You gotta respect his humility.
Jack Quaid, known for his role in “The Boys,” has openly acknowledged the label of ‘nepo baby’—a term used to describe the children of celebrities who benefit from their parents’ fame. In a candid interview with The Daily Beast, Quaid, the son of actors Dennis Quaid and Meg Ryan, reflected on his privileged position in the industry.
“I’m inclined to agree,” Quaid said. “I am an immensely privileged person, was able to get representation pretty early on, and that’s more than half the battle. I knew the door was open for me in a lot of ways that it’s just not for a lot of actors. And I’ve just tried to work as hard as I possibly can to prove that I deserve to walk through that door. So if that’s in the rom-com space, it’s got to be different enough, and I need to work my a– off.”
Quaid’s mother, Meg Ryan, is renowned as the “undisputed queen of rom-coms,” a title that added to the unique challenges and opportunities he faced in Hollywood. Despite this, Ryan defended her son against the nepo baby label in a November interview with Glamour. “That nepo stuff is so dismissive of his work ethic, his gifts, and how sensitive he is to the idea of his privilege,” Ryan remarked.
Reflecting on his mother’s defense, Quaid said, “My first thought was like, she’s being a mom. She’s being a loving mom. But I don’t think she’s trying to say that I’m not a nepo baby. I think she’s just trying to say that, in her opinion, it undermines my talent. I don’t think it undermines my talent. I know that I work hard, and I know I’ve heard ‘no’ way more than I’ve heard ‘yes.’ But I also know that this industry is insanely hard to break into, and I had an easier time doing that than most. Both things can be true. So no, I don’t think she was trying to say that I’m not a privileged person. She knows. She must know. I think she was being a mom.”
Born 32 years ago, Quaid entered the world a little over a year before the release of Ryan’s iconic romantic comedy, “Sleepless in Seattle.” Despite his early start and family connections, Quaid continues to strive to prove his merit in the entertainment industry.
