Celebrity Kids Following Their Parents Into Hollywood

From Maya Hawke and Dakota Johnson to Jack Quaid and Maude Apatow, a new generation of Hollywood stars is building careers in the same industry as their famous parents.

August 12, 2026: Hollywood has always been a family business.

Long before the phrase “nepo baby” became part of everyday pop culture vocabulary, famous families were passing acting careers, musical talent, fashion connections, and industry knowledge from one generation to the next.

Today, that tradition is especially visible.

A new generation of celebrity children is appearing in major films and television shows, releasing music, modeling for global fashion houses, and taking on increasingly prominent roles. Some grew up watching their parents work on movie sets. Others initially tried to build careers away from their family names before eventually finding their way into entertainment.

The result is a fascinating mix of familiar surnames and new faces.

HOLR breaks down some of the celebrity kids who are following their parents into Hollywood and how they are building identities of their own.

Maya Hawke Is Building on the Hawke-Thurman Legacy

One of the clearest examples is Maya Hawke, the daughter of actors Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman.

Maya grew up surrounded by two highly respected film careers, but she eventually decided to pursue acting herself. Her screen debut came as Jo March in the 2017 BBC adaptation of Little Women. She later became internationally recognized as Robin Buckley in Stranger Things.

Her career has expanded beyond acting, too.

Hawke is also a singer-songwriter and has released multiple albums, allowing her to establish a creative identity separate from her parents.

Her story is particularly interesting because she has acknowledged the pressure that can come with entering the same profession as famous parents.

Rather than trying to distance herself from the family connection, she has gradually developed a career that reflects her own interests.

Dakota Johnson Comes From One of Hollywood’s Best-Known Families

Dakota Johnson is another celebrity who inherited a very recognizable Hollywood surname.

Her parents are actors Don Johnson and Melanie Griffith, while her grandmother was legendary actress Tippi Hedren. Her stepfather, Antonio Banderas, is also an acclaimed actor and filmmaker.

Johnson made her film debut as a child in Crazy in Alabama, which was directed by Banderas and starred Griffith.

She later established herself as an adult actress with roles in films including The Social Network and the Fifty Shades franchise.

However, Johnson has worked to create a career that extends beyond one blockbuster series.

She has appeared in films such as The Peanut Butter Falcon, The Lost Daughter, Cha Cha Real Smooth and Madame Web, while also becoming involved in producing.

Her career illustrates an important part of the celebrity-child conversation: having access to the industry can create opportunities, but maintaining a career requires continuing to work.

Jack Quaid Has Built His Own Acting Identity

Jack Quaid grew up with two extremely recognizable parents: actors Dennis Quaid and Meg Ryan.

Rather than entering Hollywood with only romantic-comedy nostalgia surrounding his family, Quaid has developed a distinct career across film and television.

He gained major attention as Hughie Campbell in The Boys, where he plays a character dramatically different from many of the roles associated with his parents.

He has also appeared in the Scream franchise and the Hunger Games films.

Quaid’s career demonstrates how a famous family name can introduce an actor to audiences while the roles themselves determine what comes next.

His work has increasingly made him recognizable simply as Jack Quaid.

Maude Apatow Is Continuing a Family Story

Maude Apatow, daughter of filmmaker Judd Apatow and actress Leslie Mann, grew up around movie sets.

She appeared in several of her father’s films as a child, including Knocked Up, Funny People and This Is 40, where she acted alongside her mother.

Her adult career took a major step forward with HBO’s Euphoria, where she plays Lexi Howard.

That role allowed Apatow to move beyond being recognized primarily as the daughter of two entertainment-industry figures.

Her performances have given her a separate identity, while her family’s background remains an obvious part of her story.

Her younger sister, Iris Apatow, has also pursued acting, making the Apatow family another example of multiple generations entering entertainment.

Lily-Rose Depp Has Built a Career in Film and Fashion

Lily-Rose Depp is the daughter of actor Johnny Depp and French singer and actress Vanessa Paradis.

She entered entertainment through both acting and fashion.

Depp appeared alongside her mother in Yoga Hosers and later took on roles in projects including The King, Voyagers and the HBO series The Idol.

Her fashion career has developed alongside her acting work, particularly through her long association with Chanel.

That combination has allowed Depp to occupy a space between Hollywood and the fashion industry.

Like many celebrity children, she has faced questions about her famous parents and the opportunities that come with them. At the same time, her career has continued to develop through projects chosen under her own name.

Margaret Qualley Is Following the Andie MacDowell Legacy

Margaret Qualley, daughter of actress and model Andie MacDowell, has become one of the most notable young actresses of her generation.

Qualley initially trained as a ballet dancer before turning toward acting.

She gained attention through projects including The Leftovers, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Maid and The Substance.

Her performance in The Substance earned significant critical attention and helped demonstrate her ability to take on challenging, unconventional material.

Qualley has also worked with her mother on screen, appearing alongside MacDowell in Maid.

Their professional connection makes her career particularly interesting because audiences can see the relationship between two generations of actresses while watching Qualley develop a style of her own.

Zoë Kravitz Has Entertainment in Her DNA

Zoë Kravitz was born to musician Lenny Kravitz and actress Lisa Bonet.

Her career has crossed multiple areas of entertainment.

She has acted in films and television, including Big Little Lies, The Batman and High Fidelity. She has also worked as a director, making her feature directorial debut with Blink Twice.

Music has also been part of her professional life through her band Lolawolf.

Rather than limiting herself to acting, Kravitz has developed a multifaceted career that reflects both sides of her family background.

Her progression from actress to filmmaker is another example of celebrity children using the entertainment industry as a starting point rather than a fixed destination.

Kaia Gerber Took Her Parents’ Fashion Legacy in a New Direction

Not every celebrity child follows a parent specifically into acting.

Kaia Gerber, daughter of supermodel Cindy Crawford and businessman Rande Gerber, entered the fashion industry and quickly became one of the most recognizable models of her generation.

She has also increasingly explored acting, appearing in projects including Bottoms, Palm Royale and The Shards.

Her transition is notable because it combines the world she inherited from her mother with a new creative direction.

Crawford established herself as one of the defining supermodels of the 1980s and 1990s. Gerber has grown up in a very different fashion environment shaped by social media, digital campaigns and celebrity culture.

Her career shows how family legacies can evolve rather than simply repeat themselves.

John Owen Lowe Is Following Rob Lowe Into Acting

John Owen Lowe, son of actor Rob Lowe, is another second-generation Hollywood performer.

The younger Lowe has worked in acting, writing and producing.

He starred alongside his father in the Netflix comedy series Unstable, where the two played father and son.

Their real-life relationship gave the show an unusual dynamic, but John Owen has also worked independently in projects outside his father’s shadow.

His career illustrates one of the most direct ways celebrity children can enter the industry: learning the business from a parent while gradually developing their own creative voice.

The Next Generation Is More Open About the Family Connection

One thing that distinguishes today’s celebrity children from earlier generations is how openly they discuss their backgrounds.

The term “nepo baby” has become a regular part of entertainment conversations, particularly online.

The criticism is usually about access.

Children of established actors, directors, musicians and models may have introductions, financial security, professional advice and an understanding of the industry that aspiring entertainers without those connections may not have.

That advantage is real.

However, it does not automatically determine whether someone will have a lasting career.

Hollywood history is full of people who received early opportunities but failed to establish themselves, just as it contains performers who successfully built careers beyond their family names.

Why Celebrity Families Continue to Fascinate Audiences

Part of the fascination comes from seeing how talent and ambition move between generations.

Audiences are curious about whether children will follow their parents, reject the industry completely or find an entirely different path.

There is also something inherently interesting about seeing famous parents work alongside their children.

In recent years, celebrity parents and their children have appeared together in numerous films and television projects, creating opportunities for audiences to see family relationships reflected on screen.

For the younger generation, however, the ultimate goal is often to become recognizable for their own work.

Following a Parent Does Not Mean Copying Them

The most interesting celebrity children are not necessarily those who recreate their parents’ careers exactly.

Maya Hawke combines acting with music.

Zoë Kravitz has moved from acting into directing.

Kaia Gerber has expanded from modeling into acting.

Margaret Qualley has developed a reputation for challenging roles.

Dakota Johnson has moved between acting and producing.

These careers show that a family connection can provide an entry point, but the individual still has to decide what kind of artist they want to become.

HOLR breaks down the rise of celebrity kids in Hollywood, and the current generation is proving that a famous last name can be both an advantage and a challenge.

For audiences, the most rewarding part is watching these stars grow beyond their introductions.

They may have inherited the opportunity to enter Hollywood, but the careers they build afterward are becoming their own stories.

FAQs

What is a nepo baby?

“Nepo baby” is a popular term for someone who benefits from family connections in an industry, particularly when their parents or relatives are already successful. In Hollywood, it is commonly used for children of actors, directors, musicians and other entertainment professionals.

Which celebrity kids are following their parents into acting?

Maya Hawke, Dakota Johnson, Jack Quaid, Maude Apatow, Lily-Rose Depp, Margaret Qualley, Zoë Kravitz and John Owen Lowe are among the celebrity children who have pursued careers in entertainment.

Is Maya Hawke the daughter of Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman?

Yes. Maya Hawke is the daughter of actors Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman. She is known for Stranger Things, Little Women and her music career.

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