiar with her.
The Michael star isn’t the only famous parent experiencing this shift on the cultural capital see-saw.
When Maria Shriver released her memoir I Am Maria earlier this year, she found herself constantly answering interview questions about her son instead.
The prominent journalist – and Kennedy family member – is, of course, the mother of Patrick Schwarzenegger, and her book’s press tour coincided with the release of his most significant project yet, The White Lotus.
Naturally, given the show’s wild plot points, her interviewers couldn’t help but bring it up, something Shriver poked fun at on Instagram.
“I may be on a book tour promoting my new book, I AM MARIA, but everywhere I go everyone keeps asking me about @patrickscwarzenegger, about @whitelotus,” she captioned an edited version of her book cover, the title changed to I Am Patrick’s Mother.
“I may be Patrick’s mother, but I know NOTHING! No one believes me, but it’s true.”
For many White Lotus fans, Schwarzenegger’s work on the show is how they even learned he has a mum with her own public profile, despite Shriver’s decades in the spotlight.
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Another celebrity parent who’s likely feeling this shift in real-time with their own child is ’90s screen icon Bill Pullman.
The actor, famous for Independence Day, Sleepless in Seattle and When You Were Sleeping to name a few, has a son following in his footsteps whose profile is well and truly blowing up.
Lewis Pullman has some prominent credits to his name, including 2023’s Top Gun: Maverick, but his latest role in Marvel’s Thunderbolts* seems to be catapulting him to a new level of stardom.
The online interest in Thunderbolts* seems to have also brought about a resurgence in appreciation for Bill, with both father and son trending on TikTok – ‘thirst’ edits and all.
If Lewis’ growing fanbase wasn’t already aware of the existence of his famous (and lookalike) dad, it certainly is now.
“Not joking, I get dad and son edits back to back on here,” one TikTok user commented, another writing, “I need to know if Lewis knows him and his dad are both trending.”
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“I love how Bill is getting his second round with a new generation,” another said, “I grew up crushing on him.”
Of course, these aren’t the only Hollywood offspring whose fame has either surpassed, or come awfully close to it, that of their parent or parents.
Miley Cyrus is now, arguably, more of a household name than father Billy Ray Cyrus; many would say the same of Angelina Jolie and Oscar winner Jon Voight, and Jennifer Aniston and her TV star father John – especially among younger generations.
Hailey Bieber is now undeniably more famous than dad Stephen Baldwin (though perhaps not uncle Alec), while Chris Pine, Charlie Sheen and Josh Brolin have given their respective famous fathers a serious run for their money.
Then there’s the likes of Gwyneth Paltrow and Ben Stiller, who’ve well and truly superseded their parents’ level of fame.
So, only time will tell which stars of the current generation of “nepo babies” will follow the same path – at least as far as MacDowell is concerned, Qualley is already there.
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