Ben Stiller and Destry Spielberg refute Hollywood nepotism on Twitter

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Ben Stiller and Destry Spielberg, filmmaker and daughter of Steven Spielberg, took to Twitter to downplay the impact of Hollywood nepotism in a debate with The Black List founder Franklin Leonard.

On Tuesday, Leonard responded to a tweet announcing the casting of the short film “The Rightway,” which stars Hopper Penn, an actor and son of Sean Penn, and actor Brian D’Arcy James. The film is directed by Spielberg and written by Owen King, author and son of writer Stephen King.

“Hollywood is a meritocracy, right? Leonard said, noting that three of those involved are the children of successful Hollywood designers.

Ben Stiller, son of the late comedic actors Anne Meara and Jerry Stiller, replied, “Too easy @franklinleonard. People, work, create. Everyone has their own way. I wish them all the best.

When Leonard replied, “I do, without fail, but I also think it’s important that we recognize these paths,” Stiller replied, “Yes. I’m just speaking from experience, and I don’t know of any of them. between them I’d bet they all faced challenges. Different from those who don’t have access to the industry. Show biz, as we all know, is pretty rough and ultimately is a meritocracy. “

Franklin then said, “I have no doubt for a second that they all faced challenges. They are human. I simply reject the claim that the industry is – short or long term – a meritocracy. If so, how do you explain the complete lack of diversity behind the camera? Lack of merit?

Agreeing with Leonard, Stiller said that “diversity is a much bigger issue,” but that “people without talent don’t really last if they take a break because of who they are or know or are related to. “.

Leonard went on to assert that “statistically speaking, about 1/3 of the industry has its job not out of merit, but because of other factors (who they know about, colonial heritage, sexism, whatever)”.

He continued, “It’s not just access. It is an understatement. It is active discrimination. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. The Hollywood film C-suite is the least diversified sector of American business. Less diverse than Trump’s cabinet.

In another thread, Leonard said, “The difference is that most of these people will recognize the nepotism that has contributed to their success. Like I said, people in Hollywood tend to believe that this is pure meritocracy and that their success is only an indication of their merit, ”to which Stiller replied,“ Wow . Ah good? I owe a huge debt to my parents and in no way did I say no. Why make big generalizations? Your argument on diversity is very strong and I agree with it.

In a final tweet on the topic, Stiller wrote, “Your perspective lit up a POV for me. We may not quite agree with the generalization that most people in Hollywood believe one thing or another. But that’s less important than what you’re saying about the company’s steep and uneven overall landscape.

Destry responded to both Stiller and Leonard, writing in a now-deleted tweet: “I’m just an aspiring young filmmaker who admires the art of filmmaking. People can argue about nepotism, but I know deep down that I worked hard to get to where I am and it wasn’t easy. Beyond the pride of this film and the team it took to make it.

She then clarified her tweet by stating, “I admit I was born with privilege! I have it through and through! My mission is to bring new talents into the industry and to provide opportunities for artists from all walks of life. No one should be left out because of the connections they don’t have.

After the debate was featured in a segment on “The View,” Leonard wrote, “The other remarkable part of this is that the conversation was hijacked in a referendum on nepotism and the talents of its beneficiaries instead of one about the systems that prevent other talented people from getting the opportunities their talent deserves.

Concluding the Twitter thread on the subject, Leonard wrote, “I’ll say it again: if you believe this is meritocracy, explain Hollywood’s utter lack of diversity behind the camera.

Representatives for Stiller and Spielberg did not respond to Varietyrequest for comments.

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