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M3GAN star and executive producer Allison Williams is very close with her famous dad, Brian Williams, the former anchor of NBC Nightly News. The actress’ mom, Jane Gillan Stoddard, is a TV producer. 

Allison Williams rose to fame as Marnie Michaels on the HBO series, Girls. From there, she went on to star as Rose Armitage in the horror film, Get Out. She now has another scary hit on her hands with M3GAN

The new film centers around Gemma, a roboticist who inherits custody of her niece after the girl’s parents die in a car crash. Because she has no experience raising children, Gemma enlists the help of a lifelike doll she created. The doll gets a little too overprotective of the girl and becomes destructive. 

Allison’s dad has had a front-row seat to his daughter’s success, and all that comes with it. 

Allison Williams says she is a ‘nepo-baby’

Allison Williams smiles during an interview on the "Today" Show.
Allison Williams appears on the “Today” show to promote “M3GAN” I Nathan Congleton/NBC

Williams grew up with her anchorman dad and producer mom in Connecticut. She then attended Yale. 

In an interview with Vulture, Williams called herself a “nepo-baby”. She acknowledged that her father’s connections were what likely got her some jobs, such as being a PA on the set of A Prairie Home Companion and Tina Fey’s assistant’s assistant.  

“All that people are looking for is an acknowledgment that it’s not a level playing field,” Williams said. “It’s just unfair. Period, end of the story, and no one’s really working that hard to make it fair. To not acknowledge that me getting started as an actress versus someone with zero connections isn’t the same — it’s ludicrous. It doesn’t take anything away from the work that I’ve done. It just means that it’s not as fun to root for me.”

Allison Williams is asked what her dad thought of her sex scenes

The Girls star has been interviewed by hosts such as Stephen Colbert, David Letterman and Anderson Cooper, who most likely know her dad. 

Ten years ago, it wasn’t widely seen as inappropriate for these men to ask her what her father thought of her sex scenes, or how he felt about some of her more graphic moments on Girls. So they did. 

She happily answered at the time, but now feels that these types of questions, “did not disturb me enough”.

And what did Brian Williams think of his daughter’s sex scenes? 

Related

Here’s What Terrified ‘M3GAN’ Star Allison Williams on Set

Vulture asked its own question to Brian Williams back in 2012, “What is it like watching Girls for you? Are you covering your eyes?”

Williams’ reply was, “No, no. It’s kvelling, pride. It’s incredibly great. Her co-creator and I have known always that she was going to be an actress. So it’s fantastic.” 

Even after the interviewer doubled down and asked if he was “fine” with the awkward sex scenes, he held his ground by answering, “unmitigated joy”.

The M3GAN star had a particularly explicit scene in the season 4 premiere of Girls, which she watched with her father. The dad and daughter were perfectly comfortable while watching, but co-star Jemima Kirke felt pretty embarrassed.

Kirke told Vulture, “I was so nervous. I don’t even know him, but can you imagine (with this)?! Watching a kissing scene with my dad next to me is awful, let alone with you getting — whatever that’s called — motorboated in your a–.”