Ryan Phillippe has shared his annoyance about “nepotism talk” as his children enter the entertainment industry.
The Cruel Intentions star, who shares daughter Ava and son Deacon with his ex Reese Witherspoon, spoke in an interview with Extra about his children following in their parents’ famous footsteps.
Witherspoon and Philippe’s son and daughter have both pursued careers in the limelight – Ava in acting and Deacon in music.
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While speaking of his children’s aspirations, Phillippe touched on the conversation around nepotism.
“That’s what always annoys me about this whole nepotism talk with the industry,” he said.
“So many people grow up and end up doing what their parents do, to some degree or another.”
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Phillippe continued to express his frustration around the topic, sharing that it makes sense for so-called “nepo babies” to fill the shoes of those who raised them.
“To me, I always get offended for the children of actors and entertainers when people bring that up because yeah, of course, that’s what they’ve grown up around,” he said.
He continued to make a point that children of the industry are likely the best prepared to handle the stress of the industry.
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“By the way, that familiarity makes them handle some of what is hard about this industry. You’ve gotta have a thick skin,” he explained.
“These kids have grown up watching on set with Reese or with me,” he added. “It seems natural, I think.”
Ava, who many say is a spitting image of Witherspoon, followed her mum’s footsteps in acting.
“She’s sort of getting her feet wet, you know? She’s taking time to figure out exactly what it is she wants to do,” Phillipe said of her new venture.
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Meanwhile Deacon is an aspiring musician.
“He’s really evolving as a musician,” Phillippe added.
“He’s put out a lot of really good stuff at a young age, and I’m excited to see what the future holds for him, and I just feel the world is lucky to have him.”
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