# What Celebs Would Be Complete Unknowns If It Was Not For Their Famous Relative? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 5, 2009, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-celebs-would-be-complete-unknowns-if-it-was-not-for-their-famous-relative/508941 "2009-09-05T04:03:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MPB_in_Salt_Lake)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2009, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-celebs-would-be-complete-unknowns-if-it-was-not-for-their-famous-relative/508941/1 "2009-09-05T04:03:24Z")
Jim Belushi may be the poster child for the situation, but what other stars are just riding thier family members coat tails, never producing anything of quality or substance on thier own? How about it? Who is your best example of some no talent celebrity that no one would have ever heard of if they were not related to someone famous? ETA I know the entertainment industry is chock full of good examples, but what are some extreme cases? ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2009, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-celebs-would-be-complete-unknowns-if-it-was-not-for-their-famous-relative/508941/2 "2009-09-05T04:07:56Z")
John Stamos’s younger brother Richard Stamos. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2009, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-celebs-would-be-complete-unknowns-if-it-was-not-for-their-famous-relative/508941/3 "2009-09-05T04:08:42Z")
Paris Hilton has got to be the award winner in this category, right? ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2009, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-celebs-would-be-complete-unknowns-if-it-was-not-for-their-famous-relative/508941/4 "2009-09-05T04:40:36Z")
Sylvester Stallone’s mother Jackie and brother Frank. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2009, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-celebs-would-be-complete-unknowns-if-it-was-not-for-their-famous-relative/508941/5 "2009-09-05T05:04:24Z")
> [@Zsofia](#): > > Paris Hilton has got to be the award winner in this category, right? Oh yeah. ---
**Author:** ![Erdosain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/erdosain/32/7284_2.png) [@Erdosain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Erdosain)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2009, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-celebs-would-be-complete-unknowns-if-it-was-not-for-their-famous-relative/508941/6 "2009-09-05T06:28:24Z")
I was going to say the entire Baldwin clan (sans Alec, of course) was made for this thread. Good thing this isn’t a feud or I’d have no points. ---
**Author:** ![Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/face_intentionally_left_blank/32/288_2.png) [@Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Face_Intentionally_Left_Blank)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2009, 8:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-celebs-would-be-complete-unknowns-if-it-was-not-for-their-famous-relative/508941/7 "2009-09-05T08:29:42Z")
Joe “I sound like my brother, Martin Sheen” Estevez Edit-Thought I do applaud his contributions to the MST3K catalog, “Werewolf” and “Soultaker”. ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2009, 9:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-celebs-would-be-complete-unknowns-if-it-was-not-for-their-famous-relative/508941/8 "2009-09-05T09:30:46Z")
Maybe Frank Stallone. But I can imagine a world where Frank had the career & not Sly. But really I came in to say W Bush. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2009, 9:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-celebs-would-be-complete-unknowns-if-it-was-not-for-their-famous-relative/508941/9 "2009-09-05T09:57:15Z")
Hank Williams Jr (It skipped a generation). Are Frank Sinatra Jr. and his sister Nancy “famous?” Rumer Willis and Alexa Joel. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2009, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-celebs-would-be-complete-unknowns-if-it-was-not-for-their-famous-relative/508941/10 "2009-09-05T12:12:35Z")
Tom Arnold for the win, I think. ---
**Author:** ![well\_he\_s\_back](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/3ab097/32.png) [@well\_he\_s\_back](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/well_he_s_back)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2009, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-celebs-would-be-complete-unknowns-if-it-was-not-for-their-famous-relative/508941/11 "2009-09-05T12:59:07Z")
Emma Roberts, Julia Roberts’ niece. I know it’s pointless but it annoys me that people like her star in movies, tv, etc because they are related to someone famous. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2009, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-celebs-would-be-complete-unknowns-if-it-was-not-for-their-famous-relative/508941/12 "2009-09-05T13:15:54Z")
This one is trickier than it appears. Let’s put it this way- did Frank Sinatra pull a lot of strings to get his kids opportunities in show biz? Of course! That said, Nancy Sinatra is famous because she recorded a few huge hits (most notably “The Boots Are Made For Walking”), while Frank Sinatra Jr. is famous for… Lenny’s Clam Bar commercials? So, Nancy does NOT belong in the “Only Famous Because of Relatives” category, but Frank Jr. does. In the same way, there are LOTS of successful actors and singers who never would have made it so big without help from relatives… but face it, John Belushi has been dead for nearly 30 years! Even if you hate Jim Belushi, you have to admit he’s managed to find steady, profitable work on his own for a long time. By now, he’s famous for the lame movies he’s made and the lame TV shows he’s starred in, NOT just for being John’s brother. Did Henry Fonda use his influence to get Jane into the acting biz? No doubt, and that’s a HUGE plus, in a field where getting a foot in the door is half the battle. But she’s proven herself as an actress many times over since then. I think we have to stick to people who are famous SOLELY because of their relatives, and who’ve never actually DONE anything to merit fame on their own. The people who appear in People magazine every week, even though they haven’t made a movie, recorded a CD, or written a book, or done ANYTHING to merit attention. Like them or not, Stella McCartney, Matthew & Gunnar Nelson, and Miley Cyrus have had great success. Do they owe a lot to their Dads? Yes, but they STILL produced something that millions of people liked. You have to give them credit for that. Jackie Stallone, on the other hand, is famous SOLELY for having a famous relative or family. Ditto Paris Hilton and Rumer Willis. I’d add Bijou Phillips and Christopher Ciccone. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2009, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-celebs-would-be-complete-unknowns-if-it-was-not-for-their-famous-relative/508941/13 "2009-09-05T13:45:15Z")
Good analysis **astorian**. As a counterexample to the OP, I nominate Mike McGear, who changed his last name to make sure he wasn’t succeeding because of his more famous brother. Similary, James Arness/Peter Graves and Shirley McLain/Warren Beatty were sibling pairs that were successful on their own. ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2009, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-celebs-would-be-complete-unknowns-if-it-was-not-for-their-famous-relative/508941/14 "2009-09-05T14:00:56Z")
Melissa Rivers for the winniest win. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2009, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-celebs-would-be-complete-unknowns-if-it-was-not-for-their-famous-relative/508941/15 "2009-09-05T14:16:07Z")
The current “Entertainment Weekly” gave Rumer Willis a two-page spread, discussing whether or not she needs to be taken seriously as an actress. (She’s in that upcoming sorority-girls-stalked-by-a-slasher flick.) How about Clint Howard, Opie’s bro? ---
**Author:** ![Death\_of\_Rats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a6a055/32.png) [@Death\_of\_Rats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Death_of_Rats)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2009, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-celebs-would-be-complete-unknowns-if-it-was-not-for-their-famous-relative/508941/16 "2009-09-05T14:24:08Z")
> [@Zsofia](#): > > Paris Hilton has got to be the award winner in this category, right? She would at least have to be tied with ex-BFF Nicole Ritchie. Paris at least has her own trust fund of Grandpa’s money. ---
**Author:** ![AppallingGael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9bd4f/32.png) [@AppallingGael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AppallingGael)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2009, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-celebs-would-be-complete-unknowns-if-it-was-not-for-their-famous-relative/508941/17 "2009-09-05T14:56:18Z")
> [@Zsofia](#): > > Paris Hilton has got to be the award winner in this category, right? I always thought Nicky was riding on her coattails. ---
**Author:** ![Rubystreak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Rubystreak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rubystreak)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2009, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-celebs-would-be-complete-unknowns-if-it-was-not-for-their-famous-relative/508941/18 "2009-09-05T15:07:04Z")
What about Trudie Styler, Sting’s wife? She’s really only a celebrity because of Sting. Linda McCartney was also only a famous because she was married to Paul, and he insisted on making her part of the band. Likewise, who would know who Heather Mills was? Ditto Yoko Ono. I know she was also a musician, but I doubt any of us would know who she was if she never married John. ---
**Author:** ![gwendee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/35a633/32.png) [@gwendee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gwendee)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2009, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-celebs-would-be-complete-unknowns-if-it-was-not-for-their-famous-relative/508941/19 "2009-09-05T15:09:14Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > How about Clint Howard, Opie’s bro? I’m not sure I’m on board with this one. I absolutely agree he wouldn’t be in as many recent feature films if his brother weren’t directing them, but his own body of TV work is respectable. I think Gentle Ben was a fairly well liked series and he was recognizable from that. So as I type this I wonder if the answer is that neither Ron nor Clint would be famous were it not for their not quite famous but hardworking and well liked in Hollywood parents. How does Eric Roberts fit into the is Emma only famous because of Aunt Julia equation? > [@Rubystreak](#): > > What about Trudie Styler, Sting’s wife? She’s really only a celebrity because of Sting. Linda McCartney was also only a famous because she was married to Paul, and he insisted on making her part of the band. Likewise, who would know who Heather Mills was? Ditto Yoko Ono. I know she was also a musician, but I doubt any of us would know who she was if she never married John. I think that most of these people get/got that their fame is as wife of\_\_\_\_\_\_\_. What about Sofia Coppola? I understand that her directing is respected, but her “acting” in ---
**Author:** ![Rubystreak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Rubystreak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rubystreak)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2009, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-celebs-would-be-complete-unknowns-if-it-was-not-for-their-famous-relative/508941/20 "2009-09-05T15:16:56Z")
> [@gwendee](#): > > I think that most of these people get/got that their fame is as wife of\_\_\_\_\_\_\_. Yeah… isn’t that what the OP was asking for? People who got their fame solely due to their relationship with a famous person? > [@](#): > > What about Sofia Coppola? I understand that her directing is respected, but her “acting” in Aren’t we talking about people who haven’t done anything to merit their current fame? Sofia Coppola was nominated for an Oscar in directing. Surely her father didn’t make that happen for her, her crappy acting in Godfather III notwithstanding. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-celebs-would-be-complete-unknowns-if-it-was-not-for-their-famous-relative/508941.md?page=2)