Stars who got upstaged by their kids' careers

By Wonderwall.com Editors 8:33am PDT, Jun 26, 2018

Celebrities' kids often go into showbiz — and many of them soon surpass their parents in fame and wealth. Wonderwall.com is taking a look at stars who got upstaged by their children's careers, starting with Billy Ray Cyrus. The singer broke onto the scene in the early '90s with the No. 1 country music single "Achy Breaky Heart" and a nine-times platinum No. 1 debut album, "Some Gave All." But by 2010, Billy Ray was better known as Miley Cyrus's dad. Miley (seen here with Billy Ray and mom Tish) rose to fame on the Disney Channel as the star of "Hannah Montana" — Billy Ray played her father on the show — and has since become a certified A-lister with 11 Top 10 albums, five No. 1 albums, nine Top 10 entries on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and a super-hot movie-star fiance, Liam Hemsworth. Keep reading to see which other stars have been outshined by their kids…

Stellan Skarsgard might be a well-known actor with roles in major blockbusters like "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" and "Thor," but one of his many sons, Alexander Skarsgard, has truly become the face of the acting family. Alex rose to fame as Viking vampire Eric Northman on HBO's "True Blood" and has since become an Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning acting phenom. The gorgeous Swedish actor starred in the 2016 blockbuster "The Legend of Tarzan," the critically acclaimed HBO miniseries "Generation Kill" and the award-winning HBO series "Big Little Lies" — for which he won an Emmy, a Golden Globe, a SAG Award and a Critics' Choice Award! Talk about talent.

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Brian Williams was a household name when he served as the lead anchor for "NBC Nightly News" before he lost his job amid an embellishment scandal. But now his daughter, Allison Williams, is the most popular Williams in Hollywood. The actress established a name for herself as one of the leads on HBO's "Girls" and with a critically acclaimed performance in 2017's breakout hit film "Get Out." "It took years and a lot of diligence on my part [to get out of his shadow]. But I've formed my own thing and now I get people who are surprised to find out he's my dad," Allison told the Los Angeles Times. "I dreamed that would happen, and it has: I'm no longer introduced to people as Brian Williams' daughter."

Yolanda Hadid was an accomplished beauty signed to Ford Models in the 1980s who became a popular reality TV star thanks to her run on "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" and marriage to music producer David Foster in the 2010s. But her model daughters, Gigi Hadid and Bella Hadid, have already eclipsed her when it comes to fame. The sisters have walked for Versace, Chanel, Elie Saab, Fendi, Marc Jacobs, Anna Sui, Miu Miu, Balmain, Diane Von Furstenberg and Tommy Hilfiger and appeared at multiple New York, Paris, Milan and London fashion weeks. Gigi also snagged the cover of Vogue in 2016. The young celebs are also well-known for their high-profile on-again, off-again relationships with pop stars Zayn Malik and The Weeknd.

Jon Voight is an accomplished actor in his own right, having previously won four Golden Globes. But it's his daughter, Angelina Jolie, who people can't stop talking about. Angelina is at the top of the A-list, having previously won an Academy Award, three Golden Globes and two SAG Awards for her work. The "Maleficent" actress also made headlines for years because of her high-profile marriages to men including Billy Bob Thornton and Brad Pitt, the father of her six kids (and one half of the couple known as "Brangelina").

John Aniston has had an admirable career as a longtime cast member on "Days of Our Lives" (his character, Victor Kiriakis, has been on the show since 1985), but his daughter, Jennifer Aniston, is the superstar in the family. Jen first rose to prominence playing Rachel on "Friends" but has since achieved A-list status starring in "Bruce Almighty," "The Break-Up," "Marley & Me," "Just Go with It," "Horrible Bosses," "We're the Millers" and more. The actress also courted international attention thanks to her and Brad Pitt's very high-profile marriage (and divorce).

Spanish singer Julio Iglesias is an international superstar who's sold more than 350 million records, but in recent years, his pop star son Enrique Iglesias has totally upstaged his career. Known as the King of Latin Pop, Enrique (left, with his dad and brother Julio Jr. as kids) has sold 170 million records and scored 150 No. 1 songs across all of the Billboard charts. He also holds the record for producing 27 No. 1 Spanish-language singles on Billboard's Hot Latin Tracks chart and holds the record for the most No. 1 hits and the longest running No.1 hit on that chart. If that's not enough, the "Escape" singer has long made headlines for his super-private relationship with former tennis player Anna Kournikova. The couple welcomed twins, Nicholas and Lucy, in 2017.

Eric Roberts has appeared in more than 500 productions and has been nominated for three Golden Globes and one Oscar, but it's his daughter, Emma Roberts, who's achieved major fame. The actress rose to prominence on the Nickelodeon show "Unfabulous" and has since made a name for herself in "We're the Millers," "Palo Alto," "The Blackcoat's Daughter," "Nerve," "Scream Queens" and "American Horror Story." "I think it's important to choose… to make decisions for yourself," Emma told CBS News of her success. "And that's part of growing up in any career you have. I think you need to know what you like and what you don't and how you want to build a career."

Minnie Riperton was on top of the world in the 1970s with her hit single "Lovin' You," which reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1975. Sadly, the beautiful singer was diagnosed with breast cancer a year later and died in 1979 at the age of 31. Minnie's daughter, Maya Rudolph (seen here as a child with dad Richard Rudolph, her mom and brother Marc), has taken the reigns and is now a famous star herself. The "Saturday Night Live" alum has appeared in films including "Grown Ups," "Bridesmaids," "Grown Ups 2" and "Sisters" and is currently starring on the NBC series "The Good Place." "When I was a little girl, I would stand on the side of the stage and watch my mom singing out there in beautiful gowns," Maya told Interview Magazine. "She was a diva in the most exquisite sense. Those are very vivid memories for me. I always had the idea of wanting to be on a stage, in these beautiful gowns, with a microphone in my hand, and that comes from my mom."

Jerry Stiller and the late Anne Meara were not only relationship goals, but also career goals. The comedy duo, known as Stiller and Meara, were all the rage in the '60s and '70s thanks to numerous appearances on television variety programs, mainly on "The Ed Sullivan Show." Jerry went on to star on "Seinfeld," but these days, it's his son, Ben Stiller, who's in the limelight. Ben has written, starred in, directed or produced more than 50 films including "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty," "Zoolander," "The Cable Guy," "There's Something About Mary," the "Meet the Parents" trilogy, "DodgeBall: A True Underdog Story," "Tropic Thunder," the "Madagascar" series and the "Night at the Museum" trilogy. "If my parents were, like, plumbers, who knows what I would be doing," Ben once said of his famous upbringing.

Roxie Roker is a TV sitcom legend who starred as Helen Willis on the CBS series "The Jeffersons." Years later, son Lenny Kravitz surpassed her fame when he became a force in the music world. After Roxie died from breast cancer in 1995, Lenny achieved true superstardom, winning a Grammy for best male rock vocal performance in 1999. The "It Ain't Over 'til It's Over" singer continued to win the same award for the next three years, breaking the record for most wins in that category as well as setting the record for most consecutive wins in one category by a man. In addition to his chart-topping singles, Lenny also gained notoriety for his high-profile marriage to Cosby kid Lisa Bonet.

Lisa Bonet was a sitcom darling in the 1980s, starring as Denise Huxtable on "The Cosby Show" and "A Different World," but today, her daughter, Zoe Kravitz, is in the limelight. Zoe — whose dad is rocker Lenny Kravitz — is a rising star in Hollywood with roles in super-successful films like "No Reservations," "X-Men: First Class" and the "Divergent" series. The actress-musician also achieved recognition for her role on the critically acclaimed HBO drama "Big Little Lies."

John Drew Barrymore came from a long line of acclaimed actors and starred in a number of successful TV westerns in the 1960s, but his daughter, Drew Barrymore, is the most popular family member in the acting dynasty by far. Drew achieved international fame when she was only 7 years old with a starring role in the 1982 blockbuster "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial." After two stints in rehab and a few failed marriages, Drew established herself as a sought-after actress and producer with roles in "Scream," "Ever After," "The Wedding Singer," "50 First Dates," "Never Been Kissed," "Charlie's Angels," "Donnie Darko," "Fever Pitch," "Blended" and more.

Kirk Douglas is one of the last surviving actors of Hollywood's Golden Age, having made his mark in over 90 films. The actor, who was born in 1916, is also a three-time Academy Award nominee who's been married since 1954 (impressive!). But despite it all, son Michael Douglas has surpassed his father's fame. Michael, a bona fide sex symbol in the '80s, appeared in a number of noteworthy films including "Wall Street," "Romancing the Stone," "Fatal Attraction" and "Behind the Candelabra" and has won two Academy Awards, four Golden Globes, three SAG Awards and one Emmy! He's also made headlines for his marriage to fellow A-lister and Academy Award winner Catherine Zeta-Jones.

Naomi Judd is a country music legend who sold more than 20 million albums and released 14 No. 1 country hits as half of the Judds with daughter Wynonna Judd. However, her other daughter, Ashley Judd, is the most prominent member of the family today. The actress has starred in "Double Jeopardy," "Divergent" and "Missing," for which she won an Emmy. She also holds a master's degree from Harvard's Kennedy School of Government and is a fierce #MeToo advocate who's been vocal about exposing the abuse she suffered at the hands of disgraced producer Harvey Weinstein.

The late Alan Thicke was everyone's favorite TV dad when he starred as Jason Seaver on "Growing Pains" in the 1980s. The Canadian actor was well-known, but his son, R&B singer Robin Thicke, had became the most prominent Thicke in Hollywood by the mid-2010s. Robin had released a few singles in the early 2000s to moderate success and made headlines for his 2005 marriage to actress Paula Patton, but it was his 2006 album, "The Evolution of Robin Thicke," that established him as an international star. He then released his huge international chart-topping single "Blurred Lines" in 2013, solidifying his status.

Lloyd Bridges was a two-time Emmy nominee who appeared in more than 150 films before his death in 1998. His son, Jeff Bridges, established himself as an in-demand actor in the 1970s and skyrocketed to international stardom. Jeff has been nominated for seven Academy Awards over the course of his career and won the prize for best actor in 2010 for his work in "Crazy Heart." He also starred in the critically acclaimed film "The Last Picture Show," the blockbuster "Iron Man," "Tron," "Starman," "Against All Odds," "The Contender," "The Fabulous Baker Boys," "True Grit" and "Hell or High Water." He's also a respected singer and guitar player who's been married to Susan Geston since 1977 — a major feat in Hollywood.

"Happy Days" alum Ron Howard established himself as a sought-after director in the 1990s and 2000s, helming blockbusters such as "Apollo 13," "A Beautiful Mind" — which earned him best director and best picture Oscars — and "The Da Vinci Code." Ron went on to direct "Frost/Nixon" and "Solo: A Star Wars Story" but it's his daughter, Bryce Dallas Howard, who's really making waves in Hollywood lately. The actress has appeared in the some of the industry's biggest films including "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse," "Terminator Salvation," "The Help" and the rebooted "Jurassic World" franchise. In fact, Bryce has been involved in some of the highest grossing film series of all time!

Melanie Griffith and Don Johnson are both famous in their own right ("Working Girl" and "Miami Vice," anyone?), but their daughter, Dakota Johnson, has truly grown into her own in Hollywood. The actress established herself with roles in "The Social Network," "Beastly," "21 Jump Street" and "Need for Speed," but it was her leading role as Anastasia Steele in "Fifty Shades of Grey" that catapulted her to international fame. The "Fifty Shades" film series has earned $1.320 billion worldwide, making Dakota a bigger box-office draw than either of her famous parents.

Phil Collins has sold more than 150 million records worldwide. He had more Top 40 singles than any other artist during the 1980s. But even though the English musician is an established star, daughter Lily Collins (seen here with Phil and her mom, Jill Tavelman, in 2012) has upstaged him in recent years. The actress first came onto the Hollywood scene with a guest-starring role on "90210" and has since appeared in "The Blind Side," "Priest," "Mirror Mirror" and "The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones." Lily earned her first Golden Globe nomination in 2016 for her work as Marla Mabrey in "Rules Don't Apply."

Lionel Richie was all the rage in the 1970s and '80s with major hits such as "Brick House" (with the Commodores), "Truly," "Easy" and "All Night Long." In fact, the singer has sold over 90 million records worldwide, making him one of the world's best selling artists of all time. His daughter Nicole Richie, however, is the family member who's dominated headlines in recent decades. The socialite built her career in the reality TV world starring on "The Simple Life" with ex-BFF Paris Hilton, judging on NBC's "Fashion Star" and playing herself on "Candidly Nicole." Today, Nicole is also well-known for her successful fashion line, House of Harlow, and her high-profile marriage to Good Charlotte rocker Joel Madden. "When your father is Lionel Richie, you grow up with some pretty famous people around the house, like Prince and Michael Jackson," Nicole told People. "From what I remember, it was pretty normal for me. There were a lot of people around, is what I do remember. There were people in and out of the house pretty… much all the time, but now that I'm older and I'm in this business, I get it."

Academy Award winner Henry Fonda is classic actor who's starred in some of Hollywood's most celebrated films such as "The Grapes of Wrath" and "On Golden Pond." However, daughter Jane Fonda has become the face of the famous family. The actress has won two Academy Awards, four Golden Globes, two BAFTA Awards and released 22 workout videos which have collectively sold over 17 million copies. Jane, who currently stars on the critically acclaimed Netflix series "Grace and Frankie," is also well-known for her political activism, women's advocacy and high-profile marriages.