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Ben Stiller gets into a heated Twitter debate over nepotism in Hollywood; Calls showbiz a meritocracy
Ben Stiller recently got into a Twitter debate over nepotism in Hollywood. Scroll down to see what the Zoolander actor had to say about showbiz.
Actor Ben Stiller recently got into a Twitter war over nepotism in Hollywood. The award-winning star, 55, responded to a tweet by Franklin Leonard, founder of The Black List, in which Leonard shared an article about the children of several Hollywood stars working on a short film together. The article he shared discussed a short film, The Rightway, starring Hopper Penn, Sean Penn's son, and Brian d'Arcy James. The film is being directed by Destry Spielberg, Steven Spielberg's daughter, and was written by Owen King, Stephen King's son. (James' uncle was Brian Kelly, who produced Blade Runner, while his grandfather was the former governor of Michigan Harry Kelly.) "Hollywood's a meritocracy, right?" Leonard tweeted alongside the article.
Stiller, who is the son of comedy legends Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara, responded to the tweet, writing, "Too easy @franklinleonard. People, working, creating. Everyone has their path. Wish them all the best." Leonard tweeted back, "I do, without fail, but I also think it's important that we acknowledge those paths."
The Zoolander star then wrote, "Yes. Just speaking from experience, and I don't know any of them, I would bet they all have faced challenges. Different than those with no access to the industry. Show biz as we all know is pretty rough, and ultimately is a meritocracy."
The debate with Leonard continued as he responded with, "I don't for a second doubt that they've all faced challenges. They're human. I simply reject the claim that the industry is - in the short term or long term - a meritocracy." "If it were, how do you explain the utter lack of diversity behind the camera? Lack of merit?" Leonard added.
Stiller tweeted, "100 percent agree. Diversity is much bigger issue. No question. And I see your point, access is access. So yes. I'm saying that untalented people don't really last if they get a break because of who they are or know or are related to."
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