
Nepo baby Bessie Carter reveals the invaluable five-word piece of advice parents Jim and Imelda Staunton gave her before she broke into the industry
The Bridgerton actress, 31, is the daughter of The Crown and Harry Potter star Imelda Staunton, 69, and Downton Abbey icon Jim Carter, 76.
But many didn't know her parents' acting status when she rose to fame on the period Netflix show as the obnoxious Prudence Featherington.
Bessie has since revealed to 9honey Celebrity the five words of advice her parents gave her as she tried to make her mark in the industry.
She told the publication: 'They always just said, "follow what makes you happy", and I do think that's where abundance lies.
'When you follow what makes you happy and what lights you up, and they've led by example with that.'
Bessie previously hit back against claims she is a 'nepo baby' during an interview with The Independent.
Despite her parents huge successes in the world of acting, Bessie insisted she has worked for her career and 'doesn't really care' about the term 'nepo baby' being used.
'I have a lot of drive to make stuff happen myself, instead of waiting for the phone to ring,' she said.
'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.'
Supporting Bessie was her mother, with Imelda adding: 'There seem to be about 22 million more actors now.
'During the time of Maggie [Smith] and Robert Stephens [the late parents of the actor Toby Stephens], you could count actors with that level of celebrity on one hand.
'Now it's not unusual for children to have parents who are also actors, simply because there are so many of them.'
Bessie did however admit that she's taken inspiration from her parents and their successful careers, heaping praise onto the pair.
Her latest endeavour sees her star as Nancy Mitford in the new six-episode series Outrageous, which follows the lives of the Mitford sisters and is based on Mary S Lovell's biography.
After the show's release, Bessie and her cast celebrated at the Sea Containers hotel with the actress put up in a luxury suite with panoramic views across London.
Speaking to Tatler she was full of praise for her parents and their successful careers - and says she took inspiration from her mother Imelda for her latest role.
She said of playing real people: 'We're not imitating them, but we're taking the essence of them and trying to regurgitate it as truth.
'It's something my mother had to go to town with given that the Queen was so known by everyone… she smashed it!
'I think that's such a hard line, but really doing the voice and the physicality and then bringing your own proof to it, that's the fun.'
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