Unless you follow your favorite stars closely, you might not know that some of today's biggest
celebrities had some help along the way from mom and dad.
While some aren't afraid to trade on their family name, others have taken great pains
to hide their famous heritage and prove that they made it in the business through hard
work and talent.
Either way, some celebrities have parents who are famous in their own right.
Celebs like...
Chris Pine
Actor Chris Pine is probably best known as the new Captain Kirk in J.J. Abrams' alternate-reality
Star Trek franchise, but an entirely different TV show paved Pine's way into Hollywood.
CHiPs, the classic series about a pair of motorcycle-riding cops, featured Pine's father,
Robert, in a recurring role as Sgt.
Joseph Getraer.
To Pine's credit, he reportedly only used his famous dad to help him land a job as a
production assistant.
The young actor then worked his way up in the business, going from from building sets
to starring in the 2017 blockbuster Wonder Woman.
Billie Lourd
Like a lot of children of Hollywood stars, Billie Lourd doesn't go by the last name of
her famous mother, the late Carrie Fisher.
However, Lourd has embraced the family business by appearing in new Star Wars movies The Force
Awakens and The Last Jedi, and at the red carpet premiere of the latter, Lourd honored
the departed Fisher by recreating her iconic Princess Leia look.
After her mother's passing, Lourd also became responsible for a very special family member:
Gary Fisher, who's become an integral part of the Star Wars universe.
Okay, maybe not integral, but he's still a pretty awesome space pooch.
Katie Cassidy
Actress Katie Cassidy burst onto the scene with parts on 7th Heaven, Supernatural, and
the Melrose Place reboot before landing her most prominent role on the hit CW show Arrow.
If her last name sounds familiar, that's because she's the daughter of the late David Cassidy,
star of the hit '70s sitcom The Partridge Family.
David admitted in interviews that he didn't raise Katie.
She lived with her mother, Sherry Williams.
In the years leading up to his passing, Katie and David became so estranged that she was
reportedly left out of his will.
However, People reported that Katie rushed to her father's side when he was hospitalized.
The Arrow star said her father's last words--"So much wasted time"--will serve as "a daily
reminder for me to share my gratitude with those I love."
Benedict Cumberbatch
As the son of well-known British actors Timothy Carlton and Wanda Ventham, Benedict Cumberbatch
may follow the trend of not using a famous parent's last name, but in a twist, the Sherlock
star actually uses his real family name.
Benedict's mother reportedly warned him not to do so because the Cumberbatch surname,
which his father chose not to use professionally, is heavily associated with slavery, according
to the The Telegraph.
"They probably would have been happier in the beginning if I had been a doctor or a
lawyer or teacher or something sensible."
"They knew the difficulties of being an actor…"
"... as did I!"
However, the Daily Mail reported that Benedict has purposefully taken roles in films that
highlight the awfulness of the slave industry to atone for his ancestors.
Grace Gummer
Newcomer Grace Gummer might not have a prominent film career, but the actress has been building
a solid resume on the small screen with roles on American Horror Story, The Newsroom, and
Mr. Robot.
It shouldn't be a surprise that Gummer has become a reliable talent in her field: her
mom is Meryl Streep.
You might assume having Streep as a parent would be an instant pass to stardom, but Gummer
is putting in the work and striving to research every role, according to V Magazine.
Will she one day dominate the Oscars like her mom?
For now, she's forging her own path in the ever-changing Hollywood landscape.
Rashida Jones
When it comes to last names, it doesn't get more common than Jones, so it would be easy
to assume that Parks and Recreation actress Rashida Jones comes from an average, run-of-the-mill
American family.
Think again: the star is actually the daughter of legendary music producer Quincy Jones.
However, it's tough to say who really wields the power in this family.
Rashida had her famous dad recast on Angie Tribeca after he played her TV father for
the pilot.
"Who fires Quincy Jones?!"
"Listen…"
"You're out, Jones!"
Dakota Johnson
In 2013, little-known actress Dakota Johnson landed the coveted role of Anastasia Steele
in the Fifty Shades of Grey series, but Johnson wasn't entirely unknown to the Hollywood scene
before her big break.
She's the daughter of veteran actors Melanie Griffith and Don Johnson, and thanks to mom,
Dakota made her first big-screen debut in Crazy in Alabama before the age of 10.
Gwyneth Paltrow
While Steven Spielberg is often credited with launching Gwyneth Paltrow's career by casting
his goddaughter in Hook, the future Goop entrepreneur actually had some help from her showbiz industry
parents, actress Blythe Danner and director/producer Bruce Paltrow.
To Gwyneth's credit, she built her own name in Hollywood by turning in an Oscar-winning
performance for Shakespeare in Love.
Mom and Dad might've opened a few doors, but it was Gwyneth who put in the work.
Alexander Skarsgard
Actor Alexander Skarsgard might be one of the top hunks in Hollywood, but the Legend
of Tarzan star also has some impressive acting chops that earned him an Emmy award for best
supporting actor in HBO's Big Little Lies.
That shouldn't come as a surprise if you know that his father is veteran actor Stellan Skarsgard,
who you may recognize from Thor and the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise.
Thanks to his dad, Alexander got an early jump on acting and was a star in Sweden by
age 13, but the experience freaked him out so much that he actually quit acting and almost
became an architect, according to The Telegraph.
Fortunately for fans of the Swedish heartthrob, Skarsgard caught the acting bug again, and
he's never looked back.
"It's like ex-squeeze me, but have you ever heard of styling gel?"
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