Nepotism calls the shots in Running Point

In the comedy series, actress Kate Hudson's character is suddenly put in charge of the basketball team her family owns

- Alison de Souza

And the sports comedy co-created by American actress Mindy Kaling and available on Netflix repeatedly makes jokes about her character being a "nepo baby", or beneficiary of nepotism.

This could be seen as ironic given that Hudson is viewed by some as a nepo baby herself, having been raised by two Hollywood stars - mother Goldie Hawn, 79, and Hawn's long-time boyfriend Kurt Russell, 74.

But the 45-year-old American actress does not think nepotism gets you very far in her profession.

"'Nepo baby' in the arts doesn't really make sense because you either like what people do or you don't," says Hudson at a New York screening of Running Point. The series also stars Chet Hanks, the 34-year-old son of American actors Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson, both 68.

"So, nepotism could get your foot in the door - you know certain people, you grew up with certain people - but you're either going to be someone who makes it happen or not."

However, nepotism in business is a totally different thing, adds Hudson, who starred in the musical drama Almost Famous (2000) and romantic comedies such as How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days (2003).