Fernanda Torres, the Brazilian actress who won the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Drama, doesn’t like how Hollywood is so focused on “nepo babies.” She thinks this conversation distracts from more important issues of inequality.
The award went to Torres for her quiet performance in “I’m Still Here.” Torres comes from a famous entertainment family; her mother is the famous actress Fernanda Montenegro. She is proud of her background but criticizes the entertainment business for focusing too much on nepotism.
In an interview with IndieWire after her win, Torres said, “I’m now the nepotism baby that proved that it’s worth living.” She disagreed with the idea that people with ties should be fired right away, saying, “You don’t have to kill a repo baby as soon as he is born.” People learn from their surroundings; this idea is very old.
The phrase “nepo baby” became popular after a New York Magazine story about family ties in Hollywood went viral. Torres says this debate distracts attention from systemic issues like health care and education.
She said, “The real fight is for good education for everyone.” There is more to inequality than just the chances that nepotism kids get. It wouldn’t fix injustice to get rid of all nepotism babies. Focus on taxing those with a lot of money and ensuring everyone has access to health care and education.
The 59-year-old Torres’s Golden Globe win is a big deal in her work. Brazil celebrated the win. President Lula tweeted to congratulate the winner, and the mayor of Rio de Janeiro sent a firetruck to greet the winner as he arrived home.
In Walter Salles’s award-winning film, Torres plays Eunice Paiva, a lawyer and activist from Brazil who bravely fought against the military regime in the 1970s after her husband was taken away against her will. This part brings her back together with Salles, who directed her in “Foreign Land” and “Midnight” in the 1990s.
Growing up in a theater-loving family, Torres thinks about how her actor parents shaped her: “The dining room table was where my parents practiced.” It’s not easy to be a nepotism baby. You have to find your way.”
As awards season goes on, Torres could become the second Brazilian actress nominated for an Oscar. The first was her mother, nominated for “Central Station” in 1999. She keeps pushing for the conversation to shift from inherited privilege to structural change, saying, “Today, we are fighting many pointless battles.” Fighting inequality, taxing the rich, and keeping the internet world safe are the things we need to focus on. The actual issues are those.