Jason Bateman Shares How Sister Justine Bateman Got Into Acting

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Justine Bateman became a successful child actor, much like her brother Jason Bateman.

You know, thinking back to when I first started out, it’s really special to realize the impact it had on my family. My early success actually inspired my sister to pursue acting too! It’s amazing to think that seeing me chase my dreams gave her the courage to follow hers.

Jason, 56, explained to David Letterman on his show, My Next Guest Needs No Introduction, that he had some early success with commercials. He said his wife, Justine, noticed he was earning money from them and decided to get an agent herself.

He recalled that in the past, a national commercial would typically earn you around $30,000 after it had run for about three months.

Jason first gained recognition in 1981 with his role on Little House on the Prairie, later appearing in sitcoms like The Hogan Family and Silver Spoons. Meanwhile, Justine, now 59, became well-known for her part in Family Ties.

The actor from Arrested Development recently spoke about his sister, following his earlier comments about their adult relationship. He shared that they “don’t see each other very often.”

He explained in a recent interview with Esquire that his family doesn’t have the usual traditions of gathering for holidays. He clarified that they don’t have yearly Thanksgiving or Christmas visits where the kids especially look forward to seeing each other – and he sees that as a positive thing.

Jason, who has two daughters – 19-year-old Francesca and 13-year-old Maple – with his wife, Amanda Anka, explained that he and Amanda have a strong friendship that’s more important to them than feeling obligated to stay together as a family.

He explained that their conversations felt more like those you’d have with a close friend, and not the typical arguments you might have with a sibling. They enjoy spending time together and treat each other with respect, valuing each other as people, not just as family.

He mentioned during the interview that he was planning to meet with Justine soon, specifically for lunch the following week.

Justine, mother to Duke, 23, and Gianetta, 21, with her husband Mark Fluent, recently clarified that there’s no bad blood between her and her brother, dismissing any rumors of a disagreement.

In a September post on X (formerly Twitter), she stated that she will either mute or block anyone who mentions her brother unless it’s to express appreciation for his current or previous projects.

Keep reading for updates on other former child stars…

Jonathan Taylor Thomas became well-known in 1991 for his role as the smart and lovable middle child, Randy Taylor, on the show Home Improvement. Throughout the 1990s, he also appeared in several films, including voicing young Simba in The Lion King (though another actor provided the singing) and starring alongside Brad Renfro in Tom and Huck (1995) and Devon Sawa in Wild America (1997).

In 1998, he left the show Home Improvement (his character, Randy, moved to Costa Rica) to concentrate on his education, though he continued to act in other projects.

He appeared on 8 Simple Rules in 2004, and later worked with his former TV dad, Tim Allen, again in 2013. He directed – and acted in – multiple episodes of Last Man Standing.

Even though Jonathan Taylor Thomas stepped away from acting to focus on his personal life – he graduated from Columbia University in 2010 – he still manages to grab attention. Whenever the paparazzi catch a glimpse of him, photos quickly spread online.

Macaulay Culkin isn’t the only child actor who made a big impression early on. At just six years old, Jeremy Lipnicki held his own against Tom Cruise in Jerry Maguire, delivering some truly memorable lines. He continued acting in popular films like Stuart Little, Doctor Dolittle (as the voice of Baby Tiger), The Little Vampire, and Little Mike, even appearing on Dawson’s Creek. But he decided to step away from the screen to enjoy a typical high school life.

Even now, he continues to act, most recently appearing in the 2023 Lifetime movie Secrets at the Museum. Originally from Los Angeles, he’s also a skilled martial artist with a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. In May 2021, he volunteered to help protect a local synagogue when anti-Semitic incidents were increasing.

In 2017, actor Jake Lipnicki shared on Instagram that he was bullied during middle school, hoping his story would help others going through similar experiences.

I remember hearing how brutally he was teased as a kid – it was constant, and really awful. Then, years later, some of those same kids tried to connect with him on Facebook, which just blew my mind! He told me once he was completely told his career was over, that he’d never work again. It got so bad he started having panic attacks every night, dreading what the next day would bring. But he made it through, and honestly, that’s so inspiring. He always says he’s thankful for the incredible life he has now, and he really wants to share that message – that things do get better, and you can overcome anything.

Wilson starred in Mrs. Doubtfire at 6 and Matilda at 9 before putting acting on the back burner.

In 2016, the writer and activist published her memoir, Where Am I Now?: True Stories of Girlhood and Accidental Fame. She’s also appeared on the show Broad City and lent her voice to several animated series, including BoJack Horseman, Big Hero 6: The Series, and Helluva Boss.

Wilson remembers a former friend once asked her, with a cheerful tone, if she felt she’d already reached the best part of her life. She didn’t know what to say at the time, but now she realizes that was the wrong way to look at it. She hasn’t peaked, because she’s no longer letting others define her story – she’s taking control and writing it herself, as she explained in a February 2021 opinion piece for The New York Times about the challenges of early fame for young women.

Even before landing the role of Tommy Solomon on 3rd Rock From the Sun, Gordon-Levitt had already been acting for years. The sitcom began airing when he was 14 years old in 1996, the same year he appeared as Demi Moore’s son in the thriller film The Jury.

He quickly became known for a variety of roles, playing the charming love interest in the 1999 film 10 Things I Hate About You, a street-smart character in 2004’s Mysterious Skin, and a determined teenage detective searching for his missing ex-girlfriend in the 2005 neo-noir film Brick.

Seriously, he doesn’t even look like he’s aged! But beyond that unfairly youthful face, his roles have just been incredible. I mean, I first noticed him in 500 Days of Summer, but then he was in G.I. Joe, then blew my mind in Inception! And it just kept going – 50/50 was so moving, and The Dark Knight Rises? Iconic. Looper is a favorite, and seeing him in Lincoln was just…wow. He even wrote and directed Don Jon! And Snowden? Another amazing performance. More recently, I was completely gripped by The Trial of the Chicago 7 – he was so convincing as that prosecutor. But playing Travis Kalanick in Super Pumped? Genius. He just becomes these people, it’s unreal.

He quietly married Tasha McCauley in 2014 and they share three children.

Natalie Portman gained recognition early in her career for her remarkably mature performance in the 1994 film The Professional, and she’s consistently delivered strong work ever since. Starting with that impressive debut, she’s appeared in a wide variety of successful films, including the Star Wars prequels, the Thor and Avengers movies, critically acclaimed independent films like Beautiful Girls and Garden State, comedies such as Mars Attacks! and Your Highness, serious dramas like Closer and Brothers, and thrilling, suspenseful movies like V for Vendetta and Annihilation.

I’ve been a huge fan of hers ever since she absolutely blew me away in Black Swan – that Oscar for playing a ballerina falling apart was so well-deserved! She’s incredibly versatile, and her portrayal of Jackie Kennedy was stunning, earning her another nomination. It wasn’t just acting, though! She actually directed a feature film, A Tale of Love and Darkness, which she adapted from Amos Oz’s beautiful autobiography. It really showed a different side to her talent.

She married choreographer Benjamin Millepied in 2012, and they have two children, a son named Aleph and a daughter named Amalia. They divorced in 2024.

Cameron Jones is best remembered for his role on the popular 2000s sitcom Two and a Half Men, where he played the son of Jon Cryer’s character and the nephew of Charlie Sheen’s. In 2012, a video appeared online of Jones criticizing the show, calling it “filth.” The footage came from a 15-minute religious presentation he gave for Forerunner Chronicles, a Seventh-day Adventist ministry based in Alabama.

Jones later apologized for not showing enough respect to his coworkers and for not fully appreciating how fortunate he was to have the opportunity he’d been given.

The actor soon left the series, but returned for the finale in 2015.

As someone who’s spent a lot of time observing the entertainment industry, I’ve seen firsthand how things can get complicated. Recently, I was talking to actor Tim Jones, who shared something really insightful about his time on a popular CBS sitcom. He revealed that while he was earning around $350,000 per episode, he felt conflicted because the show often joked about serious issues. He admitted to feeling like a ‘paid hypocrite’ – he didn’t agree with the way these topics were being handled, but he continued to participate for the paycheck. It’s a tough situation many performers face – balancing their principles with the demands of their job.

Before a small, unconfirmed role in the 2023 Max series Bookie, his most recent acting job was in Louis C.K.’s 2016 limited series Horace & Pete.

Jones described his time at the University of Colorado at Boulder as a normal period in his life, as he shared with People magazine in 2016. He explained that he used to worry constantly about potential disasters, but now he’s enjoying life and feels much more relaxed, no longer feeling like he’s walking on eggshells.

Daniel Radcliffe has successfully moved beyond his role as Harry Potter by taking on a wide variety of challenging parts. He’s proven his range on stage in plays like Equus and The Cripple of Inishmaan, and in the musical How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. He’s also appeared in films as Beat poet Allen Ginsberg in Kill Your Darlings and in the quirky Swiss Army Man, as well as playing an opioid-addicted doctor on the TV series A Young Doctor’s Notebook.

Recently, he finished four seasons on the show Miracle Workers, starred as Weird Al Yankovic in the biopic Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, and returned to the stage in a Broadway revival of Merrily We Roll Along.

On a personal note, Radcliffe is dad to a son with longtime partner Erin Darke.

I’ve been a fan of Jodie Foster since I first saw her as a little girl on Mayberry R.F.D., though I didn’t realize then just how incredible she would become. What really struck me, even as a young viewer, was her powerful performance in Taxi Driver when she was only fourteen – it was a really difficult role, playing a girl in a terrible situation, and it’s what motivates De Niro’s character. It’s amazing to me that the same year, she also starred in the fun and lighthearted original Freaky Friday! That really showed her range and helped launch her into becoming a true mainstream star, but for me, it was always that early, serious work that really captivated me.

Jodie Foster balanced her studies at Yale with her acting career. After graduating, she achieved a breakthrough role and won her first Oscar for Best Supporting Actress in the 1988 film The Accused, where she played a woman who bravely pursued legal action after a brutal assault, only to find herself unexpectedly on trial herself. She later made her directorial debut with the 1991 film Little Man Tate, and then earned a Best Actress Oscar in 1992 for her compelling performance as a determined FBI trainee in The Silence of the Lambs.

The acclaimed actress and filmmaker received the Cecil B. DeMille Award for lifetime achievement at the 2013 Golden Globes. More recently, she’s focused on directing for television, having directed episodes of popular shows like House of Cards, Black Mirror, and Orange Is the New Black. Notable film roles this century include appearances in Panic Room, Inside Man, Elysium, Hotel Artemis, and The Mauritanian, for which she unexpectedly won a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress in 2021.

She has two sons with her former partner, Cydney Bernard, and she married photographer and director Alexandra Hedison in 2014.

It’s not surprising that veteran actress Jodie Foster took Kristen Stewart under her wing while filming the 2002 thriller, Panic Room, directed by David Fincher, as they played mother and daughter. Similar to Foster, Stewart has had a complicated relationship with fame, but it’s been amplified by the internet since she landed the breakthrough role of Bella Swan in the Twilight series around age 16.

Kristen Stewart recalled that Jodie Foster once doubted she’d stick with acting. Speaking to Stellar magazine in 2019, Stewart explained it wasn’t about Foster’s assessment of her talent, but rather Foster’s own reserved personality. “I genuinely enjoy what I do,” Stewart said, “but I get why she’d have thought that about me when I was younger. I have a lot of affection for her.”

Since finishing the Twilight films, the actress and Chanel brand ambassador has consistently found work. While she briefly attempted a reboot of Charlie’s Angels in 2019, she’s mostly focused on smaller, more personal projects. These include critically acclaimed films like The Clouds of Sils Maria – for which she made history as the first American to win a César Award (the French equivalent of an Oscar) – as well as the haunting drama Personal Shopper, and films inspired by real people, Seberg and Spencer.

Following her highly publicized breakup with Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart began dating women and later married Dylan Meyer in 2025.

Long before Josh Brolin became famous for his role as Thanos in the Marvel movies, and years before he famously snapped his fingers, he began his acting career as a teenager. In 1985, he played the older brother, Brandon Walsh, in the classic adventure film The Goonies. He portrayed Brandon as a cool, patient, and caring character.

Brolin appeared in many films after that, including Flirting With Disaster, Mimic, and No Country for Old Men, which won an Academy Award for Best Picture and helped boost his career. He also starred in American Gangster, W. (where he played George W. Bush), and Milk, earning an Oscar nomination for his portrayal of Dan White, the man who killed Harvey Milk. Other notable roles include Jonah Hex, True Grit, Sicario, Deadpool 2, and the Avengers films, Infinity War and Endgame, where he played Thanos using CGI. More recently, he’s been in the sci-fi movie Dune, with both the first part released and the second on the way.

Josh Brolin has two children with his first wife, Alice Adair. He was then married to Diane Lane from 2004 to 2013. He married Kathryn Boyd in 2016, and they have two daughters together: Westlyn Reign Brolin, born in 2018, and Chapel Grace Brolin, born in December 2020.

She started her acting career at around age 10, appearing in films with Cher and Winona Ryder. She was in the 1990 movie Mermaids, and the following year, she starred as the delightfully gloomy Wednesday Addams in The Addams Family.

Oh my gosh, the ’90s! After Addams Family bliss, seeing Winona in Casper and Now and Then just cemented my love for her. But then she started taking on these amazing, complex roles. I mean, The Opposite of Sex, Buffalo ’66, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas… she was incredible in everything! And Sleepy Hollow? Iconic! She just kept choosing these fascinating, sometimes dark characters, like in Prozac Nation and Pumpkin. But honestly, Monster… that movie was something else. Playing the girlfriend of Aileen Wuornos (Charlize Theron totally deserved that Oscar, by the way!)? Winona just completely transformed. It was breathtaking!

Over the last three decades, Christina Ricci has consistently chosen bold and unconventional roles. From portraying a stylish flight attendant in the TV series Pan Am to enduring a physically demanding role in Black Snake Moan, and embodying complex historical figures like ax murderer Lizzie Borden in The Lizzie Borden Chronicles and author Zelda Fitzgerald in Z: The Beginning of Everything, she’s always been drawn to fascinating and challenging parts.

Ricci has two children: a son named Freddie with her former husband, James Heerdegen, and a daughter named Cleopatra with her current husband, Mark Hampton.

In October 2021, actress Melanie Lynskey, known for her role in Yellowjackets, married Mark Hampton. They then welcomed their daughter, Cleopatra, in December of that same year.

Macaulay Culkin became a household name almost overnight with his famous scream in Home Alone when he was just 10 years old, but he’d actually been acting in TV movies and films like Uncle Buck and Jacob’s Ladder since he was around 5. After taking a break from acting following Richie Rich in 1994, he’s returned to it occasionally, often appearing in smaller, but culturally significant, films like Party Monster and Saved. He’s also pursued careers as a musician and painter.

Macaulay Culkin, known for his voice work on Robot Chicken and a cameo as a barista on The Jim Gaffigan Show, is set to appear in the tenth season of American Horror Story, which is scheduled to premiere in 2021, assuming pandemic safety measures are in place.

The actor is engaged to Brenda Song and they have two sons. Their first son, Dakota Song Culkin, is named after the actor’s sister, Dakota, who tragically passed away in 2008. Their second son, Carson, made his first public appearance at his father’s Hollywood Walk of Fame star ceremony on December 1, 2023, at just 12 months old.

Dakota Fanning’s career has seemed to jump quickly from playing young versions of characters in shows like Ally McBeal and the movie I Am Sam to a starring role as a pioneering female detective in the historical drama The Alienist. However, that perception isn’t quite accurate.

For over 20 years, she’s consistently delivered strong performances in a variety of films, including Uptown Girls, Man on Fire, Hide and Seek, War of the Worlds, Charlotte’s Web, The Secret Life of Bees, three Twilight movies, American Pastoral, and Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood. Notably, she portrayed Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme, a follower of Charles Manson.

Dakota Fanning acted alongside her younger sister, Elle Fanning, in the film The Nightingale. She also received a Golden Globe nomination in 2025 for playing Marge Sherwood in the Netflix series Ripley.

She may have gotten her start playing “Lucy 2 years,” a younger version of her sister Dakota’s character in I Am Sam, but this Fanning has blazed her own acting and style trail apart from her also-very-successful sibling.

Elle started her career like many young actors, playing the children of established stars in films like Daddy Day Care, The Door in the Floor, Babel, and Reservation Road. She also appeared in episodes of popular crime shows like the CSI franchise, Criminal Minds, House, and Law & Order: SVU – often roles she was too young to fully understand at the time. As she grew older, Elle continued to take on diverse roles, moving between family-friendly movies such as We Bought a Zoo and Maleficent, young adult films like Super 8 and Twixt, serious dramas like Trumbo and 20th Century Women, and darker, more fantastical films like The Neon Demon and The Beguiled.

She’s also taken on notable roles as Mary Shelley in a film about the author, and as Catherine the Great in the Hulu comedy series, The Great.

Since becoming famous on Disney Channel’s Lizzie McGuire, the actress and singer has matured. She successfully transitioned from that role into popular family movies like Agent Cody Banks, Cheaper by the Dozen, and A Cinderella Story.

After a period without a major role, Hilary Duff has been shining in Younger, playing a complex coworker to Sutton Foster’s character, a woman pretending to be a millennial, in the popular TV Land series which will return for a seventh season. While a spin-off focusing on Duff’s Younger character, Kelsey, sounded promising, many longtime fans were especially eager to see her reprise her role as Lizzie in a planned Disney+ reboot. Sadly, those plans for a revival of the show have been cancelled.

She has since starred in two seasons of  How I Met Your Father.

Hilary Duff first married hockey player Mike Comrie, and they had a son named Luca. They divorced in 2014 after four years together. She then married musician Matthew Koma in 2019, and they have three daughters: Banks Violet, Mae James, and Townes Meadow, who was born in May 2024.

As a lifestyle expert, I remember when Candace Cameron Bure – Kirk Cameron’s younger sister – completely defined the look for tweens everywhere! She played D.J. Tanner on Full House, and honestly, every 12-year-old wanted those crimped hairstyles! The show was a huge hit, running from 1987 to 1995, and she was a major style icon during that time.

She’s appeared in many TV movies, including some that tackled important issues. One notable example is the 1996 film No One Would Tell, which was based on the heartbreaking true story of a high school student who was tragically murdered by her abusive boyfriend after enduring months of silent suffering. It’s a story that continues to resonate and disturb us even today.

Lately, Candace Cameron Bure has become a Hallmark Channel favorite, starring in their popular Christmas movies and the Aurora Teagarden mystery series, which is based on novels by Charlaine Harris. Before that, she was a co-host on The View and reprised her role with most of the original cast in five seasons of Netflix’s Fuller House.

In 2021, she and her husband, former NHL player Valeri Bure, marked their 25th wedding anniversary. They have three children together.

Jodie Sweetin, best known for playing Stephanie Tanner on Full House for eight seasons, faced challenges with drug and alcohol addiction. She openly shared her experiences in her 2009 autobiography, unSweetined.

Between 2002 and 2016, she was married three times, which attracted a lot of public attention. A short engagement to Justin Hodak also made headlines, especially after he violated a restraining order she had against him. In 2019, he was sentenced to over six years in prison for possessing a dangerous weapon and providing false evidence.

Having been sober since 2008, the mother of Zoie and Beatrix returned to television in the Netflix series Fuller House for five seasons. She’s also appeared in multiple Hallmark Channel movies, such as the 2019 Christmas film Merry and Bright and the romantic comedy Just Swipe.

The character of Michelle Tanner on the popular TV show Full House was actually played by twin sisters, starting when they were babies and continuing as she grew into a clever 6-year-old. Their success on the show led to a wide range of business ventures – including movies, clothing, books, and more – building a substantial empire for the Olsen twins.

After starring in New York Minute in 2004, Mary-Kate continued acting with a role on Weeds and appearances in The Wackness and Beastly. Ashley, however, stepped away from acting. Today, both sisters are celebrated as fashion icons, having co-founded the award-winning brands The Row and Elizabeth & James.

Ashley and her husband, Louis Eisner, had their first child in 2023. Mary-Kate married Olivier Sarkozy in 2015, but they divorced in 2020.

Before Leonardo DiCaprio became a famous movie star, activist, and Oscar winner for The Revenant, he had a very different life. In 1991, he started out as Luke, a homeless teenager taken in by the Seaver family on the TV show Growing Pains. Even then, he was an actor with a remarkably young appearance – he was 16 on Growing Pains and had already been acting for years. He earned his first Oscar nomination for What’s Eating Gilbert Grape and became known for playing troubled young characters in films like A Boy’s Life, The Basketball Diaries, Marvin’s Room, and Romeo + Juliet.

He still kinda looked like a kid in Titanic, but at 22 he had reached full-on heartthrob status.

In the last ten years, Leonardo DiCaprio has appeared in several acclaimed films, including Inception, The Wolf of Wall Street, Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood, The Revenant (for which he finally won his Best Actor Oscar), and Killers of the Flower Moon.

Accio, adulthood!

Emma Watson first gained recognition for her role as Hermione Granger in the eight Harry Potter films. Since then, she’s expanded her acting career with roles in young adult movies like The Perks of Being a Wallflower and The Bling Ring. She’s also acted alongside Tom Hanks in The Circle, starred as Belle in the live-action Beauty and the Beast, and played Meg March in Little Women. Beyond acting, Watson uses her influence as a UN Goodwill Ambassador to support women and promote gender equality globally. She’s also worked as a model for brands like Prada and Burberry, started a gin company with her brother Alex, and studied creative writing at Oxford University.

Neil Patrick Harris, originally from New Mexico, achieved early success with a Golden Globe nomination at age 15 for his first role in the 1988 TV movie Clara’s Heart. However, his career could have taken a different turn after becoming known for playing a teenage genius doctor on the show Doogie Howser, M.D.—a possibility he playfully acknowledged by poking fun at himself in the comedy Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle.

Okay, so everyone thinks he just appeared as Barney Stinson, but it wasn’t like that at all! He really worked for it. He had a bit of a rough patch after being thrown into the Hollywood machine too young, but he kept at it with so much theater – three Broadway shows, can you believe it?! And then, finally, Barney happened on How I Met Your Mother, and honestly, it was everything. Four Emmy nominations just for that role! But get this – 2010 was insane! He snagged two Emmys – one for helping produce the Tonys in 2009, and another for being on Glee! It just proves how incredibly talented he is, even beyond Barney. I knew he was destined for greatness!

This incredibly talented performer – a master of acting, singing, dancing, and magic – has hosted the Tony Awards four times, winning an Emmy as a producer each time. He’s also hosted the Emmys twice and the Oscars once, in 2015. In 2014, he took home a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical for his performance in Hedwig and the Angry Inch.

Neil Patrick Harris and his husband, David Burtka, had twins, Gideon and Harper, through surrogacy in 2010. They got married in 2014.

She first gained fame as the adorable Olivia on The Cosby Show when she was just four years old. She then starred in films like The Little Rascals and the Doctor Dolittle movies. In 2003, she led her own popular Disney Channel show, That’s So Raven, where she played a stylish teen with psychic abilities. During that time, she also made appearances in other Disney productions, including The Cheetah Girls, The Suite Life of Zack & Cody, Kim Possible, and Sonny With a Chance.

I’ve been a huge fan of Raven-Symoné since her early days, and I always make sure to catch her in everything she does! After her show wrapped in 2007, she kept busy with so many great projects – I loved seeing her on shows like American Dad, Nashville, State of Georgia, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Master of None, and Drunk History. She even had a regular part on Black-ish, which was fantastic. Plus, I really enjoyed watching her as a co-host on The View for three seasons. And I was so happy for her when she married Miranda Maday in June 2020 – they’re a beautiful couple!

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2025-12-17 18:51