The movie industry in America is widely considered the fast track to stardom and riches, with new celebrities coming and going as time passes. It is no wonder that acting as a whole is a very competitive business. However, scandals within that industry are also very common. For example in 1985, when filming “Friday The 13th V: A New Beginning,” it was reported that the set was, “riddled with cocaine abuse.” Another example would be French actor and filmmaker, Roman Polanski drugging and having sexual relations with a 13 year old, with many Hollywood executives even defending him in court despite him pleading guilty. Hollywood is no stranger to scandals. However, in the present day, there is a more invisible and less talked about scandal right in front of most people’s eyes. It is the invisible roof rooted in nepotism that keeps new actors from rising to fame like most Hollywood stars today. It is a because source of inequality in the industry that needs to change.
Nepotism is considered to be an open secret that most within the industry are aware of. The earliest examples are Maya Hawke and Lily Rose Depp, offspring of very famous actors, yet their position is retained due to their connection to their parents. Some of these actors bury these things and try to stray away from their family ties, and insist that they fought to retain their position, while others embrace it. There is a problem however. Due to their massive ties, they receive bigger paychecks than others, and this can happen even if the role is small. Examples of this would be big name movie stars being featured in a small, lesser known studio’s films in order to take advantage of their name and negotiate a for larger pay. An example of this would be Scarlett Johansen and her role as Midge Campell in Wes Anderston’s “Asteroid City.” Actors of nepotism sometimes go the other route and star in big name titles, but do very small roles. An example of this being Samuel L. Jackson making $4-$6 million dollars for a cameo during the end credits scene of every Marvel movie. Another example would be when Ving Rhames was paid $77 million dollars for 39 seconds of screentime. Finally, Anthony Hopkins, known for his role as Hannibal Lecter in “Hannibal” (2001), made $15 million dollars reprising his role in “Hannibal: Red Dragon.” He was only on screen for 25 minutes.
Big names are very fun to look at, but leave no room for new talent in the industry to grow and thrive. It is a complicated business for sure, but one without clarity. If we want people to be able to succeed in this industry as much as these big name actors, there needs to be a form of change on the money making zeitgeist in Hollywood. It should be about telling stories while making money as a result. Otherwise, the acting industry may become in danger.
Sources
Bateman, Emilia. “Beyond the Screen: The Power of Nepotism Within Hollywood.” Scot Scoop News. Last modified October 21, 2025. https://scotscoop.com/beyond-the-screen-the-power-of-nepotism-within-hollywood/.
Marder, Hannah. “31 Actors Who Were Paid A TON Despite Doing — Fine, I’m Gonna Say It — Basically No Work.” BuzzFeed. Last modified October 18, 2025. https://www.buzzfeed.com/hannahmarder/actors-who-were-paid-tons-for-little-work.
Sellers, Christian. “Friday the 13th: A New Beginning (1985) Retrospective.” Friday the 13th: The Website. Last modified January 2, 2025. https://fridaythe13thfilms.com/friday-the-13th-part-5-retrospective.
