45 Celebrities You Never Knew Had Famous Parents

Famous parent(s): actor Andie MacDowell

What it was like: “I do sometimes think I don’t deserve the life that I have,” Margaret said. “And obviously dwelling in that undeserving place is not beneficial for anyone. I’d rather help someone else than feel too bad about things. But while I would like to believe that working hard will make it so that I can continue to do this, I’m well-aware doors have been opened for me. I was given opportunities from a very young age that I would not have otherwise had.”

Famous parent(s): actors Dennis Quaid and Meg Ryan

What it was like: “I don’t want to necessarily complain about growing up the way that I did because there was always food on the table, I got to live in a nice house...This is me checking my privilege. It’s there. It’s totally there,” Jack said. “But there’s a little bit of an attitude that I’ve gotten, especially as I was starting out. Like, I would walk into an audition room and people would just assume I would be a jerk.”

Famous parent(s): actor Lea Thompson and director Howard Deutch

What it was like: "I have so much gratitude for my mom and dad making it a priority in our childhood to sit down and have a home-cooked family meal every night, when it was possible," Zoey said. "And they made sure we always did the dishes together and didn't watch TV or be on our phones during dinner, but had a quality experience with our meal."

Famous parent(s): actor Denzel Washington

What it was like: "I've had the acting bug since I was, like, five," John said. "But growing up I saw how people treated me differently when they knew who my father was, even the stuff I did on the field. Sometimes I'd rush for 100 yards and the headline would be, 'Denzel's son runs for 100 yards.' That's where the suppression of that bug came from."

Famous parent(s): actor Stephen Baldwin; niece to actor Alec Baldwin

What it was like: "I'm lucky that I was raised so normally in a suburban town," Hailey said. "If I didn't have that normal childhood before I started doing this, I don't know—I think things would be different...I don't see myself as famous, I see myself as a normal person with a job that is not very normal. My work life is very out there and very public. But I do my best to maintain my privacy."

Famous parent(s): singer-songwriter Lionel Richie; sister to reality star Nicole Richie

What it was like: "My dad, he thinks so out-of-the-box," Sofia said. "He’s so weird and he can take my mind places that I probably wouldn’t go to and he opens me up to so many different thoughts. He’s my creative go-to.”

Famous parent(s): actor/producer Larry David

What it was like: "I didn't even know my dad was famous, to be honest," Cazzie said. "I was in elementary school when [Curb Your Enthusiasm] started, and by the last season, I was in high school, but I still don't remember it really being on the air...It was never spoken about, never thought about."

Famous parent(s): singer Diana Ross

What it was like: "I was beyond spoilt with love," Tracee said. "My mother is a mother first and foremost. She really instilled in all five of her children, family first, care for other people, go after your dreams and never be afraid of authority figures."

Famous parent(s): actors Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn; half-brother to actors Kate Hudson and Oliver Hudson

What it was like: "What [Kurt] gave me, and my mom gave me, was the mindset that you’re an individual, and you make your choices individually," Wyatt said. "Individuality is an important thing in this business—to not lose yourself. And those were the most important things that I got. There’s nothing about acting that they can really teach you. It’s just not the way it really works."

Famous parent(s): singer-songwriter Phil Collins

What it was like: "At the beginning, [having Phil Collins as a dad] was the most interesting thing about me," Lily said. "Now I’ve done eight films, it’s an afterthought. I get kids who say, 'Oh, I love your movie, but my mum loves your dad.' It’s really nice to be able to share that with him, but it doesn’t define who I am career-wise."

Famous parent(s): actors Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman

What it was like: "My parents are wonderful and really supportive and have given me a lot," Maya said. "And I feel really grateful to have their support. And they both loved [Stranger Things], and loved it before I was on it."

Famous parent(s): filmmaker Judd Apatow and actor Leslie Mann

What it was like: "When I was growing up, my parents never let me act in anything that wasn’t with them. And I remember, as a kid, wanting to be on Broadway," Maude said. "I really wanted to start working. And it was important to my parents that I finished high school and [was] mature enough to be able to handle myself in those situations without them. I’m really glad that I ended up staying in high school. I feel like when they let me start acting on my own, I was actually ready."

Famous parent(s): actor Tom Hanks

What it was like: "When I was starting off, I was sort of lovingly naïve, thinking that [being the son of Tom Hanks] wasn’t as big a deal as it is…that I would get the benefit of the doubt that I was my own person…and that doesn’t happen," Colin said.

Famous parent(s): actor Stellan Skarsgård; brother to actor Bill Skarsgård

What it was like: "I was like most people that age, trying to figure out what to do,” Alexander said. “And it was kind of: ‘F*ck it, Dad’s an actor, he’s super-happy doing it, maybe I should give it a go.’ I felt like, if I don’t try it now, there is a risk that I’ll look back 30, 40 years from now and think: ‘Why didn’t I? What an idiot!’"

Famous parent(s): actor/musician Lenny Kravitz and actor Lisa Bonet; granddaughter to actor Roxie Roker

What it was like: "When I was younger, I really wanted to prove to people I was a normal human being, that I was cool, chill," Zoë said. "When kids were mean, the first thing they’d say is, 'She thinks she’s so f*cking cool because her dad is famous.' I just wanted to fit in."

Famous parent(s): supermodel Cindy Crawford

What it was like: "I think it was only on my eighth birthday, at Disneyland, that I started to understand what was going on," Kaia said. "I wanted to take pictures with the princesses, and everyone wanted to take pictures with her!"

Famous parent(s): actors Don Johnson and Melanie Griffith; granddaughter to actor Tippi Hedren

What it was like: "I was so consistently unmoored and discombobulated. I didn’t have an anchor anywhere," Dakota said. "I never learned how to learn the way you’re supposed to as a kid. I thought, Why do I have to go to school on time? What’s the point when you’re living in Budapest for six months while your stepdad films Evita and you go to school in your hotel room?"

Famous parent(s): singer-songwriter Neneh Cherry and producer Cameron McVey

What it was like: "When I was in my teens, [I] was like, 'I really want to do music,'" Mabel said. "I felt quite embarrassed by being my mum and dad's daughter. I thought, 'People will never take me seriously.'"

Famous parent(s): actors Robert Pine and Gwynne Gilford; grandson to actor Anne Gwynne

What it was like: "My first audition, professionally speaking, was for Gilmore Girls," Chris said. "My father had gone in for an audition. I’d just graduated college and he told the casting directors that I was an actor: 'My son’s coming back into town. Will you have him in for a reading?' So nepotism at its best."

Famous parent(s): reality star Lisa Rinna and actor Harry Hamlin; sister of model Delilah Belle Hamlin

What it was like: "The biggest lesson I've learned from my mom is that hard work pays off," Amelia said. "And that the application of oneself will get you further than you could ever imagine. Also, that it's all up to you and in your hands!"