Hollywood’s Most Famous Acting Dynasties

Cliff Arquette, mainly known for his countless TV appearances under the persona of Charley Weaver, started the family dynasty. His son, Lewis, was noted for his regular role on “The Waltons.” Among many other credits, Rosanna starred in “Desperately Seeking Susan” with Madonna; Patricia won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for “Boyhood”; Richmond was seen in “Zodiac;” Alexis appeared in “The Wedding Singer.” and David was in the rom-com “Never Been Kissed.”

Alec is the oldest and most successful of the four brothers, appearing on television (“Saturday Night Live,” “30 Rock”) and in movies (“The Departed,” “Glengarry Glen Ross”). William has been in the films “Backdraft” and “Fair Game” and television shows such as “Hot in Cleveland.” Stephen appeared in the films “The Usual Suspects,” and “Born on the Fourth of July.” Daniel was in the reboot of the TV series “Hawaii Five-O.”

The Barrymores are one of America’s oldest and most famous acting families. Fame came early for Drew at 6 years old, when she appeared in “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” and she’s done rom-coms such as “Never Been Kissed” and “50 First Dates.” Her half-brother, John Blyth Barrymore, appeared on such TV shows as “Kung Fu” and “Lou Grant.” Her father, John Drew Barrymore, had roles in numerous films and TV shows in America and Europe between 1950 and 1976. Her great-uncle Lionel won an Academy Award for “A Free Soul,” and starred in films such as “Key Largo” and “It’s a Wonderful Life.” Great-uncle John was a silent-film star and later appeared in movies such as “Twentieth Century” and “Grand Hotel.” Great-aunt Ethel was known as “The First Lady of the American Theatre” and was nominated for the Best Supporting Actress Oscar four times

Brother and sister Warren Beatty and Shirley MacLaine have been in the public eye for over 60 years. Beatty has been nominated for 15 Academy Awards, and is the only person to have been nominated for acting in and directing, writing, and producing the same film, a feat he managed twice, for “Heaven Can Wait” and “Reds.” (He won the Best Director Oscar for the latter.) MacLaine has been nominated for an Oscar six times and won Best Actress for “Terms of Endearment.” Her other noteworthy films include “The Apartment,” “Some Came Running,” and “Steel Magnolias.” Her daughter (Beatty’s niece) Sachi Parker has appeared in numerous films and TV shows, most recently “The So So You Don’t Know.”

Lloyd Bridges, with 216 acting credits, starred in the TV series “Sea Hunt” in the late 1950s and early ’60s and played against his macho type in the farce “Airplane!” Sons Jeff and Beau have carried on the family’s acting tradition. Jeff has been nominated for an Academy Award seven times and won the Best Actor statue for “Crazy Heart.” Beau has won an Emmy three times and been nominated on 16 occasions. Beau’s son Jordan starred in “Rizzoli & Isles” and had a regular role in “Dawson’s Creek.”

James Brolin’s entertainment career began in 1961 on television and he is still working. His film credits include “Traffic” and “The Amityville Horror.” Son Josh has appeared in the Avengers films and received an Oscar nomination for best supporting actor for “Milk.” Josh’s daughter, Eden, appeared regularly in “Beyond” and season three of “Yellowstone.”

James Cagney was one of the most versatile performers in motion-picture history, though he was most famous for portraying gangsters. Among his greatest films are “The Public Enemy,” “Angels With Dirty Faces,” and “White Heat.” He won an Oscar for playing playwright and composer George M. Cohan in “Yankee Doodle Dandy.” Cagney’s sister Jeanne also appeared in that film and in various television series. William appeared in five movies.

Noted character actor John Carradine had 355 acting credits over a 65-year career. He was in such classics as “Stagecoach,” “The Grapes of Wrath,” and “The Ten Commandments.” His sons and grandchildren have extended the family entertainment dynasty. Son David was in the TV series “Kung Fu” and the movie “Kill Bill: Vo. 2.” Son Keith was in the acclaimed TV series “Deadwood,” “Dexter,” and “Madam Secretary,” and the movie “Nashville.” Robert starred in “Revenge of the Nerds” and has appeared in various television series. Michael Bowen’s career spans roles ranging from the cult classic “Valley Girl” to “Breaking Bad.” Keith’s daughter Martha Plimpton has won an Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series in “The Good Wife.” Sorel Carradine has appeared in several movies and TV shows and Ever Carradine has most recently appeared on the Hulu series “The Handmaid’s Tale” and “Runaways.”

The career of two-time Oscar winner George Clooney took off in 1994 with the long-running television series “E/R.” He starred in the three Ocean’s caper films and such movies as “Michael Clayton” and “Gravity.” His aunt Rosemary Clooney was a popular singer and actress, who appeared in the sentimental movie “White Christmas” with Bing Crosby. She also had her own TV show. Her brother, Nick, is a noted television anchorman and TV host

The Coppola entertainment family tree starts with Francis Ford Coppola, one of the greatest directors in movie history. His sister Talia Shire played Connie Rizzi in “The Godfather” and the girlfriend of Sylvester Stallone in “Rocky.” Coppola’s nephew Nicolas Cage won a Best Actor Oscar for “Leaving Las Vegas” and has been in such films as “Moonstruck” and “Raising Arizona.” Coppola’s daughter Sofia played Michael Corleone’s daughter in “The Godfather, Part III,” then transitioned to writing and directing, winning a Best Original Screenplay Oscar for “Lost in Translation.” Shire’s son Jason Schwartzman has 74 acting credits, including “Rushmore.” Various other Coppola relatives work in other aspects of the film business.

Tony Curtis was a major motion-picture star in the 1950s and 1960s with films such as “Some Like it Hot,” “The Defiant Ones,” and “Spartacus.” Wife Janet Leigh starred in “Psycho” and her daughter Jamie Lee Curtis carved a niche as a scream queen in horror flicks such as “Halloween” and “Prom Night,” and as a hooker with a heart of gold in “Trading Places.”

Richard Cusack, patriarch of the acting family, appeared in well-received films such as “The Fugitive” and “Eight Men Out.” His children also have done very well. John has starred in movies such as “Gross Pointe Blank,” “Better off Dead,” and High Fidelity.” Sister Joan has been in “Working Girl” and the television series “Shameless.” Sister Ann was in the TV series “Grey’s Anatomy” and the hit film “A League of Their Own.”

Blythe Danner began her career in television series in the late 1960s. The two-time Emmy winner has appeared in the “Meet The Parents” films, and the acclaimed movie “The Great Santini.” She was married to the late film director Bruce Paltrow and their daughter Gwyneth won a best actress Academy Award for “Shakespeare in Love.”

Bruce Dern has been nominated for two Academy Awards over an entertainment career that began in 1960. Among his notable films are “Nebraska” “Coming Home,” and “Django Unchained,” and the TV series “Big Love.” Diane Ladd has earned Oscar nominations for “Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore,” “Wild at Heart,” and “Rambling Rose.” Their daughter, Laura Dern, won an Academy Award for best supporting actress in “Marriage Story” and an Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie for “Big Little Lies.” She’s most known for appearing in the “Jurassic Park” films.

Sisters Emily and Zooey Deschanel have earned their acting credentials on television on series such as “Bones” (Emily) and “Weeds” and “New Girl” (Zooey). Zooey appeared in the film “500 Days of Summer,” and has a serious music career. Their mother, Mary Jo, is probably best known for her role as John Glenn’s shy wife in “The Right Stuff.” She also appeared in the epic “The Patriot.” Their father, Caleb Deschanel, is a respected director and cinematographer.

Any list of the most famous acting families has to include the Douglases. Kirk, who died at 103 in 2020, began his career in 1946 and starred in such screen classics as “Spartacus,” “The Bold and the Beautiful,” and “Paths of Glory.” Son Michael won a Best Actor Oscar as corporate raider Gordon Gekko in “Wall Street.” He has also starred in the movies “Fatal Attraction” and “Basic Instinct,” and the TV series “The Streets of San Francisco. Michael’s mother, Diana, appeared in the film “Planes, Trains, and Automobiles,” and the TV series “Remington Steele.”

The Estevez/Sheen brood is well represented in the entertainment industry. Father Martin Sheen is famous for playing the president in the TV series “The West Wing,” starred in the war epic “Apocalypse Now,” and was in the crime film “The Departed.” His brother, Joe, has appeared in the Adult Swim series “Decker” since 2014. Charlie Sheen starred in the long-running sitcom “Two and a Half Men” and films such as “Platoon” and “Major League.” Brother Emilio Estevez headlined in the 1980s Brat Pack movie “The Breakfast Club.” Brother Ramon and sister Renée also are actors.

Singer-actor Eddie Fisher hosted a television series titled “Coke Time” in the 1950s, and had numerous Top 10 hits in that era. He appeared in “Bundle of Joy” with then-wife Debbie Reynolds and in “BUtterfield 8” when his second wife, Elizabeth Taylor. His marriage to Reynolds produced actress Carrie Fisher (best-known as Princess Leia in the “Star Wars” films), and his union with actress-singer Stevens yielded Joely Fisher, known for TV appearances on “Ellen” and “Last Man Standing,” and Tricia Leigh Fisher, whose movie and TV roles include parts in “The Making of a Hollywood Madam” and “‘Til Death.” Reynolds, actress, dancer, and singer, was a major star in the 1950s and 1960s, appearing in the films “Singin’ in the Rain” and “The Unsinkable Molly Brown” and later in the TV series “Will & Grace.” Taylor was one of the most famous actresses of the 20th century, scoring five Best Actress Oscar nominations and winning the award for “BUtterfield 8” and “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolff.” Stevens starred in motion pictures (“Palm Beach Weekend”) and television (“77 Sunset Strip”).

Three generations of the Fonda family have performed with distinction in motion pictures. Henry Fonda starred in such cinematic greats as “The Grapes of Wrath,” “Once Upon a Time in the West,” and “12 Angry Men,” and finally won an Oscar for “On Golden Pond” in 1982. His first wife, Margaret Sullavan, co-starred with James Stewart in four notable movies and was nominated for a Best Actress Oscar for “Three Comrades.” Fonda’s daughter Jane starred in light comedies such as “Barefoot in the Park” and “Sunday in New York” before turning to more serious parts such as her Oscar-winning roles in “Klute” and “Coming Home.” Peter starred in the counterculture classic “Easy Rider.” His daughter, Bridget, is known for her roles in ” Single White Female,” ” Point of No Return,” and “It Could Happen to You.” His sister’s son, Troy Garity, was nominated for a Golden Globe for his role in “Soldier’s Girl” and has appeared on the Netflix series “BlackAF.”

Few entertainment families have had lives with more peaks and valleys than Judy Garland and Liza Minnelli. While still a teen, Garland was one of America’s biggest and most beloved stars, in films such as “A Star is Born” and “The Wizard of Oz.” During her career, she battled addiction demons that led to her early passing. Daughter Liza’s versatility has been rewarded with a Tony, an Emmy, and an Oscar, the last for Best Actress in “Cabaret.” She also has had substance abuse issues. Garland’s other daughter, Lorna Luft, also has appeared in television series and films.

Jackie Gleason was one of television’s earliest stars, starring as the bloviating bus driver Ralph Kramden in the sitcom “The Honeymooners.” He also starred in films such as “The Hustler” and the “Smokey and the Bandit” series. His daughter Linda has appeared in films and on TV and was nominated for a Best Supporting Actress Tony Award. His grandson is actor Jason Patric, best known for his performances in movies such as “The Lost Boys,” “The Alamo,” and “Sleepers.”

Siblings Jake and Maggie Gyllenhaal got the entertainment industry’s attention for their roles in the cult hit “Donnie Darko” in 2001. Jake also appeared in “The Day After Tomorrow,” “The Good Girl,” and “Brokeback Mountain” (for which he was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar). Maggie has been nominated for Academy Awards for “Crazy Heart” and “The Lost Daughter.” She also starred in “Secretary” and “The Dark Knight.”

Tom Hanks, America’s cinematic everyman, has won two Academy Awards and starred in many of the highest-grossing films of the past 40 years, including “Cast Away,” “Sleepless in Seattle,” “Forrest Gump,” and “Saving Private Ryan.” Wife Rita Wilson has 81 acting credits, including the films “Jingle All the Way” and “Sleepless in Seattle.” Hanks’ son Colin has appeared in the TV series “Band of Brothers,” “Fargo,” “Roswell,” and “Dexter.” His half-brother, Chet, was a regular on “Shameless,” “Empire,” and “Your Honor.”

Goldie Hawn first got America’s attention as a ditzy blonde on the ensemble comedy show “Laugh-In.” She then earned a best supporting actress Oscar for her role in “Cactus Flower.” Her film career took off, with parts in “Shampoo,” “Private Benjamin,” “Overboard,” and “Death Becomes Her.” Hawn’s partner of almost 40 years, Kurt Russell, starred in Disney movies as a youth, and his many subsequent film roles include Mr. Nobody in the “Fast and Furious” franchise. His and Hawn’s son Wyatt appeared in “Overlord” and “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.” Kate Hudson, Hawn’s daughter with actor-singer Bill Hudson (“Doogie Howser, M.D.”), won a Best Supporting Actress Golden Glove and an Oscar nomination for her role in “Almost Famous,” and her son Oliver Hudson appeared in the TV series “Dawson’s Creek,” “Nashville,” and “Rules of Engagement.”

Rance Howard appeared in such honored films such as “Cool Hand Luke” and “Chinatown.” His wife had roles in about two dozen movies and TV series. Their two-time Oscar-winning son Ron charmed America as Andy Griffith’s son Opie on “The Andy Griffith Show” and starred as Richie Cunningham in the 1950s nostalgia sit-com “Happy Days.” Their other son, Clint, appeared in “The Paper” and shows up in many of the movies Ron directs. Ron’s daughter, Bryce Dallas Howard, has had roles in “The Village” and “The Help,” while her sister, Paige, has appeared in indie movies and on TV.

Walter and John Huston are the only father-son pair to win Academy Awards. Walter won best supporting actor for “The Treasure of Sierra Madre,” and John took home statues for Best Director and Best Screenplay for the same film. John was nominated for an Academy Award 14 times. His daughter Angelica extended Oscar wins to a third generation by taking home the Best Supporting Actress Academy Award for “Prizzi’s Honor.” Her half-brother Danny has 81 acting credits, including the films “The Constant Gardener” and “The Aviator.” Her nephew Jack has had roles in the film “American Hustle” and the TV series “Boardwalk Empire.”

Lipton starred in the 1970s crime-drama series “The Mod Squad,” one of the first TV series that featured an interracial cast, and later appeared on “Twin Peaks.” Rashida Jones, her daughter with record producer Quincy Jones, is best known for her recurring roles on “The Office” and “Parks and Recreation” She has also appeared in such films as “The Social Network” and “Tag.”

Marx brothers Groucho, Harpo, Chico, and Zeppo made some of filmdom’s funniest comedies, such as “Horse Feathers,” ‘Duck Soup,” and “Animal Crackers.” Groucho would go on to have a career as a celebrated television game-show host. Gummo’s grandson Brett Marx appeared in the “Bad News Bears” comedies of the 1970s.

The Redgraves are one of England’s great acting families. Michael Redgrave, from the generation that produced British acting giants Laurence Olivier, John Gielgud, and Ralph Richardson, appeared in films such as “The Lady Vanishes” and “Mourning Becomes Electra” (earning a Best Actor Oscar nomination for the latter). Daughter Vanessa was nominated for an Academy Award six times and won for a supporting role in “Julia.” Her sister Lynn was nominated for an Oscar, Emmy, Tony, and Grammy but failed to win. Their brother, Corin, appeared in “A Man for All Seasons” and “Four Weddings and a Funeral.” Vanessa’s daughter Natasha Richardson starred in the reboot of “The Parent Trap” before her untimely death following a skiing accident at the age of 45. Her sister Joely’s movie credits include “The Patriot” and “Event Horizon,” and she’s also been in the TV series “Nip/Tuck.” Corin’s daughter, Jemma, is known for her role in the classic British TV show “Dr. Who.”

Julia Roberts beguiled audiences with her star turn as the call girl in “Pretty Woman.” That earned her the first of her four Oscar nominations. She eventually won for best actress for “Erin Brockovich.” Twelve of her films have grossed more than $100 million each. Her brother, Eric, has more than 600 film credits, ranging from student films to major-studio blockbusters. The acting genes have been passed on to his daughter Emma, who starred in the “Nancy Drew” TV series and was in the hit film “We’re the Millers.”

Besides being one of the most influential singers of the 20th century, Frank Sinatra also had a robust film career. He won a best supporting actor Oscar for his role in “From Here to Eternity.” Some of his other notable film appearances were in “The Manchurian Candidate,” “Some Came Running,” and “The Man with the Golden Arm.” Sinatra’s daughter Nancy made her film debut in 1964, appearing in “For Those Who Think Young” and she was in “Speedway” with Elvis Presley. Frank Sinatra Jr. appeared on “The Sopranos.” Tina Sinatra was in the TV series “Fantasy Island” and “Mannix” in the 1970s.

Will Smith, who just won the best actor Oscar for “King Richard,” charmed audiences in the sitcom “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” in the 1990s. Smith built on that popularity with a rap career and transitioned to movies with hits like “Independence Day” and “Men in Black.” Thirteen of his films have grossed more than $100 million. Wife Jada Pinkett has appeared in the Matrix films and “The Nutty Professor.” Son Jaden (“The Karate Kid,” “The Pursuit of Happyness”) and daughter Willow (“I Am Legend”) have joined the family acting fold.

While Jerry Stiller’s noteworthy acting credits mostly involve television – “Seinfeld” and “King of Queens” among them – wife Anne Meara has succeeded on the big screen (“Reality Bites,” “Awakenings”) as well as on TV (“Kate McShane,” “Will & Grace”). Son Ben Stiller added to the family’s fame with roles in “Zoolander,” “Flirting with Disaster,” and “There’s Something About Mary.” Daughter Amy has appeared on television series such as “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” and “The King of Queens.”

Many critics and filmgoers believe Meryl Streep is the greatest actress of her generation. She’s been nominated for an Oscar a record 21 times and won on three occasions. Ten of her films have a Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer critics rating of 90% or above. “Sophie’s Choice,” “Kramer vs. Kramer,” “Doubt,” and “The Deerhunter,” are just a few of her notable movies. Her daughter Mamie Gummer has appeared in TV shows “The Good Wife” and “The Big C.” Her sisters Grace and Louisa and brother Henry are also actors.

The Sutherlands are another multi-generational acting family that has distinguished itself. Donald played counterculture characters in films such as “M*AS*H” and “Kelly’s Heroes,” was in the reboot of the “Invasion of the Body Snatchers.” and appeared in comedies like “Animal House.” His wife from 1966 to 1970, Shirley Douglas, was in “Dead Ringers” and “Lolita.” Their son Kiefer had big-screen success with “The Lost Boys” and “Young Guns” and has also won an Emmy for his role as Jack Bauer in the tension-filled series “24.” His half-brothers Rossif and Angus are also actors, and Kiefer’s daughter, Sarah, gained notice as the dissatisfied daughter of Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ character Selina Meyer on the TV series “Veep.”

Political differences have contributed to an estrangement between Jon Voight and daughter Angelina Jolie, both of whom are Oscar winners. Voight won a Best Actor Oscar playing a paralyzed Vietnam War vet in “Coming Home.” His other notable film credits include “Midnight Cowboy” and “Deliverance.” Angelina Jolie won a Best Supporting Actress Academy Award for “Girl, Interrupted” and was in “Gia,” “Mr. and Mrs. Smith,” and “Maleficent.” Jolie’s brother, James Haven, also has had small roles in film (“Monster’s Ball”) and television. (Voight’s brother, Chip Taylor, is a noted musician and songwriter, noted for “Angel of the Morning” and “Wild Thing.”)

The Wayans are America’s first family of comedy. They broke through in the 1990s with sketch comedy series “In Living Color” that was helmed by Keenen Ivory Wayans. The show shattered barriers and launched the careers of not only his siblings Damon (“The Last Boy Scout”), Marlon (“Scary Movie”), Shawn (“White Chicks”), and Kim (“My Wife & Kids”), but of other performers who included Jim Carrey and Jamie Foxx. Other Wayans family members have had success as screenwriters.