Surprising Hollywood connection between Esther McGregor and Emily Alyn Lind of TV series We Were Liars

You might not recognise them, but these co-stars from a show that’s the talk of the internet right now have one surprising thing in common.

Book fans were delighted when it was announced the 2014 bestselling novel We Were Liars was getting a TV adaptation nearly a decade later.

The Prime series came out on June 18 with a cast of Hollywood up-and-comers, including Australia’s very own Joseph Zada, soon to be in the new Hunger Games film.

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But out the cast, there’s two rising stars who have a hidden link.

Esther McGregor and Emily Alyn Lind, both 23, have leading roles on the show.

If their names haven’t already given it away, we’ll give you a hint: they both have pretty famous Hollywood connections.

Any guesses who they’re related to?

Well, Esther is the daughter of actor Ewan McGregor, AKA Obi-Wan Kenobi himself, and his ex-wife production designer Eve Mavrakis.

Meanwhile, Emily’s mum is ’00s TV icon Barbara Alyn Woods, of One Tree Hill and Honey, I Shrunk the Kids fame, and her ex-husband producer John Lind.

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The co-stars have both followed in their famous parents’ footsteps to become actors.

Esther made her on-screen debut with a cameo in the 2022 series Obi-Wan Kenobi.

She’s gone on to star in The Room Next Door with Tilda Swinton and Julianne Moore and Nicole Kidman’s 2024 erotic thriller, Babygirl.

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Emily started acting when she was just six.

She made her screen debut in the 2008 film The Secret Life of Bees.

All the celebs you might not have realised are nepo babies

The 23-year-old has since been in The Babysitter films, the 2021 Gossip Girl reboot series, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire and had a role on the series Revenge. 

Emily even worked with Ewan McGregor on the 2019 film Doctor Sleep.

”It was so weird. He’s like, ‘I have a young daughter, your age exactly. You guys are both artists, weird kids with short hair. You guys would be friends’,” Emily recalled Ewan telling her before she met his daughter Esther in an interview with People.

One term that’s been thrown around a lot in recent years is “Nepo Baby”.

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There’s been much discussion in recent years around actors who have parents in the industry and the perceived advantages that come with those connections.

While some stars have rebutted against the title, Esther acknowledged her famous family tie had “opened doors”.

“Of course, my dad is an actor in the industry and I’ve been so privileged to have been able to grow up on sets and find my love for acting at such a young age – I don’t think I would have if I wasn’t around it,” she told Variety.

“I don’t think I’d ever take being called a Nepo Baby negatively. If you want to, you can, but I won’t let it diminish the f—–g hard work that I’ve put into this.”

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In a recent interview on the Zach Sang Show, Emily weighed in on the nepotism debate, praising her mum for driving her to auditions and supporting her.

”I think it’s really important to say that that is something that I am grateful and understand and aware of, because a lot of people are like, ‘no, I didn’t have help’,” she said.

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