Usually in famous Hollywood families, the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree. All you have to do is look at the Smith family (Will, Jada, Jaden, and Willow) to see that celebs usually breed another generation of celebs. But what about those famous offspring who have decided to go in different directions than mom and dad?
This list of famous children who have made their own names in different industries celebrates those "kids" who have taken different paths than their famous parents. These are the Anderson Coopers, Dylan Laurens, and Stella McCartneys of the world - those famous children in different industries than their parents.
Alison Williams went the acting route, rather than pursue journalism like her father, anchorman Brian Williams. Chet Hanks (Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson's son) eschewed acting for rapping. And Dylan Lauren (Ralph Lauren's daughter) skipped out on fashion and design to become the queen of cool candy.
As this list proves, there's no reason you have to follow in your parents' footsteps if you don't want to - you can strike out on your own and be just as (or even more) successful!
Famous Children Who Have Made Their Own Names in Different Industries,
Anderson Cooper
Industry: Journalism
Famous Parent: Gloria Vanderbilt
Parent's Industries: Art, fashion, acting
Journalist Anderson Cooper has risen to fame as a result of his war reporting and in-depth interviews. But as People explained, his mom, Gloria Vanderbilt, has been famous since she was born. Her great-grandfather, Cornelius Vanderbilt, built the New York Central Railroad. At a very young age, Gloria was at the center of a very publicized child custody case. Later on in her life, she became an actress and artist, and also created a popular line of jeans.
Jake Gyllenhaal
Industry: Acting
Famous Parents: Naomi Foner Gyllenhaal and Stephen Gyllenhaal
Parents' Industries: Screenwriting and directing
When Jake Gyllenhaal appeared on Howard Stern, he revealed that his mother Naomi Foner Gyllenhaal, an Oscar-nominated screenwriter and his dad Stephen Gyllenhaal, a film director, made him turn down a role in The Mighty Ducks because they wanted him to focus on school. "I definitely remember crying on the kitchen counter," he said. "I was like, 'You guys are crazy.'"
Keira Knightley
Industry: Acting
Famous Parent: Sharman MacDonald
Parent's Industry: Writing
Keira’s mother, Sharman MacDonald, is a Scottish playwright and screenwriter that wrote the script for Knightley’s film The Edge of Love. According to Independent, MacDonald introduced Keira and her brother to theater at a very young age. As she said about her daughter's success, "I feel huge pride, absolutely – a certain amount of concern when pressures are too much, but only in as far as any mother has concern for a child doing anything as they grow up and fly on their own in any sphere."
Rashida Jones
Industry: Acting, Writing
Famous Parent: Quincy Jones
Parent's Industry: Music
As Rashida Jones told The Guardian about her initial interest in law school, "When I would talk about being interested in the law as a kid, they would be like, 'That's so cute! She has her own thing!' The big twist in events is that, after college, I realized I wanted to be an actor, because that wasn't what I had thought I wanted from my life."
Stella McCartney
Industry: Fashion
Famous Parents: Paul McCartney and Linda McCartney
Parents' Industries: Music and photography
Stella told told CNN what it was like to have Paul McCartney as her dad and photographer Linda McCartney as her mom. She said, "It certainly opened a lot of doors and certainly closed some minds. So I think there was a balance."
Dylan Lauren
Industry: Confections
Famous Parent: Ralph Lauren
Parent's Industry: Fashion
While Dylan Lauren's dad might be one of the biggest names in fashion, shes made quite a name for herself with Dylan's Candy Bar. The self-described “candy freak” spent a semester in college touring Europe in search of sweets. The store, which first opened its doors in 2001, has now become a lifestyle brand. And Dylan has even taken on a new industry - in 2011 she released her book, "Unwrap Your Sweet Life."
Lourdes Maria Ciccone Leon
Industry: Modeling
Famous Parent: Madonna
Parent's Industry: Music
Madonna's daughter Lourdes made her modeling debut for her mom's friend Stella McCartney, according to Us Weekly. She has stayed out of the limelight for most of her life, but she agreed to model for McCartney's new perfume, Pop, because of it's message of self-acceptance.
Lena Dunham
Industry: Acting, writing, directing
Famous Parent: Laurie Simmons and Carroll Dunham
Parents' Industries: Photography and painting
Lena Dunham grew up in the New York art world alongside her photographer and artist mother, Laurie Simmons, and painter father, Carroll Dunham. As she told Slate, she wanted to be an artist like her mom until she was eight because, "I thought it was cool to be the same thing as your parents.”
Allison Williams
Industry: Acting
Famous Parent: Brian Williams
Parent's Industry: Journalism
As Gawker explained, Allison got her start with the help of a YouTube video, but also maybe a little help from her dad, anchorman Brian Williams. Seems like Williams and Judd Apatow (a producer on Girls) were acquaintances before she landed her role on Girls, probably thanks to some cred from her dad.
When it was revealed that Brian Williams had made erroneous claims about his war reporting, Allison defended him. As reported by Us Weekly, she told Seth Meyers during a Q&A, "He's a really good man. He's an honest man. He's a truthful man. He has so much integrity. He cares so much about journalism. And yes, he's a really good dad. I know you can trust him because, as any good daughter does, I've tested him on that."
Jemima Kirke
Industry: Acting
Famous Parents: Simon and Lorraine Kirke
Parents' Industries: Music and interior design
Daughter of Simon Kirke (the drummer for Bad Company and Free) and interior designer Lorraine, Jemima Kirke actually got her start from Lena Dunham. The two were friends in high school and Dunham persuaded Kirke to appear in her indie film Tiny Furniture.