These stars have kept fame in the family for generations! With “nepo baby” (or in this case, “nepo grandchild”) being a ubiquitous buzzword in today’s culture, it’s clear the celebrity gene runs deep in some lineages. A-listers have helped give their descendants the space to make strides in outlets like showbiz, sports or politics.
While some celebs deny the role of their famous family ties, others recognize the privilege that comes with having connections in their industry. Regardless, the spotlight has historically been passed through generations of relatives, and many nepo babies have extended their grandparents’ legacies. Below, take a look at these notable figures and their grandchildren who’ve followed in their famous footsteps.
1. Priscilla Presley & Riley Keough Though she’s often recognized for her six-year marriage to the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll (and turning his Tennessee estate into the iconic museum, Graceland), Priscilla Presley also gained renown as an actress. She played Jane Spencer in the Naked Gun trilogy (1988, 1991, 1994) and Jenna Wade on the soap opera Dallas, while also filling guest spots on shows like Melrose Place and Touched by an Angel.Priscilla has four grandchildren — Riley Keough, Benjamin Keough (who died by suicide at 27 in 2020) and Finley and Harper Lockwood — but it seems only Riley has inherited the acting gene so far. After her first on-screen gig in The Runaways (2010), Riley earned acclaim with further roles in movies like American Honey (2016) and Zola (2021) and shows such as The Girlfriend Experience, The Terminal List, Daisy Jones & The Six (for which she was nominated for an Emmy for outstanding lead actress in a limited or anthology series or movie) and Under the Bridge. Riley even stepped behind the camera, making her directorial debut with War Pony, which won the Caméra d’Or award at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival.
2.Dolores Costello & Drew Berrymore Drew Barrymore comes from a long lineage of Hollywood stars, and her grandmother, Dolores Costello, was the “Goddess of the Silent Screen” — who had notable roles in films like The Sea Beast (1926), Noah’s Ark (1928), Little Lord Fauntleroy (1936) and The Magnificent Ambersons (1942) before retiring in 1943. “Ever since I could remember … somewhere around 3 years old, I felt this extraordinary responsibility, when I would watch my family’s movies, to keep their name alive,” Barrymore told PEOPLE in April 2024. “It helps me make sense of why I feel so magnetized to work in the field of film and television. I’ve got it in my jeans and my blood, and I’ve been lucky enough that this business would allow me to keep going.” Following in her family’s footsteps, Barrymore has made a name for herself as an actress, with iconic roles in films like E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982), Scream (1996), The Wedding Singer (1998), Charlie’s Angels (2000) and 50 First Dates (2004). She now hosts the daytime talk show The Drew Barrymore Show.
3.John F. Kennedy & Jack Schlossberg John F. Kennedy served in the House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate before becoming the youngest man ever to be elected as U.S. president. Though his term was cut short after his 1963 assassination, Kennedy’s political legacy lives on through his only grandson, Jack Schlossberg. Schlossberg earned an undergraduate degree from Yale, followed by his M.B.A. and J.D. at Harvard Law School and Harvard Business School. (He passed the New York bar exam in 2023.) And like much of his family, Schlossberg dips his toes into the political sphere — becoming Vogue’s political correspondent in 2024 — while also posting quirky videos on social media in his free time.
4. Jack Nicholson & Duke Nicholson Heeeeere’s Duke! The legendary Shining star’s grandson (born Duke Norfleet to Jack’s oldest daughter, Jennifer Nicholson) followed his grandfather into the horror genre with his debut role in Jordan Peele’s Us.
5.Gregory Peck & Ethan Peck The popular American actor, who starred in classic films such as Roman Holiday (1953) and How the West Was Won (1962), and had an Oscar-winning turn in To Kill a Mockingbird (1962), passed on his acting chops to grandson Ethan, who appeared in the George Clooney-starring film, The Midnight Sky (2020), as a younger version of Clooney’s character.
“I think I had a full panic attack,” Ethan told CBS’ Watch! magazine in 2019 of landing the role of a younger version of Clooney’s character, Augustine Lofthouse. “I had to sit down on the curb, and I was in tears.” Ethan has also starred on the 2009 TV adaptation of 10 Things I Have About You (1999) as Patrick Verona and on Star Trek: Discovery as Spock.
