Nico Parker doesn’t shy away from nepo baby

Nico Parker – the daughter of Thandiwe Newton and Ol Parker – insists it is important to acknowledge being a “nepo baby”.

Nico Parker insists it is important to acknowledge being a “nepo baby”.

The 20-year-old actress – who is the daughter of director-and-writer Ol Parker and actress Thandiwe Newton – won’t “discredit” her own achievements but she’s also happy to give “full credit” to her parents for where she is today.

She told Sunday Times Style magazine: “I never want to discredit myself and what I’ve done, but I also want to give full credit to my parents. They’ve both had brilliant careers and I am really fortunate because I get to reap the benefits.

“Especially very early in my career, I think you walk into rooms in a different way because people know who your parents are. You do need to acknowledge it — if you don’t, where does that leave you? I totally get why it’s annoying.”

Despite her own acting success, the How To Train Your Dragon star admitted she found her mother’s career “boring” when she was growing up and spent time on set with her siblings Ripley, now 24, and 11-year-old Booker.

She said: “I remember being fascinated in the sense it was a movie set, and you can feel the air is different.

“However, then you sit down and watch the monitor and she just talks, talks, talks … I was just like, ‘My God you have a boring job.’

“I remember it felt like a secret because people would say, ‘Your mum’s job is so cool,’ and I’d be like, ‘No it’s not, you don’t understand. She does nothing.’”

And Nico recalled feeling embarrassed by Thandiwe when she was younger.

She admitted: “She’d wear things and I’d be like, ‘Mum, oh my God.’ I would walk in front of her when she would pick me up from school. But in hindsight she had it so figured out.”

These days, Nico is happy to “borrow” items from Thandiwe’s wardrobe – but admitted the Crash actress doesn’t always notice.

She said: “All the time. Is it borrowing or is it stealing? I know she’ll read this and text me. But my mum has loads of cool stuff that she doesn’t even wear.”

Nico loves her career but sometimes wishes she had a “normal” life like her old school friends.

She said: “A lot of my closest friends are at university and doing what you could view as the ‘normal’ 20-year-old experience.

“And when I go visit them part of me wishes this is what I was doing. But I really enjoy working.”