Top 10 Celebs You Didn't Know Had Parents from Old Hollywood

Top 10 Celebs You Didn't Know Had Parents from Old Hollywood

Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the Top 10 Celebs You Didn’t Know Had Parents from Old Hollywood.

For this list, we’ll be looking at stars whose mothers and/or fathers were big names in entertainment during Hollywood’s golden age of the 1920s through the 1960s.

Which actors were you surprised to learn were actually nepo babies? Be sure to let us know in the comments below.

#10: Jane Fonda

With a career spanning over six decades and still going strong, Fonda has done it all – comedy, drama, science fiction, not to mention her ultra-popular workout videos. Her father, Henry Fonda, was also one of the most recognizable names in the industry, starring in a number of films that went on to become classics. One of his most powerful performances came as Tom Joad in “The Grapes of Wrath,” which earned Fonda his first Oscar nomination for Best Actor. In fact, the Fonda family has produced multiple stars, including Jane’s brother Peter and her niece Bridget.

#9: Isabella Rossellini

Although she began her career as a model, Rossellini soon became known for her acting talents. Her first film appearance came in 1976 alongside her famous mother, Ingrid Bergman. Born in Sweden, Bergman got her start in Swedish and German cinema. By the 1940s, she had made a name for herself in American film, starring in such timeless features as “Casablanca.” Her second husband, Roberto Rossellini, worked as a director, writer, and producer in the Italian film industry and became well respected in the neorealist movement. With such talented parents on both sides of the camera, Isabella Rossellini was practically destined for Hollywood success.

#8: Candice Bergen

Best known for her role as the title character on the workplace sitcom “Murphy Brown,” Bergen must have inherited her comedic chops from her father. Edgar Bergen got his start in vaudeville as a ventriloquist. However, he and his snarky wooden partner, Charlie McCarthy, rose to fame – believe it or not – on the radio. Bergen went on to make many TV appearances both with and without Charlie, including a spot alongside then 12-year-old Candice on “You Bet Your Life.” His wife and Candice’s mother, Frances Bergen, was also no stranger to the screen. She had small roles in several films and was a regular on television for decades.

#7: Anjelica Huston

If you want to break into show business, it helps to have a father and grandfather who can pave the way for you. Anjelica Huston’s father, John Huston, worked as a successful screenwriter, director, producer, and actor for over forty years. In fact, Anjelica’s first big screen role was in one of his films, “A Walk with Love and Death.” John’s father, Walter Huston, was also a well-known actor, working in vaudeville and on Broadway before transitioning to movie roles in the late 1920s. His film career lasted just over two decades, and like his granddaughter, Walter even appeared in a film directed by John Huston, “The Maltese Falcon.”

#6: Michael Douglas

He didn’t just get his movie star looks and acting talent from his famous father. Michael Douglas also owes his first Academy Award to him. Kirk Douglas sold the film rights for “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” to his son, which Michael went on to produce and win an Oscar for. Kirk Douglas also earned plenty of acclaim during his long career, which began in the 1940s. Michael’s mother Diane Douglas was a staple of the big and small screens for just as many years. Although the elder Douglases divorced in 1951, they joined Michael and his son Cameron to make a movie together in 2003. At this point, we can safely say the Douglases are a Hollywood dynasty.

#5: Laura Dern

Kids of the ‘80s and' 90s know Dern best as paleobotanist Ellie Sattler in “Jurassic Park,” but her first film role came back in the early ‘70s. Dern’s mother, Diane Ladd, was already a successful actress, and Laura had a cameo as an adorable little girl eating an ice cream cone in Ladd’s film “Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore.” Ladd’s career started in the late ‘50s and has now spanned over sixty years. Dern’s parents divorced when she was only two and she spent most of her childhood with her mother. But her father, Bruce Dern, is also a long-time veteran of the industry. Combined, the three of them have well over 300 movie and TV show credits. Now that’s a hard-working family.

#4: Liza Minnelli

Like many of the stars on our list, Minnelli’s first film appearance came alongside her famous parent. In the final shot of “In the Good Old Summertime,” a toddler-aged Minnelli can be seen walking hand-in-hand with the film’s leads, one of whom is her real-life mother, Judy Garland. Minnelli clearly inherited her acting talent and her beautiful singing voice from Garland, but she got her name from her father. Vincente Minnelli was an acclaimed director who started working in theater in the early 1930s, and helmed a number of successful silver screen musicals, comedies, and dramas throughout the ‘40s, ‘50s, and ‘60s.

#3: Mariska Hargitay

If you’ve watched primetime TV sometime in the last two decades, you’ve probably seen Hargitay in her most well-known role as Olivia Benson on “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.” What you might not have realized is that her mother was the iconic blonde bombshell Jayne Mansfield. An actress, singer, model, and sex symbol, Mansfield was all over the stage and screen in the ‘50s and ‘60s until her tragic death at the young age of 34. Hargitay’s father, Mickey, was a bodybuilder and fitness magazine model who also leveraged his good looks into an acting career, working on several films with Mansfield. Later in life, he even made a cameo in an episode of “SVU” with his daughter.

#2: Carrie Fisher

Carrie Fisher’s parents had a rather brief and turbulent relationship. Coincidentally, Fischer would go on to play Princess Leia, whose famous parents had a similar relationship dynamic. Her mother, actor Debbie Reynolds, appeared in dozens of movies and TV shows over her nearly seven-decade career. Meanwhile, Carrie’s father, Eddie Fisher, was a singer and teen heartthrob in the 1950s and ‘60s whose affairs led to divorce after only four years of marriage. Of course, that didn’t stop their daughter from becoming one of the most recognizable faces in Hollywood. “Star Wars” was only her second film role, but it was enough to cement her as a superstar for the rest of her life.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

Tracee Ellis Ross
The “Black-ish” Star’s Mother, Diana Ross, Is One of the Greatest Voices of Her Generation

Mia Farrow
From 1930, Her Mother, Maureen O’Sullivan, Was a Major Star of the Silver Screen

Drew Barrymore
This Family Produced a Whole Slew of Actors Including Drew’s Father, John Drew Barrymore

Ethan Peck
The Brilliant Gregory Peck Was Spock’s Grandfather

#1: Jamie Lee Curtis

It’s only fitting that Curtis became famous as a scream queen, since her mother Janet Leigh’s biggest role came in one of the greatest psychological thrillers of all time. The pair even appeared together in two horror films, including “Halloween H20.” Jamie Lee’s father Tony Curtis was also a giant of the industry, starring in over 100 movies between 1949 and 2008. Although he was mostly known for his dramatic roles, he also got the chance to prove his comedic ability in classics like “Some Like It Hot.” With so much talent on both sides of the family, it’s no wonder that Jamie Lee Curtis is now among the most versatile and beloved actors of her generation.