Celebrity Kids Who Act Like Their Parents
Kevin Costner’s son, Hayes, is the latest celebrity kid to join a long list of children of actors following in their parents footsteps.
It’s always exciting to see the next generation from our favorite celebrity families grow up and find their way just like their parents — and while we love to speculate that star’s kids like North West or Blue Ivy Carter will automatically follow in their famous parents’ footsteps, there’s really no guarantee that they’ll have the same interests. So, when there’s a parent-kid duo where we get to see two generations showing off their talent at once, it’s a rare treat — and celeb kids like Willow and Jaden Smith, Zo? Kravitz, and more following in their actor parents’ footsteps give us the chance to see just that.
The acting bug is a serious thing. When you get it, you get it hard. And these celebrity children couldn’t help but get the bug. They’re surrounded by film sets and awards ceremonies nearly from day one — which means that once they do decide to get into acting, they already have a head start on learning the ropes.
From one of Angelina Jolie’s younger children to Sean Penn and Robin Wright’s daughter, Bruce Willis and Demi Moore’s daughter, and more, there are so many celebrity children that have entered the performing arts — and are doing amazing. Here are some famous actor’s kids who decided to follow in their parents’ career footsteps.
A version of this article was originally published on Dec. 2021.
More from SheKnows
Best of SheKnows
Giorgia Whigham
Giorgia Whigham is an actress who has grown a strong fanbase thanks to her roles in Ted, the Scream TV series, and 13 Reasons Why, to name a few. For those who don’t know, she’s the daughter of actor Shea Whigham, known for his roles in Boardwalk Empire, Silver Linings Playbook, American Hustle, The Wolf of Wall Street and more.
Hayes Costner
Kevin Costner’s teen son Hayes is making his acting debut in his father’s upcoming two-part epic Western Horizon: An American Saga. Costner shares Hayes with ex-wife Christine Baumgartner.
The actor, 69, co-wrote, directed and stars in Horizon and told People in November 2022 that his son, who was 13 at the time of filming, is “very good” in the movie.
“Hayes plays the namesake character that I actually play in the movie. He’s 13 years old and the screenplay’s been around longer than that,” he gushed.
Mariska Hargitay
Law & Order: SVU star Mariska Hargitay is the daughter of Hollywood legend Jayne Mansfield, known for movies like Too Hot to Handle and Promises! Promises!
Hargitay was just 3 years old when her mother passed away in a car accident but she has shared touching tributes to her on many occasions, including in a 2018 interview with People.
“My mother was this amazing, beautiful, glamor-ous sex symbol — but people didn’t know that she played the violin and had a 160 IQ and had five kids and loved dogs,” she told the outlet. “She was just so ahead of her time. She was an inspiration, she had this appetite for life, and I think I share that with her.”
“Someone once said about [remembering] my mother: ‘All you have to do is look in the mirror,’ ” she added. “She’s with me still.”
Domhnall Gleeson
The Banshees of Inisherin star, Oscar-nominated actor Brendan Gleeson, passed on his talents to his son Domhnall who has starred in hits like About Time, Brooklyn and Ex Machina.
Carys Zeta Douglas
Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones’s daughter Carys Zeta Douglas is spreading her acting wings. According to Hello, Carys reposted a photo from a classmate that revealed that she was enrolled in the ever-so-prestigious RADA, the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art where she was studying acting.
Sunny & Sadie Sandler
Adam Sandler’s daughters Sunny and Sadie proved that they are just as talented as their hilarious dad when the whole family, including their mom Jackie, starred in You’re So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah.
West Duchovny
David Duchovny and Tea Leoni’s daughter, West Duchovny, has quite a few acting credits under her belt since joining the acting world in 2018, with her latest projects entitled Saint X and Painkillers making headlines!
Birdie Leigh Silverstein
Busy Philipps eldest child, who was born in 2008, Birdie Leigh Silverstein just made her acting debut alongside her mom in the second season of comedy show, With Love! The pair play mother-child duo Amanda and Charlie.
Henry & Charlie Hall
Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ sons Charles and Henry Hall have both followed in their mom’s footsteps! “I love it! It’s a big surprise,” Louis-Dreyfus said in a 2023 interview with People.
“My son Henry just finished shooting a series for Amazon, and Charlie’s in all sorts of shows, Single Drunk Female, Sex Lives of College Girls, and so on… I love the arts and I think that to be a creative person, and to be able to make a living as a creative person, is an absolute gift.”
Dakota Johnson
Melanie Griffiths and Don Johnson’s talented daughter Dakota Johnson has starred in several blockbusters from the Fifty Shades of Gray franchise to Marvel’s Madame Web.
Dan Levy
The talented and hilarious Eugene Levy is a proud dad to the equally talented and hilarious Dan Levy. Aside from following in his dad’s acting footsteps with roles in The Idol and Sex Education, he also worked with his dad to create, write and star in hit sitcom Schitt’s Creek.
Deacon Phillippe
Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Phillippe’s son Deacon made his acting debut in the third season of Mindy Kaling’s hit series Never Have I Ever in 2023.
Maude Apatow
As the daughter of Leslie Mann and Judd Apatow, Maude Apatow had an early entry into acting in some of her dad’s movies, includiing This Is 40. She notably branched out on her own to starred as Lexi Howard in the hit HBO series Euphoria. Other projects she’s worked on include Assassination Nation and The King of Staten Island.
Billie Lourd
Billie Lourd is another a third-generation actor, with her grandmother being legendary actress Debbie Reynolds and her mother being the iconic Star Wars actress Carrie Fisher. She’s starred in TV and film alike, appearing as fan-favorite characters in projects like American Horror Story, Scream Queens, and Booksmart.
Colin Hanks
As the son of Tom Hanks and stepson of Rita Wilson, Colin Hanks stepped into acting almost immediately. He’s starred in films like Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, W., King Kong, and Whatever It Takes.
Zo? Kravitz
Zo? Kravitz has been following her parents Lenny Kravitz and Lisa Bonet’s acting footsteps for a long time now. With over 40 acting credits, she’s appeared in projects like High Fidelity, Big Little Lies, X-Men, Mad Max: Fury Road and most recently Catwoman in 2022’s The Batman movie.
Emma Roberts
Daughter of actor Eric Roberts and niece of legendary star Julia Roberts, Emma Roberts has been acting since she was a tot. Her most notable work has been in Scream Queens, American Horror Story, We’re the Millers, and much more.
Abby Elliot
The Bear star Abby Elliot is the daughter of SNL alum Chris Elliott. In addition to following in her father’s footsteps with an SNL role, she’s starred in projects like How I Met Your Mother, Cheaper by the Dozen, No Strings Attached, and Odd Mom Out.
Ben Stiller
Ben Stiller’s been on our screens for so long it’s hard to remember his family’s from the same business too. Stiller is son to fellow Seinfeld star Jerry Stiller and King of Queens actress Anne Meara.
Maya Hawke
Daughter of actors Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman, Maya Hawke has already appeared in high-profile projects like Stranger Things and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.
Miley Cyrus
While Miley Cyrus has pivoted to being a full-time musician, she got her start in acting alongside her father, singer and actor Billy Ray Cyrus in the hit Disney show Hannah Montana. She also starred in films like The Last Song and LOL.
Jaden Smith
Will Smith and Jada Pinkett-Smith’s eldest son, Jaden Smith, has dabbled in both acting and singing. He’s appeared in The Pursuit of Happyness, After Earth, and The Karate Kid.
Willow Smith
Will and Jada Pinkett Smith’s youngest child, Willow Smith, is also equally as talented. She’s appeared in films like I Am Legend and Kit Kittredge: An American Girl when she was younger. Most recently, however, she’s been more focused on singing releasing hit songs such as “Wait a Minute!”
Gia Lopez
Mario and Courtney Lopez daughter Gia Francesca Lopez is just a teen, but she’s already making acting waves. Her biggest role yet has been the voice of Estrella in Elena of Avalor. She’s also been in a TV Movie, Holiday in Santa Fe.
Nico Parker
Thandiwe Newton’s daughter Nico Parker got into film back in 2019 when she was in Dumbo. She also starred alongside her superstar mom in the 2021 film Reminiscence, appeared in hit HBO series series The Last of Us and appeared alongside Laura Linney and Woody Harrelson in Suncoast.
Kaia Gerber
Not only is Kaia Gerber following her supermodel mom Cindy Crawford’s footsteps, but she’s also following her mom’s acting footsteps as well. She made her acting debut in American Horror Story and later starred in hit comedy Bottoms.
Vivienne Jolie-Pitt
Vivienne Jolie-Pitt, also known as Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie’s youngest daughter, played young Aurora in her mom’s hit Disney film Maleficent.
Lily-Rose Depp
Daughter of Johnny Depp and French actress and singer Vanessa Paradis, Lily-Rose Depp has been in an array of English and French indie films like Tusk, Yoga Hosers, The Dancer, and A Faithful Man. The starlet is also set to starred in Sam Levinson’s HBO drama series, The Idol.
Dylan Penn
Dylan Penn, whose famous parents are Sean Penn and Robin Wright, got into acting in 2015. Her most notable work has been in the movies Condemned and Flag Day.
Saoirse Ronan
Oscar-nominated actress Saoirse Ronan is the daughter of lesser-known Irish actors Monica and Paul Ronan. Saoirse has been in an array of films with her most notable being Hanna, The Lovely Bones, Little Women, and Mary Queen of Scots.
Booboo Stewart
Remember Seth from the Twilight saga? Well Booboo Stewart has grown up and has been in over 100 acting projects already, including the Descendants franchise. He’s also the son of actress Renee Stewart and Space Cowboys actor Nils Allen Stewart.
Mayan Lopez
George Lopez’s daughter, Mayan Lopez, has been dabbling in acting since 2007, but in recent years, she’s consistently done a project a year. Her most recent project is starring alongside her father in Lopez vs. Lopez.
Rumer Willis
Bruce Willis and Demi Moore’s oldest daughter, Rumer, has been acting since her youth in her parents’ movies but has built up a successful career in her own, more recent projects which include Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, What Lies Ahead and Air Strike.
