Say what you will about nepotism, but there’s no doubt that in Hollywood, blood ties often work to one’s advantage. Today’s version of Hollywood royalty encompasses a diverse group of actors, singers, artists, and entrepreneurs—and we expect their progeny to carry the torch into the next generation. Check out our list of the most famous families in entertainment and find out what each member has done to live up to their family name.
The Kardashian-Jenner Family
It’s incredible to think that the Kardashian-Jenner empire all began with Kim’s leaked sex tape. Today, the ambitious clan has moved far past the scandal and have achieved global domination (as well as an eye-popping fortune). The Kardashians (Kim, Khloé, Kourtney, and Rob) and Jenners (Kendall and Kylie)—all led by matriarch Kris Jenner—have had a role in every facet of our lives.
Their claims to fame include 20 seasons of reality TV, multiple clothing lines (Good American, Kendall + Kylie, Skims shapewear), beauty brands (KKW Beauty, Kylie Cosmetics), a lifestyle company (Poosh), and more—all for a combined net worth of more than $2 billion.
The Baldwin Family
We all love Alec Baldwin, whether it’s for his hilarious Trump impressions on SNL, his brilliant portrayal of Jack Donaghy on 30 Rock, or—for people of a certain age—his former status as a sex symbol. But in the 1990s and 2000s, Alec shared the limelight with three brothers: Daniel, Billy, and Stephen. Each found success in film or TV. Daniel starred in the acclaimed NBC series Homicide: Life on the Street, Billy was a 90s hunk known for films like Backdraft and Sliver, and Stephen made a name for himself with his role in The Usual Suspects.
The Baldwins have two sisters that opted out of careers in show business, but the family’s next generation of women are picking up where the brothers left off. Ireland Baldwin, Alec’s daughter with actress Kim Basinger, has had a successful career as a model and DJ. Meanwhile, Stephen’s daughter is model Hailey Bieber.
The Osbourne Family
Ozzy Osbourne was once known as the guy who bit heads off of live doves. Now, at 72, the Prince of Darkness has cemented his reputation as the mumbling patriarch of a highly unconventional family. In 2002, the former Black Sabbath frontman revived his career with MTV’s reality series The Osbournes. Since then, the entire clan has gone on to build successful careers for themselves.
Their eldest daughter Aimee, who never appeared on The Osbournes, became an actress and singer. Meanwhile, younger daughter Kelly spent five years on E!’s Fashion Police. Her popularity has also earned her guest spots on countless reality competitions including The Masked Singer and Dancing with the Stars. She hasn’t forgotten her roots, either. In 2018, she joined her dad and brother Jack on their reality travel series, Ozzy & Jack’s World Detour.
And let’s not forget mom. Sharon Osbourne is perhaps the busiest member of the family. After a long career managing her husband, she became a star in her own right. Sharon has served as a judge on The X Factor and America’s Got Talent; she also served as a panelist on The Talk for 10 years until a March 2021 controversy led to her dismissal.
The Jackson Family
Michael Jackson will always be remembered as the controversial King of Pop, but diehard fans are well acquainted with the work of his siblings as well. The Jackson family was made up of nine brothers and sisters: Rebbie, Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, La Toya, Marlon, Michael, Randy, and Janet. All nine have the distinction of having certified Gold recording to their name, making them one of the most influential families in music history.
Whether they earned their fame through group projects (The Jackson 5) or epic solo careers (Janet Jackson), it’s clear that the Jacksons’ talent has been passed down to the next generation. Tito’s three sons—Taj, Taryll, and Tito Jr.—found success performing at the R&B group 3T, while Rebbie’s son Austin Brown is a producer and songwriter who has worked with Q-Tip and Pharrell Williams.
In 2020, Michael’s daughter Paris released her debut album Wilted. She’s also one to watch on screen—in April 2021, she was said to have joined the cast of American Horror Story. Three months later, she starred in its spin-off, American Horror Stories.
The Smith Family
There are stars who say they never want their kids to follow in their footsteps, and then there are the Smiths. Rapper-turned-actor Will is one of the most bankable actors in Hollywood, while mom Jada is a successful multi-hyphenate with accomplishments in film, music, and television. But their success may one day be eclipsed by their own children.
Their first child Jaden, 23, made his film debut alongside his dad in the 2006 film The Pursuit of Happyness. Four years later, he proved he could act on his own in the remake of The Karate Kid. He has since been focused on a music career, releasing three studio albums since 2017.
Don’t forget that his little sister Willow launched a music career first. In 2010, fans went wild for her debut single “Whip My Hair”; five years later, “Wait a Minute!” from her debut album Ardipithecus was certified Platinum. When she’s not promoting her current album, Lately I Feel Everything, she discusses a variety of topics on Red Table Talk with Jada and her grandmother, Adrienne Banfield-Norris.
The Cyrus Family
Dissecting the Cyrus family tree is a bit complicated, but rest assured that every member is known for one successful creative pursuit or another. It starts with “Achy Breaky Heart” country singer Billy Ray and his second wife, actress and film producer Tish. Together, the couple had three children: Disney star-turned-pop phenom Miley, model and folk singer Braison, and singer-actress Noah.
But Tish also brings two children from a previous relationship: Brandi, an actress and DJ, and Trace, best known for being a member of the band Metro Station. (Both were adopted by Billy Ray when they were kids.)
In the true spirit of kinship, the Cyruses are known to collaborate on projects. For instance, in 2017, Tish and Brandi co-starred on the Bravo reality series Cyrus vs. Cyrus: Design and Conquer. And Billy Ray and Miley are often known to pair up for duets and stage performances.
The Coppola Family
The Coppola empire starts with the legendary director of The Godfather, Francis Ford Coppola. Although it didn’t hurt for his children to bear the family name, their own work in film was praised on its own merits. Daughter Sofia became an Academy Award winner at age 32 and has an impressive body of work that includes The Virgin Suicides, Lost in Translation, and The Beguiled.
Her brother Roman is an Oscar-nominated screenwriter who has directed music videos for The Strokes, Daft Punk, Moby, and Fatboy Slim.
Sadly, Francis’ first son, Gian-Carlo, lost his life in a speedboating accident at age 22. But he left behind a daughter, Gia, who also works as a director.
Extended relatives are also accomplished Hollywood figures. Francis’ two nephews include actors Nicolas Cage and Jason Schwartzman.
The Richie Family
Singer Lionel Richie got his start in The Commodores and found success as a solo artist in the 1980s. But we imagine the Grammy-winning artist would have never imagined that his two daughters would go on to become pop culture figures themselves.
Adopted daughter Nicole blew up as the sidekick to Paris Hilton on The Simple Life. She then became an It girl whose jewelry line House of Harlow earned her an “Entrepreneur of the Year” award from Glamour magazine. Today, she is the wife of Good Charlotte’s Joel Madden and the mother of two children, Harlow and Sparrow. (And because celebrity circles are tight, she is sisters-in-law with Cameron Diaz.)
Lionel’s second daughter Sofia is following in her sister’s stylish footsteps. She began modeling at 14 and has graced the pages of Nylon, Teen Vogue, and Elle Girl. As a runway model, she’s strutted down the catwalk for Chanel, Jeremy Scott, Yeezy, and Dolce & Gabbana. But perhaps she is best known for dating Kourtney Kardashian’s ex Scott Disick, who is 15 years her senior, in 2017. Lionel wasn’t necessarily thrilled with the romance, but the thought of merging the Richie and Kardashian-Jenner dynasties was a thrill while it lasted.
The Hawn-Hudson-Russell Family
Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn have always embodied relationship goals, and their beautiful blended family just makes them all the more enviable.
As many know, Goldie had two children with her ex-husband, musician Bill Hudson. Their daughter Kate went on to be a beloved Golden Globe-winning actress (Almost Famous) as well as the co-founder of Fabletics. Their son Oliver followed suit: in addition to acting (Nashville, Scream Queens), he launched FL2, Fabletics’ men’s line. The two siblings are so tight that they even co-host a podcast called Sibling Revelry.
Kurt and Goldie also blessed the two kids with a half-brother, Wyatt Russell. The 35-year-old currently plays John Walker in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.
The Sutherland Family
The Sutherlands represent three generations of undeniable talent. Patriarch Donald, 86, has been acting since the 1960s and is the recipient of two Golden Globes and a Primetime Emmy. He’s still going strong, too—in 2020, he received rave reviews and a Critics’ Choice Television Award for his role in HBO’s The Undoing.
Three of his five children also went into acting. But his doppelgänger Kiefer, born to fellow Canadian actress Shirley Douglas, is easily the most recognizable. From his high-profile relationship with Julia Roberts to his role as Jack Bauer on 24, he’s been a pop culture fixture for nearly four decades.
And it looks like his daughter Sarah is taking after him. The 33-year-old starred as Catherine Meyer on all seven seasons of HBO’s Veep. (Perhaps playing the daughter of the president came naturally—her great-grandfather was the high-ranking Canadian politician Thomas Douglas.)
The Sheen Family
Legendary actor Martin Sheen (born Ramon Estevez) is best known for his roles in the 1979 film Apocalypse Now and the acclaimed NBC series The West Wing. But acting talent didn’t stop with him. All four of his children pursued show biz careers to varying degrees of success. Take son Emilio, who found fame as a fixture in 1980s classics like The Breakfast Club and St. Elmo’s Fire. His sister Renée became an actor and screenwriter, and brother Ramon is an actor and director who runs the family company, Estevez Sheen Productions.
And of course, we all know Martin’s youngest son Charlie, whose antics and controversies have overshadowed an otherwise respectable acting career.
There’s no word on whether the acting bug has bitten any of the younger Sheen descendants, but between the patriarch’s 10 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren, odds are at least one of them will carry the torch.
The Hanks Family
Tom Hanks, aka America’s Dad, has enjoyed an incredible career since the 1970s, but it turns out many members of his family are just as talented. Hanks’ first wife was actress Samantha Lewes; together they had two children: Colin, a successful actor with roles in film (King Kong, Jumanji) and TV (Fargo, Dexter), and Elizabeth, a journalist and fiction writer.
Hanks’ second marriage was to actress and producer Rita Wilson. The couple has two children: Chet, an actor and rapper (who can’t seem to dodge controversy), and Truman, who works as a production assistant on big budget films (Charlie’s Angels, West Side Story).
The Wayans Family
Pop culture in the 1990s and 2000s would be nothing without the Wayans family. Of the 10 brothers and sisters born to Howell Wayans and his wife Elvira, every last sibling has had a career in entertainment. Among the most notable are Keenen Ivory, who created the sketch comedy show In Living Color; Damon, who created, produced, and starred in the ABC sitcom My Wife & Kids; and Marlon and Shawn, who collaborated on The Wayans Bros. and Scary Movie film series.
The family has always supported one another and included each other in their projects. For instance, six of the 10 Wayans kids appeared on In Living Color. And brother Dwayne composed the music for My Wife & Kids.
The Wayans’ kids are also making their mark in entertainment. Craig, son of Diedre, and Damien, son of Elvira, both starred in the BET sitcom Second Generation Wayans. And Damon Jr. has an extensive filmography that includes spots in New Girl,Super Troopers 2, and Kenan.
