Top 20 Celebs You Didn't Know Had Famous Parents

Top 20 Celebs You DIdn't Know Had Famous Parents

Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the Top 20 Celebs You Didn't Know Had Famous Parents.

For this list, we’ll be looking at the most notable performers who have followed in their family’s footsteps, stepping into the limelight.

Which of these parent-child connections surprised you the most? Let us know in the comments.

#20: Emma Roberts

While the last name Roberts might have people thinking Emma’s mother is Julia Roberts, that isn’t the case. Although, one look at the duo, and there really is no denying the fact that the two women are indeed. To get to their link though, we have to explore the fact that the “Unfabulous” star has some pretty fabulous Hollywood genes thanks to her father, actor Eric Roberts. Working since the 1970s, he’s built up quite an impressive resume, with nearly 700 credits to his name. He’s also the older brother to the aforementioned, and totally fabulous “Pretty Woman” herself, Julia Roberts.

#19: Eve Hewson

Eve Hewson played Tom Hanks’ daughter in the 2015 film “Bridge of Spies”, but her real-life father might be even more famous. Indeed, she’s Paul David Hewson’s child – that’s pretty impressive, right? Oh wait, did we forget to mention that Paul David Hewson is best known by his stage name, Bono? That’s right, the woman who played Adele in the Netflix miniseries “Behind Her Eyes” is Bono’s offspring. She’s also reportedly one of the catalysts for the U2 song, “Kite”, which he co-wrote after a kite-flying adventure with some of his kids ended poorly.

#18: Maya Rudolph

Primarily known for her brilliance as a comedic actor and performer, Maya Rudolph has some rather impressive musical abilities as well. And it probably shouldn’t surprise us, because she has some rather impressive musical parents. Her dad Richard Rudolph is a musician, producer and songwriter, probably best known for “Lovin' You”. A number one hit, he co-wrote it with Maya’s mother, the late Minnie Riperton. She was a singer with an absolutely beautiful voice, famous for her amazing ability to hit the highest notes humanly possible, employing the whistle register.

#17: Zoë Kravitz

With the last name “Kravitz,” it won’t shock anyone to hear that Zoë’s dad is music superstar Lenny Kravitz. But for those who might not remember, his ex-wife - and Zoë’s mother - is none other than actress Lisa Bonet. And their familial relation isn’t the only thing the two women have in common. In 2020, Zoë starred in the Hulu series “High Fidelity”, based on the novel and the film from 2000. A film that - that’s right - Lisa Bonet appeared in. Kravitz has also embraced her musical side, forming the band Lolawolf in 2013 and releasing an album called “Calm Down” the following year.

#16: Jamie Lee Curtis

Jamie Lee Curtis, who blew us away in the horror classic “Halloween” and its subsequent movies, has more than earned her scream queen credentials. But she doesn’t even have the most famous movie scream in her family. That honor goes to her mother, the late Janet Leigh, whose shower scream in “Psycho” is one of the most iconic scenes in the history of cinema. And it turns out Jamie Lee’s late father is also insanely famous. He’s none other than Tony Curtis. Maybe you remember his role opposite Jack Lemmon and Marilyn Monroe in the all-time great romantic comedy, “Some Like It Hot”?

#15: Jack Quaid

Actor Jack Quaid has been one of “The Boys” since 2019, and he’s been Meg Ryan and Dennis Quaid’s boy since his birth on April 24th, 1992. Jack first appeared on our screens in 2012’s “The Hunger Games” and has been growing his IMDb page ever since. Still, it’s gonna take a while for him to build up a list of credits that matches both his parents’. From “The Right Stuff” to “When Harry Met Sally...,” both Dennis and Meg have earned critical and box office praise for their work, particularly back in the ‘80s and '90s.

#14: Lily Collins

Lily Collins’ got everyone’s attention in 2009 when she played Sandra Bullock's kid in “The Blind Side.” But this talented actress probably wasn’t blindsided by what came with the fame and success, since she’s the daughter of renowned musician Phil Collins. When Phil was with his second wife, Jill Tavelman, they had Lily. And while Lily has continued to find success as an actress, her life hasn’t always been another day in paradise - or Paris. But she powerfully dives into how she’s faced things like an eating disorder in her 2017 book, “Unfiltered: No Shame, No Regrets, Just Me”.

#13: Maya Hawke

If you’ve watched “Stranger Things” and found yourself thinking that Robin Buckley looks a lot like Uma Thurman, there’s a good reason for that. She’s played by her daughter! Maya Hawke was born in July of 1998, just two months after her parents, Thurman and Ethan Hawke, tied the knot. This was about four years after her mother first worked with the great Quentin Tarantino in a little movie called “Pulp Fiction”. And while Maya’s career is just getting started, she already has something in common with her mother in that she too has worked with Tarantino. Hawke played the “Flowerchild” in 2019’s “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”.

#12: Billie Lourd

Getting to act in the “Star Wars” movies would be a big deal for almost any actor. And for Billie Lourd, getting to play Lieutenant Connix no doubt had an even more special and personal appeal. You see, Lourd is related to “Star Wars” royalty being that she is the daughter of Princess Leia herself, the inimitable late Carrie Fisher. And no, her father isn’t Harrison Ford, but rather a Creative Artists Agency co-chairman, talent agent Bryan Lourd. While some of you may have known that already, there are many who wouldn’t have guessed the identity of Lourd’s parents in a million light years.

#11: Drew Barrymore

There have been a number of famous acting families, from the Baldwins to the Bridges. But the Barrymore family name makes up a huge part of Hollywood’s history. A very young Drew Barrymore screamed her way into our hearts in “E.T.” but she was just the most recent in a long line of stars. You can trace it way back to her great-grandfather, the stage actor Maurice Barrymore, and his kids Lionel, Ethel, and John. The latter child’s own son, fellow performer John Drew Barrymore, is Drew’s father. Drew has been acting for over 40 years, but her family has been doing it for over 100!

#10: Jessica Capshaw

Most of you probably know Jessica from her role as Arizona Robbins, the head of pediatric surgery on the long-running ABC show “Grey’s Anatomy.” She first appeared on the show in 2009 and was there for nine years. What you may not know about Jessica Capshaw is that her mom is actress Kate Capshaw, best known for playing nightclub singer Willie Scott in “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.” Jessica has also been playing the role of stepdaughter to Steven Spielberg since he married her mom in 1991.

#9: O'Shea Jackson Jr.

Given that his name is O’Shea Jackson Jr, his dad is obviously O’Shea Jackson. However, if that name doesn’t sound familiar, that may be because you probably know the senior Jackson by his stage name, Ice Cube! In 2012, under the stage name OMG, O’Shea released a rap mixtape, but is much more familiar to the public as an actor. Junior has appeared in such films as “Long Shot” and “Godzilla: King of the Monsters.” But, his most talked about performance was his film debut, where he played his dad in the movie, “Straight Outta Compton.”

#8: Lenny Kravitz

For those of you who only know Lenny Kravitz as an actor in “The Hunger Games” movies, you are missing out on one of the great musicians of the 1990s and 2000s. In fact, for four years straight, from 1999-2002, Kravitz won the Grammy for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance. His dad, Sy Kravitz, produced TV news at NBC and his mom was actress Roxie Roker. In 1974, when Lenny was 10-years-old, the family moved on up to L.A. when Roxie scored the role of Helen Willis on “The Jeffersons.” Roker played one-half of the first Caucasian-African-American married couple on prime-time TV.

#7: Chris Pine

Chris is a huge Hollywood star whose name on the marquee is enough to bring an audience to any movie. You may not know Chris’s father by his name, but there’s a very good chance you’ve seen him on television at least once or twice. In fact, his dad, Robert Pine has appeared in over 400 episodes of television over the course of his almost 50-years in the business. His many roles are too numerous to name, but he’s best known for his role as Sgt. Joseph Getraer on the “CHiPs.” He also guest starred on an episode of “Charlie’s Angels.”

#6: Miles Robbins

Robbins’ star is on the rise in Hollywood. In just the last few years he’s had roles in the movies, “Blockers,” “Halloween” and on the 11th season of “The X-Files” - where he played Scully and Mulder’s teenage son. Robbins was born in 1992 and got his first taste of life on a movie set only a few years later. In 1995 he played the role of “Boy in church” in the thought-provoking film, “Dead Man Walking.” While we don’t know specifics about the audition process, we’re going to assume there was some nepotism involved here. You see, his mom, Susan Sarandon was the lead actress in the film. And his dad, Tim Robbins, wrote and directed it.

#5: Riley Keough

Riley made her feature film debut in 2010, in the film, “The Runaways.” But her big break came in 2016 when she starred in the first season of “The Girlfriend Experience.” The Hollywood Foreign Press Association couldn’t help falling in love with her performance on the show and honored her with a Golden Globe nomination. At this point those of you with suspicious minds are probably very curious about who her famous parents are. Well, we won’t be cruel. We’ll tell you. But you might be all shook up to know that her mom is Lisa Marie Presley. No, her dad isn’t Lisa Marie’s ex husband, the King of Pop,. But her grandfather is the King of Rock n’ Roll ELVIS!

#4: Rashida Jones

Jones starred in one of the best comedies of the 2000s, “I Love You, Man.” She played the title character in the funny TNT series, “Angie Tribeca.” And she starred with Andy Samberg in a great little independent film called “Celeste and Jesse Forever.” But, let’s face it. For most of us she will either always be Karen from “The Office” or Ann from “Parks and Recreation.” Unless of course, you’re multi-Grammy award winning composer, songwriter, producer Quincy Jones. Or you’re “The Mod Squad” actress Peggy Lipton. In that case, Rashida will always be, first and foremost... daughter!

#3: John David Washington

There are a couple things that might surprise you about John. And the fact that his father is Denzel Washington, is just one of them. When he was seven, John had a small part in the film “Malcolm X.” However, for the next 15 years acting took a backseat to football. John was a running back at Morehouse College, was on the St. Louis Rams practice squad and played professionally in Europe and in the United Football League until 2012. He got back into acting a few years later and has been running strong ever since - picking up a Golden Globe nomination for his performance in “BlacKkKlansman.” He also starred in one of the biggest films of 2020, “Tenet.”

#2: Mariska Hargitay

For over two decades, Mariska Hargitay has been a staple of our weekly television viewing. Her role as Det. Olivia Benson on “Law & Order: SVU” has earned her plenty of awards and made her a household name. And yet, because Hargitay was her also-famous father Mickey’s family name, so many people are unaware that her mother was Jayne Mansfield. Mansfield was an actress and an iconic blonde-bombshell of the 1950s and 60s, who lost her life in a tragic car accident. A three-and-a-half year old Hargitay was asleep in the back, and has a zigzag scar on the side of her head from the accident.

#1: Dakota Johnson

Dakota whipped her name onto the tip of all of our tongues with her starring role as Anastasia Steele in the “50 Shades of Grey” film series. Her performance earned her a Rising Star award from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts. As her career continues, she can definitely look to her parents for help navigating stardom. Her dad, Don Johnson, became a huge star in the 80s with his role on Miami Vice. And her mom, Melanie Griffith was a big movie star - getting an Oscar nomination for her performance in the film “Working Girl.” The talent in the family goes even further, to Griffith’s mother Tippi Hedren, who impressed everyone with her work in Hitchcock’s “The Birds.”