It seems easy for celebrity children to decide to go into the same career field as their parents. Whether they want to give acting a try or maybe they're musically inclined, it's not uncommon for that talent to be handed down, in part, from their famous parents. And not only does having a parent established in the industry help kids get a foot in the door that they may not have had otherwise — the parents can also give them tips and mentor them on the business.
Not every celebrity parent wants the same career for their kids, though. Some actors have actively encouraged their kids to try other paths. After all, life in the spotlight is never easy. But with most of these kids growing up in the limelight anyway, there's little to lose by exploring the same career path as their mom or dad.
Here are 22 celebrity children who went into the family business of acting or singing (or both!) and kept the fame alive.
Sarah Hyland
Modern Family star Sarah Hyland followed her dad into the acting game. Edward James Hyland has had roles in Gossip Girl, Law & Order, and Mr. Robot, and he played Dumbledore in the Broadway play, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. He's also the one who first donated a kidney to Sarah when she needed a transplant. Her body ended up rejecting the organ and she got a second transplant from her brother.
Natasha Bure
We all know Candace Cameron Bure from Full House and all of her various Hallmark Christmas movies, but her daughter Natasha Bure is a budding actress herself. Natasha actually played Candace's character's daughter in the Hallmark movie Switched for Christmas. Natasha has also appeared in Fuller House, The Farmer and the Belle: Saving Santaland, and Home Sweet Home. Fans may also recognize her from her stint on The Voice in 2016.
Colin Hanks
Having Tom Hanks for a dad probably helped Colin Hanks' own acting career get off the ground, but he's doing pretty well for himself now. Colin has been acting since he was a child, and he's since been in Roswell, Dexter, Fargo, and more. His brother Chet Hanks is also an actor, although with fewer roles to his name.
Zoë Kravitz
The Kravitz family has been in acting for decades. Long before Zoë Kravitz was born, her grandmother (Lenny Kravitz's mom) Roxie Roker was an actress. She's best known for playing Helen Willis on The Jeffersons. Both of Zoe's parents are also actors. Her dad Lenny has been in The Hunger Games, Precious, and more. And her mom, Lisa Bonet, has starred in the likes of The Cosby Show, High Fidelity, and Ray Donovan.
Jennifer Aniston
Sure, we may know Jennifer Aniston from the long-running sitcom Friends, but her dad has been on an even longer-running show. John Aniston has played Victor Kiriakis on the soap opera Days of Our Lives since 1985. He's been in nearly 4,000 episodes! In addition to that series, he's appeared in Mad Men, Gilmore Girls, and more.
Grace Gummer
Some people might not know who Grace Gummer's famous mom is, because they have different last names. But her mother is none other than Meryl Streep. No wonder acting runs in Grace's blood! Meryl's daughter has been in Mr. Robot, American Horror Story, and The Newsroom, among other projects. Mostly she's worked in TV, but who knows? Maybe there's an Oscar in her future just like her mom.
Alexander Skarsgård
The handsome Swedish actor Alexander Skarsgård learned his craft from one of the best — his actor father Stellan Skarsgård. Fans probably know Stellan best from playing Bill in Mamma Mia! and Bootstrap Bill Turner in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. And now Alexander has been making a name for himself with projects like True Blood and Big Little Lies.
Jaden Smith & Willow Smith
Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith's kids have followed into their career fields in multiple ways. Not only have Jaden and Willow Smith both become actors like their parents, they've also both been in the music space like Will was in the '90s and early 2000s. And now Willow hosts Red Table Talk with her mom and her grandma. It's a family business.
Sunday Kidman-Urban
Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban's daughter Sunday Rose Kidman-Urban is only 12, but she's already shown signs that she'll become an actress like her mom. She's already been in two of her mom's projects — she played a student in both Big Little Lies and The Undoing. She also was part of the voice cast of The Angry Birds Movie 2. If she keeps this up, she could be just as big as her famous mother.
Kiefer Sutherland
The great Kiefer Sutherland (of 24 and Designated Survivor fame) is the son of another great Golden Globe winning actor — Donald Sutherland. Kiefer's dad is best recognized for roles like President Snow in The Hunger Games franchise and Nicole Kidman's character's father in HBO's The Undoing.
Dakota Johnson
Both of Dakota Johnson's parents (Melanie Griffith and Don Johnson) are in the acting game, but they didn't want the same life for their daughter, according to AZ Central. She didn't listen to their concerns, though, and she's now famous for her 50 Shades of Grey role — which her parents haven't seen. "I've been thinking about it more recently and I would love for them to see what I've been working on for the last year and a half," she said in 2015, reports AZ Central. "But I really just don't think it's appropriate."
Maya Hawke
Stranger Things fans may not have realized who the famous parents are of Maya Hawke — the teen actress who played the new character Robin Buckley in season three. She's the daughter of actors Uma Thurman and Ethan Hawke. So basically her parents have five Oscar nominations between the two of them. No pressure or anything, right?
Kate Hudson & Oliver Hudson
Goldie Hawn still acts today, although her career really skyrocketed in the '70s and '80s. And now her two kids Kate and Oliver Hudson are both in the acting game, too. Kate's known mostly for her rom-com work (How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days and Bride Wars), while Oliver Hudson is known for his TV work on shows like Scream Queens and Splitting Up Together. Their stepdad is actor Kurt Russell.
Emma Roberts
It's pretty well known by now that Emma Roberts and Julia Roberts are related (Julia is Emma's aunt), but some people may not know that Emma's dad is an actor in his own right. Eric Roberts has been in Grey's Anatomy, The Dark Knight, The Young and the Restless, and so much more throughout his decades-long career.
John David Washington
John David Washington's name is continuing to explode in Hollywood, especially because he's in the 2021 movie Malcom & Marie with Zendaya. But some clever people may have already known that the actor is the son of the famous Denzel Washington. Denzel is a two-time Oscar winner, but John David is hot on his heels — he already has one Golden Globe nomination.
Gwyneth Paltrow
Gwyneth Paltrow seems to be more focused on her lifestyle brand these days, but she has continued to act even as she's grown Goop. She likely gets her acting talent partially from her mom Blythe Danner, who has starred in projects like Will & Grace, Meet the Parents, Madoff, and more. Just another famous family in Hollywood!
Miley Cyrus
Miley Cyrus and her dad Billy Ray Cyrus are both popular musicians, and it's clear that Billy Ray was a big factor in Miley taking up a career in music. She's even since written a song about her dad called "Inspired." She also once shared that his best advice to her was, "Don't think outside the box, there is no box." That's probably why she's been so fearless in chasing her dreams.
Margaret Qualley
Margaret Qualley's mom is Andie MacDowell (Groundhog Day, Four Weddings and a Funeral), and now Margaret is getting into the acting game as well. She can be seen in the show Fosse/Verdon and the movie Once Upon a Time… In Hollywood, among other projects. And mother and daughter are both starring the the TV series Maid, coming out this year.
O'Shea Jackson Jr.
O'Shea Jackson Jr. looks so much like his famous dad that he was able to play his pop in the biopic Straight Outta Compton. That's right, he's Ice Cube's son. Now both of them are known for their rapping and acting skills, because it wasn't enough for O'Shea to follow his dad into just one career field. They even share the same name!
Billie Lourd
Billie Lourd comes from acting royalty. Her grandmother was Debbie Reynolds from Singin' in the Rain, and her mother was Carrie Fisher from Star Wars. Now Billie is carrying on the family talent and has acted in projects like American Horror Story, Scream Queens, and even Star Wars herself! Like grandmother like mother and like daughter, huh?
