Five Film Families for National Son and Daughter Day
August 11th is National Son and Daughter Day, and the film industry is a place where many prestigious families are shown on full display. It’s impossible to discuss every famous family, so I wanted to use today’s son and daughter celebration to look at some of the families where the kids (and I emphasize “kids”) were as successful as the parents; this also includes grandkids, great grandkids, and so forth. I settled on five famous families to celebrate today, so let’s get started.
The Barrymores
Possibly the largest film family, the Barrymores are basically cinematic royalty. It all starts with thespian couple Maurice Barrymore and Gorgiana Emma Drew. From there comes children Lionel and Ethel (both Academy Award winners), and John; both Lionel and John starred together in the Best Picture winner Grand Hotel. The list from here on out gets extremely long, including Diana, John Jr., John Blyth, and more; the most popular family member of our times is, of course, Drew Barrymore (who was John Blyth’s daughter).
The Hustons
It starts with Walter Huston and Rhea Gore, who were the parents of John Huston. John would go on to be one of the greatest directors in American history, but he was also a parent of the continuing Huston family: Tony, Allegra, Danny, and Anjelica. Walter, John and Anjelica all have Academy Awards (coincidentally enough for works that John himself made), solidifying the legacy of this cinematic family. Walter won for The Treasure of Sierra Madre, and Anjelica for Prizzi’s Honor; John won Best Director and Best Writing, Screenplay for Sierra Madre.
The Redgraves
The most popular member here is Vanessa Redgrave, who is the winner of the triple crown of acting (Oscar, Tony, and Emmy). The Redgrave family is still massive, though, starting with Michael Redgrave and wife Rachel Kempson. Their children include Corin, Lynn, and Vanessa (of course). This is where things get expansive. From here, thespian family members include Natasha Richardson, Daisy Bevan, Jemma Redgrave, and more.
The Fishers/Reynolds
Eddie Fisher had a number of children with wives Debbie Reynold and Connie Stevens, including Carrie, Todd, Joely, and Tricia Leigh. This family was brought up recently due to the unfortunate passing of Carrie Fisher and mother Debbie Reynolds just hours afterwards. Carrie’s daughter Billie Lourd is also an actress, who is continuing the legacies of her beloved mother and grandmother.
The Fondas
Henry Fonda was the face of American acting during his peak, but the Fonda family has become something truly special. One of the more expansive families, the tree includes children Jane and Peter Fonda, and grandchildren Bridget Fonda and Troy Garity. Jane was incredibly successful in her own right, winning two Academy awards; Henry won one for himself in On Golden Pond, a film he shared with Jane. Peter was attached to the New Hollywood movement with works like Easy Rider.
Andreas Babiolakis has a Masters degree in Film and Photography Preservation and Collections Management from Ryerson University, as well as a Bachelors degree in Cinema Studies from York University. His favourite times of year are the Criterion Collection flash sales and the annual Toronto International Film Festival.