Source - broadwayworld.com

Ben Stiller riles up Twitter for downplaying role

Actor Ben Stiller was recently involved in a Twitter dispute over Hollywood nepotism. The 55-year-old award-winning star responded to a tweet of Franklin Leonard, founder Of the Black List. Leonard shared an essay about several children working together on a short movie. The article he shared focused on The Right way, which stars Sean Penn's son Hopper Penn and Brian d'Arcy James. Destry Spielberg, Steven Spielberg's daughter, is directing the film. It was written and directed by Owen King, Stephen King's son. (James was raised by Brian Kelly, the director of Blade Runner. His grandfather, Harry Kelly, was once governor of Michigan. "Hollywood is a meritocracy, right?" Leonard tweeted along with the article.

Stiller is the son of comedy legends Jerry Stiller& Anne Meara. He responded to the tweet with the following: "Too simple @franklinleonard. People, working, creating. Everybody has a path. We wish them all the very best. Leonard responded, "I do. Without fail. But I also think it is important that we acknowledge these paths. Leonard continued to debate Leonard, responding with, "I don't doubt that they've all experienced challenges." They're all human. I reject the notion that the industry is a meritocracy - whether in the short or long term.

Stiller tweeted, "100 percent agree. Diversity is an even bigger problem. No question. And, I can see your point. Access is always access. So yes. I believe that people who aren't talented don't last long if they get a break due to their relationships or other connections. Leonard stated that the reason 1/3 of the workforce has a job is not that they are meritorious but because of other factors, such as who they know, colonial history, sexism or whatever. He added, "It is not only access. It's also undervaluation. Active discrimination is the result. That's only the tip of an iceberg. The Hollywood film C-suite represents the lowest diversity sector of American business. It is less diverse than Trump's cabinet."

About whether people were getting Hollywood

Image source - pinkvilla.com

Leonard added that the difference between Leonard and other threads was that many of these people would admit to nepotism having contributed to their success. Hollywood folks, as I said, believe that Hollywood is a pure meritocracy. Their success is an indication only of their merit," Stiller responded. Are you serious? I owe my family a lot of debt and have never said that I didn't. Is it wrong to make generalizations about diversity? Your diversity argument is sound, and I have to agree with it.

Stiller concluded the discussion with a tweet, writing, "Your perspective illuminated my POV. While we may not all agree on the conclusion that Hollywood folk believe one thing, we can certainly agree on the fact that Hollywood people generally believe another. It's not as important as what you have to say about the uneven and very tilted business landscape. Destry wrote in a now-deleted Twitter, "I'm just a young, aspiring female filmmaker who enjoys the art and craft of cinema." Although some people may disagree with my assertions about nepotism, I believe deep down that it was hard work that got me to where I am.