Meg Ryan Defends Son Jack Quaid From Nepo Baby Label

November 30, 2023 30

Meg Ryan is not here for anyone trying to call her and ex-husband Dennis Quaid‘s son, Jack Quaid, a “nepo baby.”

In a new interview with Glamour, Ryan, 62, called out those who have given her son, 31, the label that has become a hot topic in Hollywood in recent years. A “nepo baby” refers to anyone who is believed to be benefitting from their parent’s wealth, status or fame.

While some parents in Hollywood would love to see their children follow in their footsteps, the When Harry Met Sally star said she was actually dismayed to learn that Jack had acting aspirations and furthermore, that he was actually really good.

“You don’t wish it [on anyone]. It’s too hard and it’s too weird,” Ryan says of working in Hollywood and facing intense and often cruel scrutiny.

“Jack is really talented. He’s more of a natural than I’ll ever be. That nepo stuff is so dismissive of his work ethic, his gifts, and how sensitive he is to the idea of his privilege,” she continued.

For Ryan, she says she first knew Jack — who currently stars in Prime Video’s The Boys — was good more than two decades ago when he acted in a school play and wowed both of his professional actor parents.

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“I remember seeing him in a middle school production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” she says. “He was playing Bottom. I was newly divorced from his dad, and he was seated at the other side of the gym. I had my head in my hands and was like, ‘Oh, no. He’s good. He’s really good.’ I leaned forward, and I see Dennis, and he’s also leaning forward with his head in his hands. I just knew.”

Aside from his leading role in the Prime Video show, Jack has taken on numerous parts on the small and big screen. In 2022, he starred in the reboot of the Scream franchise alongside Jenna Ortega and Melissa Barrera. Earlier this year, he appeared in the 2023 blockbuster hit, Oppenheimer.

Ryan and Dennis welcomed Jack in 1992, a year after marrying on Valentine’s Day. The pair ended up divorcing in 2001 but remained amicable while raising Jack. For her part, Ryan went on to adopt her daughter, Daisy True Ryan, from China in 2006.

In 2016, the Sleepless in Seattle star said in an interview that of all the roles she has taken on in her life, motherhood may be the one that she counts as the most important.

“[Motherhood has changed me] fundamentally,” she told People. “I have two kids … and I think that part of my life served my [ability] to direct the best.”

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