Celebrities With Famous Grandparents

Many people follow in their parent's footsteps regarding their careers. There's no better example of this than in Hollywood. It's quite amazing to see talent handed down from a parent to their kid, whether singing, acting, or even modeling. For example, there's Dennis Quaid's son, Jack Quaid, who not only looks like his famous father but has his acting chops, too! Have you seen him in "The Boys?" In the music department, country star Billy Ray Cyrus helped his daughter Miley Cyrus rise to fame. And let's not forget about model Kaia Gerber, who inherited her good looks thanks to her supermodel mom, Cindy Crawford. 

However, what's more impressive is a celebrity whose talents not only mimic that of their parents, but also their grandparents. It's really cool to see that a celeb has a long family history in the business and that they are continuing that legacy. These stars below have grandfathers and grandmothers who were top-tier actors during Hollywood's Golden Age or were creating music that shook up American culture. Meanwhile, the grandsons and granddaughters of these stars have not only showcased similar talents, but if you look closely, you might see a striking resemblance to their famous grandparents.  

Let's take a look at the stars who are thanking their grandpa and grandma for giving them a leg up in their careers. 

Charlie Chaplin was an icon in the film industry, having been known for his work in the silent-film era. However, what some people may not know about Chaplin is that he had many love interests and affairs with his co-stars. The actor was married four times and fathered eleven children. His fourth and final wife was Oona O'Neill, with whom he had eight of those children. One of those kids would be actor Geraldine Chaplin, whose daughter, Oona Chaplin, named after her grandmother, would also go into acting.

In an interview with Remezcla, Oona revealed that she wasn't interested in an acting career, despite coming from a family with a history in the industry. "At first, I firmly fought against it because it seemed to me that it was a frivolous profession with little substance," she shared. However, she changed her perspective after being involved in a school play. Oona's most recognized work includes portraying Talisa Stark on "Game of Thrones" and starring alongside her mother in "Anchor and Hope."

If you look closely, Oona shares a resemblance to her famous grandfather. Though she never met him, she told the Independent that she still can't believe she is related to him. "There are moments, even now, when I sort of go, 'Whoa ... my blood has some of that in it?' It's amazing, but it kind of freaks me out sometimes," she reflected.

Riley Keough has been popping up everywhere thanks to her role in the Prime Video series "Daisy Jones and The Six." In the series, Keough, who stars as Daisy Jones, the lead member of a 1970s rock group, auditioned with no singing experience. But, taking the part seriously, she took singing lessons and nabbed the role. The actor sang each song on the "Aurora" soundtrack, too. So, where could Keough's musical abilities come from? Well, if you weren't aware, she's the granddaughter of Elvis Presley. Her mother, the late Lisa Marie Presley, was also prominent in the music business.

Speaking to ET about her experiences with a newfound love of singing and playing music, Keough shared that she isn't trying to live up to her famous family. Instead, she's carving her own path. "I don't know if there is continuing my grandfather's legacy, it's its own sort of thing to me. But it was a really fun experience for me. I'm not a musician — or I am now, I guess. I've been interested in film my whole life, and so for me, it was more really loving to get to have a relationship with music in that way," she shared.

Besides her work in "Daisy Jones and The Six," Keough has also starred in "Mad Max: Fury Road," "Zola," and "The Lodge."

Micheál Richardson might not be too recognizable in Hollywood, but he's already starred with big names like Liam Neeson, who just so happens to be his dad. Richardson starred alongside his famous father in 2019's "Cold Pursuit" and again in 2020's "Made in Italy," which had Richardson in a much more prominent role. Micheál's mom, Natasha Richardson, was also an actor who starred in films like "The Parent Trap" and "Maid in Manhattan." Sadly, Natasha died in 2009 following a head injury after falling while skiing. Micheál was 13. 

Micheál's grandmother, Natasha's mother, Vanessa Redgrave, is a name you might recognize. Redgrave has worked in the acting business for over six decades and won an Oscar for best supporting actress for the 1977 film "Julia." Her other memorable roles include starring opposite Amanda Seyfried in "Letters to Juliet" and Keira Knightly in "Atonement." 

In 2018, Redgrave told Daily Mail that her grandson ditched his famous father's last name for his mothers. Plus, with Neeson already a top name in Hollywood, it's touching to see Micheál carry on his mother's legacy with her last name. "That wasn't because he wanted to avoid his father's fame, which is enormous. He wanted to hold his mother close to him — because she was a remarkable actress," Redgrave shared. Hopefully, we'll see more of Micheál Richardson as he follows in his famous family's footsteps.

Sean Flynn is best known for his role as Chase Matthews, the awkward, sometimes clumsy student at Pacific Coast Academy in the beloved 2005 Nickelodeon tv series "Zoey 101." It was announced earlier in 2023 that the original cast, including the show's lead, Jamie Lynn Spears, were reprising their roles in the Paramount + film "Zoey 102."

Though Flynn hasn't done much since his role as Spears' character's love interest in the show, he comes from a family with a history in the movie business. In fact, when Flynn was cast for the role of Matthews, the show creator, Dan Schneider, told Today that he had no idea he was the grandson of acting legend Errol Flynn. For those unfamiliar with his grandfather, Errol was best known for his role as Robin Hood in the 1938 classic "The Adventures of Robin Hood." However, he was also known as a notorious womanizer, and though Sean never met his grandfather, he knew of his reputation for being a ladies' man. "But I can tell you if I ever go to a tennis club or an old-age home or someplace where older people are, I'll definitely get recognized ... If it's a woman, they'll say, 'I was so in love with him.' If it's a guy, they'll say, 'My wife was so in love with him,'" Sean told Today.

Sean actually had a minor role in the 2013 film "The Last of Robin Hood," a film about his grandfather.

Sophie Dahl started her career as a plus-sized model in her late teens and helped pave the way for women of all sizes to feel included. She landed campaigns with Alexander McQueen, Versace, and Gap and posed on the covers of both British and Italian Vogue. However, the model switched careers entirely when she became a published author, following in her grandfather, famed children's author Roald Dahl's footsteps.

For those who don't recognize the Dahl last name, Sophie's grandfather's most popular books include "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," "Matilda," "James and the Giant Peach," and countless others. During an interview with Today in 2008, Sophie explained that it was much easier for her to find herself immersed in writing because of her family background, which includes her mother, Tessa Dahl, who is also an author. However, she told the news outlet that she wouldn't compare her writing to her grandfather's. "I couldn't take that sort of comparison or criticism on board ... He was a genius, beloved pretty universally, a great children's writer and adult fiction writer. I am just at the beginning of my career," Sophie shared.

Sophie published her first book, "The Man With the Dancing Eyes," in 2003. It was followed by "Playing with the Grown-ups" in 2007. Sophie also wrote two cookbooks and followed her grandfather by writing two children's books: "Madame Badobedah" and "The Worst Sleepover in the World."

You're not a true fan of Westerns if you haven't watched anything starring legendary actor John Wayne. The actor was known for his cowboy roles in films like "Stagecoach," "The Searchers," and "The Alamo." His acting career spanned 50 years, with his last film being 1976's "The Shootist," in which he portrayed a gunfighter dying of cancer. In real life, Wayne was diagnosed with stomach cancer and died two years later at 72.

However, his legacy still lives on in his grandson, Brendan Wayne, who has been in a few Westerns himself, including the sci-fi "Cowboys & Aliens" and took part in a reboot of his late grandfather's film "Angel and the Badman." During an interview with Smashing Interviews Magazine, the actor reflected on his grandfather's exceptional career and his life with him, including being on the set of "The Shootist" when he was a kid. Brendan expressed his pride in having the late actor as his grandfather. "I was talking to someone about it recently. I said, 'You know, he was larger than life but wasn't so large that you didn't identify with him.' That duality ... I don't know who would do that, but he did. He did it better than anybody before or since, so far as I'm concerned. I'm completely biased, but I look at his work and think that certain people could have done it, but nobody did it the way he did,'" Brendan shared. 

No pop stars partied harder than the electronic music duo LMFAO. The group consisted of members Redfoo and Sky Blu, with every club on the planet playing the songs "Party Rock Anthem," "Shots," and "Sexy and I Know It." However, when it was rumored that LMFAO was breaking up in 2012, Sky Blu shared that they were taking a hiatus. In an interview with MTV News, he shared, "Well, you know, first of all, we're not breaking up. I know that's for sure. We're family and stuff, so it's always love." Still, as of 2023, fans haven't heard any new music from the duo.

It doesn't appear that there was any love lost between the two men. In fact, most fans probably had no idea that Redfoo is Sky Blu's uncle, with the duo coming from a very famous family. Though they went by their stage names, Redfoo's real name is Stefan Gordy, the son of Motown Records founder Berry Gordy. Sky Blu, whose real name is Skyler Gordy, is Berry Gordy's grandson.

Before the duo took their "hiatus," Berry, who put stars like the Jackson 5 and Stevie Wonder on the map, told The Hollywood Reporter how proud he was of LMFAO. "Their goal is to make people happy. At a time now, people need what they give – love, happiness, a party – and they're doing it better than anybody I've ever seen in a long time ... They're making the world a better place," the Motown founder said.