Bessie Carter doesn’t consider herself to be a ‘nepo baby’.
Bessie Carter feels proud of her success
The 31-year-old actress – who is the daughter of actors Dame Imelda Staunton and Jim Carter – has brushed off suggestions that she’s a so-called ‘nepo baby’, insisting she’s not used her parents’ fame and success to further her career.
Speaking to The Independent, Bessie explained: “I have a lot of drive to make stuff happen myself, instead of waiting for the phone to ring.”
The actress – who plays Prudence Featherington on the hit Netflix series ‘Bridgerton’ – insists that she’s worked hard for her success.
She reflected: “Some people might use that phrase (nepo baby), but I don’t really care. I believe in myself and my trajectory being what it is, and I’ve never used my parents, ever, to get any work.”
Despite this, Bessie still enjoys working in the same industry as her mother.
She said: “It’s really nice when I’m in hair and makeup and the makeup artist says, ‘I worked with your mum.’ Who wouldn’t like that?”
Imelda has enjoyed a hugely successful career, starring on stage and screen for decades. But Bessie only became truly aware of her mother’s success when she was cast in the ‘Harry Potter’ film franchise.
The actress shared: “Like most children, I grew up reading them and going to the bookshops at midnight, so that was quite exciting.”
Meanwhile, Bessie believes the timing of ‘Bridgerton’s release was one of the keys to its success.
The hit TV show – which is set during the Regency era in England – was released in December 2020, following the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and Bessie noted that fans were quick to attach themselves to the programme.
The actress – who has starred on the show alongside the likes of Jonathan Bailey and Nicola Coughlan – told the BBC: “It was December 2020, and I believe the world was ready to escape into something that was joyous, hopeful, and had a happy ending. And so … that’s the honest answer.
“I just think it was a delightful thing to look at, and hopefully a bit funny and a bit romantic.”
