Nicole Kidman’s niece Lucia Hawley reveals how she got her TV role

By Savanna Young for Daily Mail Australia

00:05 July 11, 2024, updated 00:34 July 11, 2024

Lucia Hawley has spoken about her career in the media and on television – but left out a very important detail.

The 26-year-old, daughter of former television presenter Antonia Kidman and niece of Hollywood actress Nicole Kidman, explained how her resume and previous roles helped her land her current job as red carpet presenter at 7Bravo.

In a TikTok video shared on Wednesday, Lucia described her personal journey from studying humanities at the elite University of Sydney to working as a production assistant to her current job, but did not mention her famous relatives.

“Basically my job is to be the local presenter for 7Bravo and the face of Australian Live From E! red carpet coverage, and that’s a lot,” she said.

“I did a Bachelor of Arts at the University of Sydney. Say what you want about art, everyone loves it. But it was one of the best things I’ve ever done. It honed my writing skills and really prepared me for the work I do now.

“Another thing that’s really valuable, especially when you’re doing a broad course like humanities, was that straight out of university I thought, ‘I want to work in the media industry, I want to be a presenter.’ So I would encourage you if you want to work in the media industry, just get your foot in the door somewhere.”

After graduating and interning at Vogue Australia, Lucia explained that she started working as an assistant at a production company and later applied for a job at 9Honey, Channel Nine’s women’s channel.

“I started working for a small production company called McEvoy Media and was a production assistant,” she continued.

“Being a production assistant is the lowest in the hierarchy of a production, but it’s one of the best jobs you can do. I created shooting schedules and worked with directors and cameramen.”

Lucia added: “Then I applied to 9Honey… The best thing about working for a publication, any publication, is that you get invited to events. You get invited to red carpet premieres, the ARIAs, the Logies.

“It doesn’t matter if you’re a presenter or not, a lot of the people who get interviewed on the red carpet at these events are journalists, and digital journalists at that. So there are a lot of opportunities to move into the presenting space if that’s what you want to do.”

About halfway through her stint at 9Honey, Lucia explained how she “worked up the courage” to tell her boss that she wanted to be on TV.

“I was very embarrassed to tell her at first because I thought, ‘Does this really seem superficial to me? Does she think I’m a weird guy and think I could even get on TV?'” said the brunette.

“But it was one of the best things I’ve ever done because she was so understanding and gave me opportunities that I wouldn’t have had otherwise.”

After presenting on the red carpets of the Logies and ARIAs and interviewing major Australian stars for the publication, the broadcaster put together a showreel for Lucia, who was eventually discovered by NBC Universal, her current employer.

“They saw my show come up. By a happy coincidence, they also auditioned for the role I have now,” she continued.

“So I auditioned… It was a big process. It was like memorizing a script. Then I had to look at some pictures from the Met Gala and kind of talk about it like I was doing a fashion show. I was so nervous.

“Five days later I had the job!”

The star also gave advice to anyone who wants to work in television or the media industry.

“If I had to name the most important piece of advice I’ve ever received, it would be this: Go out there and ask for opportunities. Never underestimate the power of putting yourself out there. If it’s not you, it’s someone else,” she concluded her video.

Some trolls pointed out in the comments that Lucia did not mention her aunt, actress Nicole, nor her mother Antonia, who was also a television presenter in the 2000s.

“Nicole Kidman helps,” wrote one user, while another added, “Or having a famous aunt to let you in the door.”

However, some fans defended Lucia and noted that she had worked her way up to her current role.

“What a trite answer. You still have to earn it and be happy with any job, no matter how many family members do the same thing,” one commented.

“Her mom is also a presenter and there’s nothing wrong with having relationships and she’s (actually) pretty good,” said another.

Some accuse Lucia of using her “Nepo Baby” contacts to advance her career in the media, but Lucia says she worked hard to get her “dream job.”

“I’ve been working towards this,” she told the Sunday Telegraph last year.

The term “Nepo Baby,” short for “nepotism baby,” comes from a recent article in New York Magazine denouncing U.S. celebrities who exploited their famous parents and relatives to build their careers.

Although this phenomenon is nothing new, it is increasingly being described with the term “Nepo-Baby”.

In her interview, Lucia admitted that her mother’s work as a well-known presenter was beneficial to her career – but only because it taught her “perspective” rather than opening doors for her.

“When you have a mother who’s been in the industry, you gain that perspective and understanding by osmosis. I think that was one of the things that helped me the most in preparing for this role. Just watching her and seeing how she fought through everything,” she said.

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