Two of Hollywood’s most recognizable surnames are back in the news, not because of their legendary parents, but because their daughters are beginning to carve their own paths — cautiously, creatively, and very much in the public eye.
Ava Philippe, daughter of Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Phillippe, has officially entered the acting world, while Apple Martin, daughter of Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin, is teasing the beginning of her own career in the arts. While both are commonly labeled as “nepo babies,” their approaches to fame diverge — and the choices they make now may shape their identities far beyond their famous last names.
Ava Philippe’s Debut: Doctor Odyssey and a Nepo Baby Trifecta
Ava’s official on-screen debut comes via the campy nighttime soap Doctor Odyssey. Her role? A bikini-clad nod to Elle Woods — her mother’s iconic character from Legally Blonde. In a scene that some have called cheekily self-referential, Ava appears alongside Paris Jackson and Charlotte Lawrence. The trio is cast as a group attempting to seduce Joshua Jackson’s character — a surreal moment considering Jackson is closer in age to their parents than to them.
At 25, Ava has waited longer than most celebrity children to step into the acting arena. Many begin auditioning and accepting roles as soon as they legally can at 18, but Ava has taken a more measured approach. Her debut feels less like a push for stardom and more like a creative endeavor done on her own timeline — but with significant industry support nonetheless. Both her mother and Charlotte Lawrence’s father, Bill Lawrence, are influential producers.
This role, while lighthearted, is likely only the beginning. Ava seems to be dipping a toe into the business for now — but with connections like hers, it won’t be long before more serious projects come calling.
Apple Martin’s Soft Launch: From Intern to Interview Star
While Ava’s debut is visual and dramatic, Apple Martin’s entry into the cultural conversation has been more cerebral and stylish. In her first official profile with Interview magazine, she sits down with editor Mel Ottenberg, a celebrity whisperer known for drawing out personalities from even the most reticent of stars.
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Apple, now 20, is still in university and, as she puts it, “dabbling” in law. She doesn’t yet have an IMDb page, and she claims she’s not aiming for one — at least not just yet. Instead, she discusses her school production of a Love Island parody, her interest in astrology, and her conflicted relationship with fame and social media.
“I have a private Instagram,” she tells Ottenberg. “But I don’t read the comments. They make me feel anxious.”
She adds that while she’s open to theatre, she’s not interested in film or television — for now. But for a young woman raised by Gwyneth Paltrow and Coldplay’s frontman, it’s hard to imagine the arts not pulling her in deeper.
Apple’s conversation also touches on her mother’s fashion archive (including Calvin Klein classics), the constant “surveillance state” of growing up in a famous family, and the emotional weight of being young in today’s political climate.
“I want to have a disco summer,” she says — perhaps a wink at both her desire to escape and her growing sense of creative identity.
The Weight of the Nepo Baby Label
Neither Ava nor Apple shies away from their parentage. But unlike the younger generation of TikTok-famous nepo babies who often treat their lineage as a brand, both women seem more subdued — aware of what the label carries, but not desperate to redefine it.
In fact, Apple sidesteps the term completely. She doesn’t claim it’s “harder” for nepo babies — a sentiment that has drawn widespread backlash when expressed by others. Instead, she focuses on her own boundaries and anxieties.
There’s a level of awareness in both young women’s approach. They know that fame at their age means everything sticks — the interviews, the outfits, the romantic flings. The pre-fame era, as some cultural critics call it, is the most fragile moment for legacy kids. It’s when every quote and candid photo becomes a breadcrumb toward the narrative they haven’t quite written yet.
A Calculated First Step — But Toward What?
The real question in all this attention is: Why now?
Neither Ava nor Apple needs to work in the traditional sense. Their debuts don’t seem driven by financial need or even external pressure. Rather, both feel like calculated steps toward something more long-term. Apple’s interview, in particular, is a deliberate entry into the “right” rooms of culture.
Interviewing with Mel Ottenberg, someone respected within fashion and creative circles, ensures she’s taken seriously without being overexposed. It’s a classic soft-launch — intimate, stylish, and self-aware. And Ava’s choice to debut in a stylized, campy soap rather than a blockbuster speaks to a desire for agency, not just screen time.
It’s worth noting that Apple’s stepfather, Brad Falchuk, is a producer on 9-1-1: Nashville, a show filmed in the same city where she currently attends university. The odds of a cameo, or even a recurring role, aren’t far-fetched. Likewise, Ava could easily show up in one of her mother’s Hello Sunshine productions. The infrastructure for these careers has existed since birth — now it’s about deciding how to use it.
A Different Kind of Legacy
For all the criticism around nepotism in Hollywood, these two examples show that not every nepo baby is interested in rushing toward the spotlight. Some are easing into it, quietly observing and curating their own stories before inviting the rest of us in.
Apple Martin and Ava Philippe aren’t asking for forgiveness for their privilege — but they’re also not weaponizing it. And in a media environment that often swings between adoration and condemnation, that measured tone may be their greatest strength.
So far, they’ve made all the right moves — understated, thoughtful, and stylishly on-brand. Whether this leads to big-screen stardom or just the occasional artistic project, one thing is clear: The next generation of fame doesn’t have to be loud to be seen.
