Stars with siblings who also act | Gallery

Jake Gyllenhaal and Maggie Gyllenhaal

The odds of making it in Hollywood are already slim, and the odds of becoming famous alongside a sibling are even slimmer. However, these five stars, including Maggie Gyllenhaal and Jake Gyllenhaal, have proven that talent can run in the blood. 

Coming from a family of filmmakers, Maggie and Jake were practically built for the big screen. They both got their start with minor roles in movies directed by their father, Stephen Gyllenhaal, and in 2001, they starred together in Donnie Darko.

Since then, Jake has appeared in films such as Nightcrawler, Brokeback Mountain and Zodiac. Maggie has also built an impressive career, with roles in The Dark Knight, Secretary, Crazy Heart and more. 

The Gyllenhaals aren’t the only star siblings in Hollywood. Keep reading to see other famous siblings who have made a name for themselves… 

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Zooey Deschanel and Emily Deschanel

It looks like talent runs in the family for sisters Zooey Deschanel and Emily Deschanel, whose parents are six-time Oscar-nominated cinematographer Caleb Deschanel and actress Mary Jo Deschanel. 

Despite benefiting from a bit of nepotism, the sisters have proven they can stand on their own, with Zooey starring in Elf, 500 Days of Summer and New Girl and Emily headlining Bones and Devil in Ohio. 

Although the sisters admitted to bickering as kids, they’ve grown very close, supporting each other at events and even appearing together on a 2009 episode of Bones. “It was really fun. Emily was extremely welcoming and accommodating and very sweet,” Zooey recalled to Channel Guide of her cameo, adding, “I was glad I did it.”

Emily once told Metro that she and Zooey are “different — but also the same” and share “similarities from having grown up in the same household.”

“You were a really good big sister,” Zooey told Emily in a 2013 interview. “Very protective. Sometimes you were mean. But most of the time you were really nice.” 

Liam Hemsworth and Chris Hemsworth

Being one of Hollywood’s top sibling duos has brought some rivalry for the Hemsworth brothers.  

At one point, Chris Hemsworth wasn’t the only brother competing for a role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. 

In a TikTok video for Vanity Fair, Chris revealed that he and his younger brother, Liam Hemsworth, were both in the running for the role of Thor in the 2011 film. 

“I was told I didn’t have the part at that point. So I was excited for him, a little jealous maybe but I was excited for him,” explained Chris. “Then when I was allowed to re-audition, it was when he was out of the picture.” 

“So we never were neck and neck,” he clarified. “It was either I was involved, then wasn’t, then he was involved, then wasn’t, then I was involved.”

While Liam may have missed out on Marvel, he has starred in other hits, including The Hunger Games, The Last Song and The Expendables 2. 

Their brother Luke Hemsworth also acts. He starred on Westworld and recently had a stint on The Terminal List: Dark Wolf.

Macaulay Culkin and Kieran Culkin

While Macaulay Culkin became a household name in the ’90s with Home Alone, his younger brother, Kieran Culkin, has built an equally impressive career in Hollywood.

Unlike Macaulay, who took a long break from acting, Kieran continued working throughout his formative years and recently won an Oscar for his performance in the film A Real Pain, plus an Emmy and a Golden Globe for his work on the show Succession.

Speaking at Vanity Fair’s Academy Awards party, Macaulay revealed that he cried when Kieran took home the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor during the 2025 Academy Awards. 

“That’s the only thing I watched,” he recalled. “True story, true story… I cried. And I was like, ‘I’m gonna see you later.'”

The star siblings have shared the screen in Home Alone, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York and Only the Lonely.

Their brother Rory Culkin also acts. He starred in the films Signs and Scream 4 and in recent years appeared on episodes of Black Mirror and Swarm.

Justine Bateman and Jason Bateman

If it weren’t for their last name, you might never guess that these two are siblings. 

Jason Bateman and Justine Bateman each have successful careers, but they’ve also shared the screen, including when Justine guest-starred on her younger brother’s show Arrested Development. 

While Jason is best known for his comedies like Horrible Bosses and Game Night, he has also taken on dramatic roles, including in The Gift and the Emmy-winning series Ozark. Meanwhile, Justine has appeared in films such as Satisfaction, The Night We Never Met and The TV Set. 

Over the years, fans have wondered about the state of their relationship, but Jason recently clarified where they stand. 

“There isn’t the typical ‘We see each other every Thanksgiving or every Christmas and our kids want to be together.’ There isn’t that. In a great way,” he told Esquire. “Our conversations are the rich conversations you would have with an adult friend, not the kind of petulant back-and-forth you might have with your adult sibling.”