10 Children of Celebrities Who Made It to the Top on Their Own

There are stories of celebrity families where the children are inspired by their parents’ career choices. Henry David Thoreau, an American writer and philosopher, said, “If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.”

Bright Side compiled 10 cases in which children of celebrities decided to take the same path as their parents and managed to fulfill their dreams after putting in lots of effort and hard work.

1. Ben Stiller

The popular actor, director, and producer is the son of actors and comedians, Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara. Ben showed his interest in the film industry at an early age, shooting Super 8 movies with his sister and friends. His father worked on the series, Seinfeld (where he played the father of the character, George Costanza), and The King of Queens. They had the opportunity to shine together on screen as father and son in Zoolander.

2. Maude Apatow

The daughter of actress Leslie Mann and film director Judd Apatow, 24-year-old Maude began her career at a very young age participating in films directed by her father, such as Knocked Up, Funny People, and This is 40 (in some of these films she acted alongside her mother and sister). Currently, she appears in Euphoria where she plays Lexi, a character that has become a favorite of fans of the series.

3. Tracee Ellis Ross

She is an actress, model, comedian, producer and television host, as well as the daughter of singer Diana Ross and music manager Robert Ellis Silberstein. Her career began as a model; her debut as an actress came in 1996 when she played a role in the film, Far Harbor.

In 40 years in Hollywood, she worked in many films and TV series — since 2014 she’s starred in the series, Black-ish, on Netflix, where she embodies a role quite opposite to her real life (in the show she is a wife and mother of 5, and in reality, she is neither married nor a mother).

4. Simone Johnson

Born on August 17, 2001, her father is Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. She follows in her father’s footsteps in wrestling and is also a model for the IMG company, which represents the top 10 highest paid in the world. She has become the youngest person in history to sign with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and stated that she does not want to fall into the trap of comparing herself to her father, however, she is aware of his legacy.

5. Jessica Capshaw

Daughter of actress and producer Kate Capshaw, after divorcing her father Robert, her mother married Steven Spielberg. Jessica has acted in many movies, however, her most emblematic characterization was in Grey’s Anatomy, where she played Arizona Robbins.

6. Sosie Bacon

Daughter of actors Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick, she debuted in a film of her father’s called Loverboy when she was only 12 years old. She’s also appeared in 13 Reasons Why and starred in a series alongside Kate Winslet, called Mare of Easttown.

7. Matilda “Tilly” Ramsay

This young woman is the daughter of chef Gordon Ramsay and is following in her father’s footsteps. She has worked since she was very young on television in Matilda and the Ramsay Bunch, where she showed her talent in the kitchen. She also published a recipe book, was a contestant on the celebrity dance show, Strictly Come Dancing, and has over 10 million followers on TikTok.

8. Mariska Hargitay

The actress who has, since 1999, starred in the famous series, Law and Order SVU, is the daughter of actress Jayne Mansfield and Mickey Hargitay, who was elected Mr. Universe in 1955. She has become so involved in her role as Detective Olivia Benson that she decided to open the Joyful Heart Foundation to help victims of abuse. She is also a close friend of Taylor Swift and was featured in the video for the singer’s song, Bad Blood.

9. Mamie Gummer

Mamie Gummer is the daughter of Meryl Streep and sculptor Don Gummer; and at just 20 months old, she appeared alongside her mother in the film, Heartburn. From then on, she acted in more than 40 films and TV series, such as The Good Wife and True Detective. In the 2015 film, Ricki, they played mother and daughter.

10. Billie Lourd

Billie is the daughter of Carrie Fisher, the iconic Princess Leia from the Star Wars saga, and also the granddaughter of Debbie Reynolds, the star of Singin’ in the Rain. Her acting debut was in Star Wars: The Force Awakens in 2015. She participated in series such as Scream Queens and in 3 different American Horror Story miniseries.

Which other children of famous parents would you add to this list? Do you think that in these cases, achieving success is easier or more difficult because of the inevitable comparisons?