Hollywood has always been fascinated by family dynasties. Sometimes the resemblance between generations is subtle — a familiar smile or unmistakable eyes. Other times, a grandchild grows up looking so much like a screen legend that fans immediately start comparing old photographs.
One particularly striking example is Ethan Peck, the grandson of Hollywood icon Gregory Peck.
Ethan didn’t merely inherit one of cinema’s most famous surnames. He followed his grandfather into acting and eventually landed an iconic role of his own, portraying Spock in the modern Star Trek universe. Wikipedia
And he isn’t alone.
From Steve McQueen’s grandson to Grace Kelly’s granddaughter, several descendants of Golden Age stars have grown up carrying a fascinating piece of Hollywood history with them.
Here are six of the most striking.
1. Ethan Peck — Gregory Peck’s Grandson
With thick dark hair, strong eyebrows and a deep voice, Ethan Peck has frequently drawn comparisons to his legendary grandfather.
Gregory Peck was one of the defining leading men of classic Hollywood.
His career stretched from the 1940s through the end of the 20th century, and his performances included Roman Holiday, Spellbound, The Guns of Navarone and perhaps his most celebrated role, Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird.
His place in Hollywood history isn’t merely nostalgic. In 1999, the American Film Institute named Gregory Peck the 12th-greatest male screen legend of classic American cinema. Wikipedia
Yet to Ethan, the imposing movie star was something much simpler.
He was Grandpa.
Ethan has recalled that he didn’t spend his childhood thinking about Gregory as a Hollywood institution. One of the memories he has shared is of his grandfather teaching him how to float in a swimming pool. Looking back as an adult actor, Ethan has admitted there are now countless questions about acting he wishes he could ask him. IMDb
Ethan Built an Acting Career of His Own
Born in Los Angeles on March 2, 1986, Ethan is the son of Stephen Peck and artist Francine Matarazzo. Gregory Peck and his first wife, Greta Kukkonen, were his paternal grandparents. Wikipedia
Ethan started acting as a child.
One of his early appearances came in Passport to Paris with Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen. Later, he appeared in the television adaptation of 10 Things I Hate About You.
But the role that changed everything was Spock.
Ethan first portrayed the legendary Vulcan in Star Trek: Discovery before continuing the role in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. IMDb
In 2026, Ethan reflected on how profoundly playing Spock had changed him, saying the experience had helped him become a better person. He also revisited Gregory’s work at the TCM Classic Film Festival, where his grandfather’s 1966 film Arabesque was screened. People.com
So while the resemblance between grandfather and grandson gets plenty of attention, Ethan’s story has become more interesting than resemblance alone.
Both men became actors.
Both became associated with unforgettable characters.
But Ethan has built his career without attempting to recreate Gregory Peck.
2. Steven R. McQueen — Steve McQueen’s Grandson
There aren’t many surnames in Hollywood more instantly associated with old-school cool than McQueen.
Steve McQueen became the “King of Cool” through films including Bullitt, The Great Escape and The Thomas Crown Affair.
His combination of movie-star charisma, motorcycles, racing and rebellious characters helped turn him into a cultural icon.
Decades later, another McQueen appeared on television.
Steven R. McQueen, born in 1988, is Steve’s grandson through the late actor and race-car driver Chad McQueen. TV Insider
Steven chose acting as well.
Many viewers know him best as Jeremy Gilbert on The Vampire Diaries, where he appeared for multiple seasons. He later joined Chicago Fire as firefighter Jimmy Borelli. TV Insider
His famous surname inevitably followed him into the business.
But Steven belonged to a generation that encountered a completely different Hollywood from the one his grandfather dominated.
Steve McQueen died in 1980, eight years before Steven was born.
That meant Steven never had the opportunity to know the legendary grandfather whose name would become such a prominent part of his own public identity.
Nevertheless, photographs of the two across generations make the family connection particularly fascinating for fans.
There’s the dark hair.
The strong features.
And perhaps most noticeably, that familiar McQueen intensity.
3. Tuki Brando — Marlon Brando’s Grandson
Few actors changed American screen acting as profoundly as Marlon Brando.
From A Streetcar Named Desire and On the Waterfront to The Godfather, Brando became one of the defining performers of the 20th century.
His grandson Tuki Brando, however, took the family name into an entirely different industry.
Tuki was born in 1990 and is the son of Marlon’s daughter Cheyenne Brando and Dag Drollet. Prabook
Rather than becoming an actor, Tuki entered modeling.
And he quickly attracted serious attention.
Photographer Bruce Weber photographed him for L’Uomo Vogue while he was still a teenager, and Tuki subsequently became the face of Versace’s Fall 2007 menswear campaign. Prabook
His striking appearance naturally generated comparisons to his grandfather.
But his childhood was dramatically different from the glamorous image suggested by fashion campaigns.
Tuki lost his father before he was born and his mother when he was only five. He was subsequently raised largely by his grandmother, Tarita Teriipaia, the Tahitian actress who had met Marlon Brando while making Mutiny on the Bounty. Prabook
His eventual emergence as an international model therefore represented an unexpected new chapter in one of Hollywood’s most complicated family histories.
4. Camille Gottlieb — Grace Kelly’s Granddaughter
Few Hollywood stories ended quite like Grace Kelly’s.
The Academy Award-winning actress was already one of the most glamorous women in cinema when she walked away from Hollywood at the height of her career and married Prince Rainier III of Monaco in 1956.
The movie star became Princess Grace.
Her granddaughter Camille Gottlieb is the daughter of Princess Stéphanie of Monaco and Jean Raymond Gottlieb.
And as Camille grew older, comparisons to Grace became increasingly common.
The connection hasn’t escaped Camille herself.
She has publicly said that being told she resembles her grandmother is particularly meaningful because her mother has always described Grace as an extraordinary woman and exemplary mother. Yahoo
Grace died in 1982, long before Camille was born, so the granddaughter never had the opportunity to know her personally.
Yet the family resemblance has kept attracting attention.
Fans often point to Camille’s light eyes, facial structure and smile when comparing photographs of the two women.
Unlike Grace, Camille has not pursued a major Hollywood acting career.
Her life instead remains closely connected to Monaco, making her another example of a famous grandchild whose family history is more notable than any attempt to imitate her legendary grandparent.
5. Henry Elkind — Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward’s Grandson
Imagine having not one but two Oscar-winning Hollywood legends as grandparents.
That’s part of Henry Elkind’s family story.
Henry is the son of Melissa “Lissy” Newman and Raphael Elkind and the grandson of Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward. Celebrity Press
Newman was one of Hollywood’s defining leading men, appearing in classics including The Hustler, Cool Hand Luke, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and The Color of Money.
His piercing blue eyes became almost as famous as his performances.
But Newman’s legacy extended far beyond acting.
He became an accomplished racing driver and created Newman’s Own, ultimately directing enormous sums of money toward charitable causes. The Guardian
Joanne Woodward, meanwhile, built an acclaimed acting career of her own and won the Academy Award for Best Actress for The Three Faces of Eve.
With that family background, Henry could easily have attempted to build a Hollywood career around the Newman name.
Instead, he took another path.
Henry studied environmental studies at Hamilton College before pursuing creative media, songwriting and production at Berklee College of Music. He has made music under the name Henny the Artist. Fame Star
It’s an interesting continuation of the family’s creative streak without simply reproducing what his grandparents did.
Rather than becoming “the next Paul Newman,” Henry has largely maintained a private life and explored his own artistic interests.
6. Another Peck Carries the Legendary Family Name — Zackary Peck
Ethan isn’t Gregory Peck’s only grandson to have entered acting.
Zackary Anthony Peck, born in Los Angeles in 1991, is the son of Anthony Peck and supermodel Cheryl Tiegs. That makes Gregory Peck and Véronique Peck his grandparents. IMDb
Zackary has acting credits including EuroTrash, West Wing Week and Perfect Citizens. IMDb
His family tree is particularly striking.
On one side stands Gregory Peck, one of classic Hollywood’s defining actors.
On the other is Cheryl Tiegs, one of the most recognizable American models of her generation.
And Zackary isn’t the only acting grandson in the family — Ethan Peck is his cousin. IMDb
That gives the Peck family something relatively unusual even among Hollywood dynasties: multiple members of the third generation have stepped in front of cameras.
Gregory Peck’s Legacy Has Come Full Circle Through Ethan
Of all these descendants, Ethan Peck has perhaps followed most directly in his grandfather’s footsteps.
He didn’t merely inherit the family connection.
He became a professional actor and eventually assumed a character with its own enormous cultural history.
There’s also something unexpectedly touching about the fact that Ethan’s relationship with Gregory wasn’t built around acting lessons.
As a child, he simply knew his grandfather as his grandfather.
Only later did Ethan fully understand the enormous shadow Gregory had cast across cinema.
At the 2026 TCM Classic Film Festival, Ethan discussed his grandfather while celebrating classic movies and his own place within the Star Trek universe. Behind The Lens Online
It brought two generations of Hollywood history together in a way Gregory could never have predicted.
Gregory played Atticus Finch.
Ethan became Spock.
Two enormously recognizable fictional characters, separated by generations.
Famous DNA Doesn’t Guarantee the Same Life
Perhaps that’s the most interesting thing about these Hollywood grandchildren.
Some embraced acting.
Some chose modeling.
Some pursued music.
Others largely stayed outside Hollywood.
Their grandparents’ names may have opened the door to public curiosity, but they didn’t dictate what came next.
Steven R. McQueen became a television actor.
Tuki Brando became a model.
Henry Elkind chose music.
Camille Gottlieb remained connected to Monaco rather than Hollywood.
And Ethan Peck stepped into one of science fiction’s most famous roles.
The resemblance in family photographs can be fascinating, but the differences between their lives are just as compelling.
RARE PHOTOS Reveal the Family Resemblances
Put photographs of Gregory and Ethan Peck side by side and it’s easy to understand why people are fascinated.
The same thing happens with Steve and Steven McQueen, Grace Kelly and Camille Gottlieb, or Marlon and Tuki Brando.
Faces change across generations, but occasionally a familiar feature survives so clearly that even strangers recognize it.
For Ethan, though, the resemblance comes with something extra.
His grandfather was once among the most celebrated leading men on the planet — a man the American Film Institute ultimately placed among the greatest stars of classic American cinema. Wikipedia
Today, Gregory Peck’s grandson has a recognizable face of his own.
And while fans may initially notice the famous surname or familiar features, Ethan has spent decades building a résumé that belongs entirely to him.
That may ultimately be the most interesting thing about Hollywood’s famous grandchildren.
They inherited extraordinary family histories — but each had to decide what to do with them.
For more stories about the families of the stars, check out how Rob Lowe’s 13-year-old niece Fiona died tragically, or read about the accusations of abuse against Halle Berry and the horrifying discovery a 6-year-old boy’s call to his grandma led to.
