Celebs Who Come From Famous Families
Some of our most beloved actors grew up on TV and movie sets.
Kids who have parents or relatives in show business often grow up on television and movie sets. Some end up wanting nothing to do with Hollywood, while others are inspired to follow in their forebears' footsteps. Thus, a number of famed actors and celebrities (like Tracee Ellis Ross and Miley Cyrus) come from a line of famous people; some of these celebs have made a name for themselves in their own right, and it might be surprising to learn they're not the first in their family to make it in show biz. Below, 32 celebrities who come from famous families.
Charlie Sheen and Emilio Estevez
Emilio Estevez and Charlie Sheen followed their father (celebrated actor Martin Sheen) into show business. Actually, all four of Sheen's children are actors and there have been several family collaborations; Estevez, Sheen, and Sheen's daughter Renée even worked together on 2010's The Way, which they re-released in 2023.
Hailey Bieber
You're probably most familiar with Hailey Bieber because of her modeling work (and marriage to Justin Bieber in 2018), but she's also the daughter of the youngest Baldwin brother, Stephen. She has said she admires her parents' decades-long marriage, as well as their attempts to keep her out of the spotlight when she was young.
Dakota Johnson
Dakota Johnson has a great celebrity lineage (Don Johnson and Melanie Griffith are her parents), and she actually started acting as a kid. Her parents wanted to give her a normal childhood and didn't actively encourage acting as a profession, but they were super-supportive when she was dead-set on making it in Hollywood.
Lily Collins
Lily Collins (of Emily in Paris, among others) is the daughter of Phil Collins. It hasn't always been an easy relationship; in her 2017 memoir, she wrote him an open letter saying, in part, “I forgive you for not always being there when I needed and for not being the dad I expected." But in 2022, after his final concert with his band Genesis, she called him an "inspiration."
Margaret Qualley
Both Margaret Qualley and her sister, Rainey, are actors like their famous mom, Andi MacDowell. Margaret has been honest that she had a mostly normal childhood but didn't love that her mom had to travel for work (even though she really respected MacDowell). Once she started performing herself, the two acted together in Netflix's 2021 limited series Maid.
Emma Roberts
Daughter to Eric Roberts, Emma Roberts is actually Julia Roberts' niece! Speaking to Variety in 2024, Emma explained, "I would love to find the perfect project for me and my aunt, and I know that there will be something. But it’s never been the right thing...She’s the best, and I want to do something with her."
Nico Parker
One of three daughters of director/screenwriter Ol Parker and actor Thandiwe Newton, Nico Parker might be familiar to you for her small role in The Last of Us (her first role was in the Dumbo remake). Newton is both extremely proud and extremely protective of her.
Jack Quaid
Jack Quaid, whom you might know as Hughie from The Boys (considered his breakout role), is Dennis Quaid and Meg Ryan's son! He was given the freedom to choose his profession; his first role was a small part in 2012's The Hunger Games, and he even starred in Ryan's directorial debut, Ithaca.
Bryce Dallas Howard
Bryce Dallas Howard is the oldest daughter of filmmaker Ron Howard (who switched from acting to producing and directing films like Apollo 13, A Beautiful Mind, and Frost/Nixon). Ron was protective, forbidding Bryce from being a child star because, in his words, that youthful career is "fraught with landmines."
Dan Levy
It's probably no surprise to anyone that Dan Levy and Eugene Levy are father and son (they look so similar!)—especially since they played father and son in the wildly popular TV show Schitt's Creek. Fun fact: Sarah Levy, brother to Dan, played waitress Twyla in the same show.
The Hudson-Russells
Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell, whose relationship began in 1983, have a blended family that includes actors. Kate Hudson is the daughter of Hawn and singer Bill Hudson; Wyatt Russell (from The Falcon and the Winter Soldier) is the son of Russell and Hawn.
Maya Hawke
Maya Hawke is the daughter of Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman (when Maya opens her mouth, you'll realize she sounds just like her mom). If you've seen her in the past few years, it's probably in Stranger Things or movies like Asteroid City—her career's really taken off.
The Wayans
The Wayans family actually has six siblings who work in show business—and that has been passed onto a second generation of creatives. Two you probably know of are Shawn and Marlon, who co-starred in The Wayans Bros. and went on to have individual careers.
Samara Weaving
If Samara Weaving's last name sounds familiar, it's because her uncle is British actor Hugo Weaving. Samara, who is an actor and model, told Women's Health, "We're always aware of our family being creative but it wasn't like 'my uncle is an amazing actor, I want to be like that,'" calling the whole thing a "happy coincidence."
The Cusacks
Dick Cusack was an actor, filmmaker, writer, and producer—and he had several creatively minded children. John Cusack (High Fidelity, Being John Malkovich), Ann Cusack (A League of Their Own, The Informant!), and Joan Cusack (Saturday Night Live, Toy Story 2, Working Girl) all went into the family business.
Maude Apatow
Imagine having Judd Apatow (The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Trainwreck, Bridesmaids) and Leslie Mann (who's acting roles have included many of her husband's movies like Knocked Up and The 40-Year-Old Virgin) as parents! Maude also started acting in her dad's movies as a kid and then had a starring role in Euphoria.
The Arquettes
David Arquette (the Scream franchise, Never Been Kissed) and Patricia Arquette (True Romance, Boyhood) are siblings! There are five Arquette children, all of whom went into acting; their mom, Brenda "Mardi" Oliviam was a dancer, actor, poet, and teacher.
The Hemsworths
According to Liam Hemsworth (The Hunger Games movies), there is some friendly competition with his show biz brothers, Chris (the Thor movies, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga) and Luke (Neighbours, Westworld) but swore it's a good thing—they're always happy for each other.
Miley Cyrus
Often held up as an example of a child star who transitioned effectively to adulthood, Miley Cyrus is the daughter of singer Billy Ray Cyrus. In 2024, she explained, "I'm grateful for being able to watch him ahead of me. He's almost given me this map...I think a lot of his perspective on reality and on life, I've inherited from him, more so than the way that I was raised—which really, my mom raised me...Honestly, my mom is my hero."
Zoë Kravitz
Zoë Kravitz was a literal baby when she was introduced to show business—here she is with parents Lisa Bonet and Lenny Kravitz on the red carpet. She has noted that her childhood had its ups and downs, particularly after her parents divorced, but the family has remained close.
Kiefer Sutherland
Donald Sutherland and son Kiefer were estranged when Kiefer was growing up, but the two became close before Donald passed away in 2024. They even had the chance to work together in the western film Forsaken. "Working with him is something I have wanted to do for 30 years," Kiefer said.
Nicolas Cage
Did you know Nicolas Cage is related to the Coppola family? Francis Ford Coppola (pictured here) is actually his uncle, which makes Sofia Coppola his cousin. Nicolas' dad August Coppola was a writer, academic, and film executive; Nicolas wanted to be an actor from his youngest years.
John David Washington
John David Washington looks and sounds a lot like his dad Denzel—you won't be able to unsee it once you know. He's was a football player before he made his adult on-screen debut in Ballers (he actually had a small role in Malcolm X as a kid). He's said he's quite inspired by his dad.
Jennifer Aniston
Jennifer Aniston comes from a family of actors: her dad was John Aniston (Days of Our Lives) and her mom was Nancy Dow (The Beverly Hillbillies). They divorced when she was young, and there were periods of estrangement; Aniston later said her mother inspired her own portrayal in Dumplin', adding her mom "was a model, and she was all about presentation and what she looked like and what I looked like...I did not come out the model child she'd hoped for."
Michael Douglas
Michael Douglas and father Kirk Douglas (Spartacus, Ulysses) weren't particularly close growing up. "Career definitely went first before family," Michael has said, "But then in the sort of third act of his career, I think the second act, he was a little stunned that I was having a certain degree of success...and we were very close. So I'm happy to say that by the time he was ending his life and before that, the last 15, 20 years, were a joy to be with him."
Jamie Lee Curtis
Jamie Lee Curtis is the daughter of two actors (Janet Leigh and Tony Curtis—who is pictured here with his third wife Leslie). Jamie Lee has joked that she's the original "nepo baby." Despite the difficulties of her parents' relationship, she has called them inspirational.
Sofia Coppola
Sofia Coppola literally made her film debut as a baby in her father's film The Godfather. (She also acted in the controversial The Godfather Part III). Since then, she's become a prolific and award-winning director, including with her debut The Virgin Suicides, as well as Mary Antoinette and Lost in Translation.
Gwyneth Paltrow
Gwyneth Paltrow is daughter to Blythe Danner (Will & Grace, Meet the Parents) and filmmaker Bruce Paltrow (producer of St. Elsewhere), who were married until Bruce's death; Steven Spielberg is literally her godfather! Gwyneth's parents have both collaborated with her.
Tracee Ellis Ross
Actor Tracee Ellis Ross has spoken very highly of her mom, singer Diana Ross. "My mom was extremely present," she said. "Waking us up for school, sitting for dinner with us, and giving us a genuine, anchored, real family life and home life. The most important thing to my mother was not fame, it was her children."
Billie Lourd and Carrie Fisher
Actor Billie Lourd (Booksmart) lost mom Carrie Fisher and grandmother Debbie Reynolds within days of each other in late 2016; she wrote on Instagram at the time, "There are no words to express how much I will miss my Abadaba and my one and only Momby. Your love and support means the world to me.”
The Skarsgaards
Stellan Skarsgård, himself a renowned actor, had several children that also became actors. Most notably, Alexander (True Blood, Succession), Gustaf (Westworld, Oppenheimer), and Bill (the It films, Barbarian) have acted in big projects—and come out to support each other.
Jane Fonda
Actor Henry Fonda had two children who went into show business: the late Peter Fonda and Jane Fonda. Jane spoke openly about her fraught relationship with her dad but later explained that she got some closure at the end of his life, saying, "Before he died I was able to tell him that I loved him and that I forgave him for, you know, whatever didn't happen...And I hope that he would forgive me for not being a better daughter...He didn't say anything. But he wept."
