Keira Knightley reveals why she is proud of ‘nepo baby’ status in controversial admission

Keira Knightley has opened up about why she is proud of her 'nepo baby' status in a controversial new admission.

Now, it's clear that the 40-year-old British actress has a very impressive filmography under her sleeve, having starred in countless box-office smash-hits, including Pirates of the Caribbean, Pride & Prejudice, Atonement, Bend It Like Beckham, Anna Karenina, and, of course, Love Actually.

After her decades-spanning career, Keira's successfully cemented herself as one of the nation's most-loved stars - and it seems the apple doesn't fall far from the tree, given that both her parents are also in the 'biz.

Yep, the twice Academy Award-nominated star is the daughter of playwright Sharman MacDonald and actor Will Knightley.

But, despite all the chat on social media calling out various 'nepo babies' (including Billie Eilish, Nicolas Cage, Lily-Rose Depp and even Sabrina Carpenter), it's clear that Keira quite frankly couldn't care less about the label after publicly identifying herself as a 'nepo baby', acknowledging that her renowned parents provided her with 'connections' in the acting world.

Keira Knightley has opened up about her 'nepo baby' status in a brand-new podcast interview (Variety / Contributor / Getty Images)

Speaking on Giovanna Fletcher’s Happy Mum Happy Baby podcast, the mum-of-two was asked by the host 'if the whole nepo baby thing annoyed' her.

Giovanna continued: "I think it’s a really difficult subject when you’ve got parents who are working and they’re jobbing creatives. You know but you still have to deliver. You still have to have a talent."

Keira replied: "I don’t know about annoyed, I think I am a nepo baby.

"I mean my first proper agent was because she was my mum’s best mate, and she’s still my agent today. So, I mean, I think it is true that there are connections that are made, and it’s true that within creative families, you know, a lot of the actors I know, it is generational.

"And I think partly that is because it is a lifestyle; it’s a way of life that is quite other from a 9-to-5 job."

The Love Actually star said she is not 'annoyed' by the label (YouTube/Happy Mum Happy Baby)

She was then asked: "So, do you think it’s more a case that we have to change our view of how we perceive even the word?"

"Well I don’t know about that. I think it’s a similar thing to quite often builders, I was doing a lot of work on my house recently, and it’s a family of builders," Keira quipped.

"You know, building companies go through generations. Doctors tend to go through generations. You get a lot of lawyers, I think you grow up in a particular environment, and if you like the environment you grew up in, you will gravitate towards that environment."

Giovanna then chimed in: "Though you don’t see a doctor whose dad’s a doctor and go, 'nepo baby'."

"No, you don’t," Keira went on. "I mean, but look, the entertainment industry is very loud, the noise around the entertainment industry, and I think you know that going into it."

Speaking about her two children, whom she shares with musician James Righton, she added: "If my children, neither of them is showing any interest whatsoever, but if that’s what they choose to do, then that’s what they’ll have to deal with. And I’m sure they’ll have an answer to it.

"Ultimately, with every job, no matter what it is, you might have help through the door, which is not nothing. But unless you bring the goods, you’re going to be chucked out very quickly."