Stellan Skarsgård Reveals the Toll of Nepo Baby Labels on His 13-Year-Old Son
Stellan Skarsgård says his 13-year-old son Kolbjörn is being labeled a nepo baby at school, as the Good Will Hunting star opens up about the toll of nepotism on his family.
Stellan Skarsgard has heard enough about nepo babies, and his response is very Stellan: flip it on its head. While out promoting his new film Sentimental Value, the Swedish legend behind Good Will Hunting and Mamma Mia talked about how the favoritism conversation actually plays out in his family — and why it is hurting his youngest kid.
His take: if anything, he benefits from his kids
"No. I consider myself a nepo daddy because I get so much goodwill and maybe jobs because of them."
Asked by Vulture if he considers his children nepo babies, Skarsgard said the goodwill often goes the other way: he suspects he gets a friendlier look because of their reputations, not the reverse. And in terms of actual hookups, he drew a line: he has not recommended his kids for jobs, and he says they have not recommended him either. No mutual back-scratching.
The part that actually stings
Skarsgard also shared something a lot less abstract: his 13-year-old son, Kolbjorn, is getting tagged as a nepo baby at school. According to Skarsgard, being branded like that has left his youngest isolated — he says the kid gets called the label, gets sad, and ends up without friends. Skarsgard called the behavior cruel and online-fueled, and he pushed back on the whole idea anyway, arguing that you do not get hired for anything worthwhile if you are not actually good.
Why this matters (and the basics)
- Skarsgard did the interview with Vulture while promoting Sentimental Value.
- He is 74, Swedish, and widely known for character roles in films like Good Will Hunting and Mamma Mia.
- He has eight children, and most of them act.
- The youngest, 13-year-old Kolbjorn, is bearing the brunt of the nepo-baby labeling at school, per Skarsgard.
Celebrity families have been wading through this debate for years, but Skarsgard makes it pretty clear he does not buy that his own clan fits the narrative. And whether or not you agree with him on the industry part, the schoolyard fallout sounds brutal.