# How many "third generation" famous people are there (not counting royalty).
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-third-generation-famous-people-are-there-not-counting-royalty/490024
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [March 19, 2009, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-third-generation-famous-people-are-there-not-counting-royalty/490024 "2009-03-19T14:53:47Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)
#### Post date: [March 19, 2009, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-third-generation-famous-people-are-there-not-counting-royalty/490024/1 "2009-03-19T14:53:47Z")
This is of course inspired by the death of Natasha Richardson, third generation of the Redgrave acting family. Granddaughter of Michael Redgrave and Rachel Kemp, daughte of Vanessa Redgrave and Tony Richardson, all of whom were in the business.
Let’s list some others.
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### Author:  [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)
#### Post date: [March 19, 2009, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-third-generation-famous-people-are-there-not-counting-royalty/490024/2 "2009-03-19T14:55:39Z")
Walter-John-Anjelica Huston
Ozzie-Ricky-Gunnar/Matthew Nelson
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### Author:  [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)
#### Post date: [March 19, 2009, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-third-generation-famous-people-are-there-not-counting-royalty/490024/3 "2009-03-19T14:57:21Z")
Jawaharlal Nehru, his daughter, Indira Gandhi, and his grandson, Rajiv Gandhi… all Prime Ministers of India
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### Author:  [@42fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/42fish)
#### Post date: [March 19, 2009, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-third-generation-famous-people-are-there-not-counting-royalty/490024/4 "2009-03-19T15:00:08Z")
Do all three generations need to be famous or just 1st & 3rd? If the latter, there’s John/Lionel/Ethel Barrymore (1st gen) and Drew Barrymore (3rd gen). The intervening John Drew Barrymore (2nd gen) isn’t really that famous in his own right.
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### Author:  [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)
#### Post date: [March 19, 2009, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-third-generation-famous-people-are-there-not-counting-royalty/490024/5 "2009-03-19T15:03:05Z")
Senator Prescott Bush, President George H.W. Bush, President George W. Bush.
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### Author:  [@Mahna\_Mahna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahna_Mahna)
#### Post date: [March 19, 2009, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-third-generation-famous-people-are-there-not-counting-royalty/490024/6 "2009-03-19T15:06:05Z")
Drew Barrymore is apparently fourth generation in the movie biz - her great-grandparents Maurice and Mae Costello were both in silent films.
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### Author:  [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)
#### Post date: [March 19, 2009, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-third-generation-famous-people-are-there-not-counting-royalty/490024/7 "2009-03-19T15:06:59Z")
Henry Fonda, son Peter, and granddaughter Bridget.
John Carradine was the father of Keith Carradine, who was the father of actress Martha Plimpton.
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### Author:  [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)
#### Post date: [March 19, 2009, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-third-generation-famous-people-are-there-not-counting-royalty/490024/8 "2009-03-19T15:09:05Z")
Jackie Gleason’s son-in-law was actor/playwright Jason (“That Championship Season,” “The Exorcist”) Miller, and his grandson is actor Jason Patric.
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### Author:  [@Chez\_Guevara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chez_Guevara)
#### Post date: [March 19, 2009, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-third-generation-famous-people-are-there-not-counting-royalty/490024/9 "2009-03-19T15:15:19Z")
Joseph/John/Caroline Kennedy.
Unless you consider them royalty, that is. 🙂
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### Author:  [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)
#### Post date: [March 19, 2009, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-third-generation-famous-people-are-there-not-counting-royalty/490024/10 "2009-03-19T15:17:02Z")
> [@Chez\_Guevara](#):
>
> Joseph/John/Caroline Kennedy.
>
> Unless you consider them royalty, that is. 🙂
Closest thing we Yanks have to it, indeed. Shouldn’t the fourth generation be making a name soon?
Are there ary third generation rockers?
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### Author:  [@Brad\_the\_Impaler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brad_the_Impaler)
#### Post date: [March 19, 2009, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-third-generation-famous-people-are-there-not-counting-royalty/490024/11 "2009-03-19T15:19:40Z")
MLB baseball players Ray Boone -\> Bob Boone -\> Aaron & Bret Boone
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### Author:  [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)
#### Post date: [March 19, 2009, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-third-generation-famous-people-are-there-not-counting-royalty/490024/12 "2009-03-19T15:20:43Z")
Debby Boone’s Father is Pat Boone. Her (maternal) grandfather was Red Foley.
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### Author:  [@cjepson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cjepson)
#### Post date: [March 19, 2009, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-third-generation-famous-people-are-there-not-counting-royalty/490024/13 "2009-03-19T15:21:10Z")
Well, there’s Hank, Hank Jr., and Hank III.
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### Author:  [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)
#### Post date: [March 19, 2009, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-third-generation-famous-people-are-there-not-counting-royalty/490024/14 "2009-03-19T15:27:45Z")
Violin virtuoso Efrem Zimbalist was the father of “The FBI” star Efrem Zimbalist Jr., and the grandfather of “Remington Steele” actress Stephanie Zimbalist.
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### Author:  [@Invisible\_Chimp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Invisible_Chimp)
#### Post date: [March 19, 2009, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-third-generation-famous-people-are-there-not-counting-royalty/490024/15 "2009-03-19T15:48:07Z")
Maybelle Carter, June Carter Cash, and Carlene Carter -country music singers.
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### Author:  [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)
#### Post date: [March 19, 2009, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-third-generation-famous-people-are-there-not-counting-royalty/490024/16 "2009-03-19T16:07:23Z")
Loudon Wainwright Jr. was an editor and well-known columnist for **Life**.
His son, Loudon Wainwright III is a successful singer/songwriter
His son Rufus Wainwright and daughters Martha Wainwright and Lucy Wainwright Roche are also successful singer songwriters.
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### Author:  [@ColonelDax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ColonelDax)
#### Post date: [March 19, 2009, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-third-generation-famous-people-are-there-not-counting-royalty/490024/17 "2009-03-19T16:32:12Z")
> [@42fish](#):
>
> Do all three generations need to be famous or just 1st & 3rd? If the latter, there’s John/Lionel/Ethel Barrymore (1st gen) and Drew Barrymore (3rd gen). The intervening John Drew Barrymore (2nd gen) isn’t really that famous in his own right.
Also along these lines, painter Lucien Freud is the grandson of Sigmund Freud, but I’m not aware that Ernst Ludwig Freud, Sigmund’s youngest son and Lucien’s father, was particularly well known.
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### Author:  [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)
#### Post date: [March 19, 2009, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-third-generation-famous-people-are-there-not-counting-royalty/490024/18 "2009-03-19T16:38:07Z")
Also if you’re willing to skip a generation, William Henry Harrison and Benjamin Harrison.
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### Author:  [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)
#### Post date: [March 19, 2009, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-third-generation-famous-people-are-there-not-counting-royalty/490024/19 "2009-03-19T16:56:01Z")
Cornelius Vanderbilt III -\> Gloria Vanderbilt -\> Anderson Cooper
Sort of American Royalty…
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### Author:  [@Saltire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saltire)
#### Post date: [March 19, 2009, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-third-generation-famous-people-are-there-not-counting-royalty/490024/20 "2009-03-19T17:07:33Z")
I don’t think the father and grandfather count as famous, but I read that Joss Whedon is one of a very rare breed–a third generation television writer.
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