A NEPO-BABY film director has called on the services of his film star father for his latest movie project.
The father and son duo wrote the screenplay together, with the flick described as an “exploration of the relationships between fathers, sons and brothers, and the dynamics of familial bonds”.
In October 2024, it was revealed Daniel Day-Lewis was set to come out of his retirement from acting to star in his son Ronan Day-Lewis ‘ directorial debut.
The triple Oscar-winner’s last film was the 2017 movie, Phantom Thread, based on the fashion world of 1950s London.
Now Ronan, 27, who grew up in Ireland, is at the helm of new flick Anemone, which will premiere at the New York Film Festival and hit screens worldwide in October.
Along with Daniel, the movie has an impressive cast which includes Sean Bean , Samantha Morton , Samuel Bottomley and Safia Oakley-Green.
STAR QUALITY
Born on June 14, 1998, Ronan Day-Lewis is a filmmaker.
The Yale University graduate’s early movie work included short flick The Sheep and the Wolf and a trilogy of videos commissioned for Les Enfants Terribles.
He is also an artist and has an exhibition in Hong Kong.
Ronan has grown up in an entertainment family as his dad is Daniel and his mum is filmmaker Rebecca Miller.
But the showbiz connections don’t stop there, as his grandfather is the late playwright Arthur Miller , who was once married Marilyn Monroe .
Ronan has two brothers – Cashel, who he shares the same mum with, and Gabriel who was born during his dad’s first marriage.
DAD’S SON
Ronan’s dad is regarded as one of the greatest actors of his generation.
He has won the Best Actor Oscar three times for his performances in My Left Foot, There Will Be Blood, and Lincoln.
Daniel is known for being a method actor and has gone to extreme lengths in his devotion to his roles, staying in character even to the point of harming his health.
In The Name Of The Father, Daniel lived on prison rations and went without sleep before suffering a broken nose and a damaged disc in his back as he trained for The Boxer in 1997.
What is a Nepo Baby?
A ‘nepo baby’ is a colloquial term used to describe individuals who have gained opportunities or success in their careers primarily due to familial connections or the influence of their well-known or wealthy parents, rather than solely through their own talent, skills, or efforts.
The term ‘nepo’ is short for ‘nepotism’, which refers to favouritism granted to relatives or close friends, often in a professional context.
Key Characteristics:
- Inherited advantage: Nepo babies often benefit from their family’s established reputation, wealth, or industry connections.
- Access to networks: They typically have easier access to influential networks and resources within their chosen field.
- Public perception: The term can carry a negative connotation, implying that their success is not entirely merit-based.
Industries Affected:
- Entertainment: Many actors, musicians, and other performers are often labeled as nepo babies if they have famous parents.
- Business: Individuals who inherit or are given significant roles in family-owned businesses.
- Politics: Politicians who follow in the footsteps of their parents or other relatives.
Examples:
- Children of famous actors who become actors themselves.
- Heirs to business empires who assume executive roles.
- Offspring of political figures who enter public office.
The concept of nepo babies is often debated, with some arguing that it undermines the notion of meritocracy.
Meanwhile, others believe that it is natural for families to support and help each other succeed.
Daniel is notably selective when it comes to his roles, having only starred in six films since 1998.
In 2014, he was awarded Knighthood for his services to drama.
Previously, he told how he was “quite a hands on parent” and told how his life was “enriched in every single way by my boys.”
He told of fatherhood to MailOnline and said: “I, like my parents before me, am endlessly saying, ‘When I was a kid’ – and who cares about that?
“They don’t care. It’s their experience, that’s the important thing.
“You recognise characteristics of your own parents in yourself that you swore as a kid you’d never be like. And yet you are.”
