Jason Bateman Shares Why He Doesn’t See Sister Justine Bateman Often

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Jason Bateman and Justine Bateman’s family ties are as strong as ever.

The actor who voices a character in Zootopia 2 recently shared details about his relationship with his older sister. He said they don’t get together very often, but they’re still close and have a good relationship.

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 see each other every Thanksgiving or Christmas, and their children don’t necessarily expect to. He sees this as a positive thing.

Jason, 56, shared that he and Justine, 59, have become close because they genuinely enjoy each other’s company, not just because they’re related.

He explained that their discussions are like those you’d have with a close friend, not the typical arguments you might have with a brother or sister. They enjoy spending time together and treat each other with kindness and respect, valuing each other as people, not just as family.

Even though Jason doesn’t often get to see his sister in person—he shares daughters Francesca, 19, and Maple, 13, with his wife Amanda Anka—he mentioned they’re planning a visit soon. He said, “I’m having lunch with her next week.”

Justine, who shares 23-year-old Duke and 21-year-old Gianetta with her husband, Mark Fluent, has consistently supported Jason over the years. Last September, she publicly addressed her social media followers, denying any conflict between them and clarifying there was no bad blood with the Arrested Development star.

In a September post on X (formerly Twitter), she stated that anyone who mentions her brother to her—unless it’s to express enjoyment of his current or previous projects—will either be silenced or blocked.

I’ve been following Jason and Justine for years, and it’s amazing to see how much they’ve changed since they were kids on set! Growing up in Hollywood can be tough, but they’ve really blossomed. If you’re like me and love seeing what former child stars are up to now, you’ll want to keep reading – there are so many updates!

As a lifestyle expert, I remember when Jonathan Taylor Thomas really burst onto the scene! Most of us first fell in love with him as the sweet and smart Randy Taylor on Home Improvement back in ’91. But he wasn’t just a TV star – he was making waves in movies too! He gave a fantastic voice performance as young Simba in The Lion King – though, fun fact, it wasn’t actually him singing! And he starred in some really memorable films throughout the nineties, like Tom and Huck with Brad Renfro, and Wild America alongside Devon Sawa.

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

In 2004, he played a recurring character on 8 Simple Rules. Then, in 2013, he worked with Tim Allen again – this time directing (and acting in) multiple episodes of Last Man Standing, where Allen played his TV dad.

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 generate buzz. Whenever paparazzi photos of him surface, they quickly spread online.

As a lifestyle expert, I’ve always been fascinated by child stars who manage to navigate fame so well. Take Jake Lipnicki, for example! He burst onto the scene as a total pro in Jerry Maguire, holding his own against Tom Cruise – seriously, he was adorable and had some fantastic lines. He kept the momentum going with roles in Stuart Little, voicing Baby Tiger in Doctor Dolittle, The Little Vampire, and Little Mike, even popping up on Dawson’s Creek. But what I really admire is that he intentionally stepped away to enjoy a normal high school experience. It’s a testament to prioritizing a balanced life, even with early success!

I’m still such a fan! It’s amazing to see him continuing to act – I just saw he was in the Lifetime movie Secrets at the Museum last year. And he’s not just a talented actor, he’s incredibly skilled in martial arts – he actually has a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu! What really impressed me, though, was learning that back in 2021, when there was a surge in anti-Semitic attacks, he volunteered to help protect a local synagogue. He’s a genuinely good person, and I really admire that.

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.

He was severely bullied as a child, and surprisingly, some of his tormentors later tried to connect with him on Facebook, seemingly forgetting how they had treated him. He remembered being told he’d never work again, which led to nightly panic attacks and constant fear of further embarrassment. Despite everything, he persevered and now feels grateful for his life, hoping to share a message of hope: things do improve.

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 made appearances 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 cheerfully asking her if she felt like she’d already reached the best part of her life. At the time, she didn’t know what to say, 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 op-ed 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 show began airing when he was 14, 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: 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 young detective searching for his missing ex-girlfriend in the 2005 neo-noir film Brick.

Even though he looked young well into his twenties, Joseph Gordon-Levitt has built an impressive career playing adult roles. Some of his most notable films include 500 Days of Summer, G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, Inception, 50/50, The Dark Knight Rises, Looper, Lincoln, Don Jon (which he also wrote and directed), and Snowden. More recently, he portrayed real-life figures, taking on the role of a prosecutor in The Trial of the Chicago 7 and Uber co-founder Travis Kalanick in the series Super Pumped.

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 impressive work ever since. Starting with that strong debut, she’s appeared in a wide range of successful films, including the Star Wars prequels, the Thor and Avengers movies, 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, thought-provoking movies like V for Vendetta and Annihilation.

Natalie Portman won an Academy Award for her performance as a troubled ballerina in the 2010 film Black Swan. She was nominated again for her portrayal of Jacqueline Kennedy following her husband’s assassination in the movie Jackie. In 2015, she directed her first feature film, A Tale of Love and Darkness, which was based on Amos Oz’s autobiographical novel.

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.

I remember Angus T. Jones best as the kid on Two and a Half Men – Jon Cryer’s son, and Charlie Sheen’s nephew, actually! It was a huge show back in the 2000s. It was pretty shocking when a video came out in 2012 of him really criticizing the show, even calling it ‘filth.’ Turns out, it was part of a longer, 15-minute religious talk he did for a Seventh-day Adventist ministry called Forerunner Chronicles, based down in Alabama. It was a strange thing to see, honestly, after watching him grow up on that show.

Jones later apologized for not showing enough respect to his coworkers and for not fully recognizing 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.

During his last season on the CBS sitcom, actor Jones reportedly earned $350,000 per episode. He recently told KHOU in Houston that he felt the show trivialized serious real-world issues, and he considered himself a “paid hypocrite” for participating in it despite his discomfort.

Oh my god, it feels like forever! I was obsessed with his work in Horace & Pete back in 2016, directed by Louis C.K., and I thought that might be it, you know? Then, I just stumbled across this tiny, uncredited thing from 2023 – a little appearance in the Max series Bookie! It’s not much, but it’s something and I’m so relieved he’s still out there creating!

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 be very pessimistic, but now he’s enjoying life and feeling much more relaxed. He no longer feels like he’s constantly walking on eggshells.

Daniel Radcliffe has successfully moved beyond his role as Harry Potter by taking on diverse and challenging parts. He’s proven his range on stage in plays like Equus and The Cripple of Inishmaan, in the musical How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, and in films like Kill Your Darlings, where he played Allen Ginsberg, and the quirky Swiss Army Man. He’s also impressed on television as a doctor struggling with opioid addiction in 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.

Jodie Foster began her acting career around age six with a role in the Mayberry R.F.D. series, a spin-off of The Andy Griffith Show. At just fourteen, she received her first Academy Award nomination for her powerful performance in Taxi Driver, where she played a vulnerable young girl, and her character’s situation fueled Robert De Niro’s character’s violent actions. That same year, 1976, she also starred in the original Freaky Friday, a much lighter role that helped establish her as a popular young actress.

Jodie Foster balanced her education with her acting career, famously taking time off to study at Yale. She then 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 gang rape, only to find herself unexpectedly on trial herself. In 1991, she directed her first feature film, Little Man Tate, and the following year, in 1992, she won the Best Actress Oscar for her compelling performance as a determined FBI trainee in The Silence of the Lambs.

As a lifestyle expert, I’ve always admired artists who consistently reinvent themselves, and Jodie Foster is a prime example! She received a well-deserved lifetime achievement award, the Cecil B. DeMille, back in 2013. But she hasn’t slowed down! In recent years, she’s really stepped into directing for television, working on popular shows like House of Cards, Black Mirror, and Orange Is the New Black. And her film work remains impressive – think Panic Room, Inside Man, Elysium, Hotel Artemis, and The Mauritanian. In fact, she surprised everyone – and delighted her fans – with a Golden Globe win for The Mauritanian in 2021, proving she’s still a force to be reckoned with.

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 Jodie Foster took Kristen Stewart under her wing while filming the 2002 thriller Panic Room, where they played mother and daughter. Like Foster, Stewart has had a complicated relationship with fame, but hers has been amplified by the internet since landing the role of Bella Swan in the Twilight series around age 16, a part that truly changed her life.

Kristen Stewart recalled that Jodie Foster didn’t believe she’d stick with acting. In a 2019 interview with Stellar magazine, Stewart explained this wasn’t about Foster questioning her ability, but rather due to Foster’s own down-to-earth personality. Stewart added that while she loves her work, she understands why Foster might have felt that way about her when she was younger, and expressed her affection for Foster.

As a lifestyle expert, I’ve always admired Kristen Stewart’s career choices. While she became a household name with Twilight, she’s really focused on interesting, smaller projects since then. She briefly revisited a big franchise with the Charlie’s Angels reboot, but she’s clearly drawn to more personal films. In fact, she made history by becoming the first American actress to win a César Award – basically the French Oscars – for her work in The Clouds of Sils Maria. She’s also delivered some incredibly compelling performances in films like Personal Shopper, and those that subtly explore real-life figures, like 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 decades before he played a world-altering character, he started his acting career as the older brother, Brandon Walsh, in the 1985 film The Goonies. He was known as the cool, patient, yet caring big brother in that movie.

Brolin continued to act in numerous films, including Flirting With Disaster, Mimic, and No Country for Old Men, which earned the Best Picture Oscar and significantly boosted his career. He also appeared 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 included Jonah Hex, True Grit, Sicario, Deadpool 2, and the massive hits Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame, where he played Thanos using CGI. More recently, he starred in the sci-fi film Dune, both the first part and the upcoming sequels.

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 first appeared in the 1990 movie Mermaids, and the following year she starred as the delightfully gloomy Wednesday Addams in The Addams Family.

I’ll never forget seeing Christina Ricci in Casper and Now and Then – those were such iconic 90s movies! But what really drew me in was the range she showed as her career went on. She kept taking on these really complex, interesting characters in films like The Opposite of Sex, Buffalo ’66, and even Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. Then came Sleepy Hollow, Prozac Nation, and Pumpkin, but Monster really stood out. Seeing her as the girlfriend of Aileen Wuornos – played so powerfully by Charlize Theron, who rightfully won an Oscar for it – was just incredible. It proved what a truly gifted actress she is.

Over the last three decades, Christina Ricci has consistently chosen bold and unconventional roles. From portraying a stylish flight attendant in the series Pan Am to enduring a challenging situation 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, Ricci has always gravitated towards fascinating and daring projects.

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, Yellowjackets actress Melanie Lynskey married her husband, hairdresser Mark Hampton. Then, in December of that year, they welcomed their daughter, Cleopatra.

Macaulay Culkin became a famous star almost overnight with a single scream in Home Alone when he was just ten years old, but he’d actually been acting in TV movies and films like Uncle Buck and Jacob’s Ladder since he was around five. After taking a break from acting following 1994’s Ri¢hie Ri¢h, he’s returned to it occasionally, often choosing smaller, culturally significant films like Party Monster and Saved. Now a musician and painter, he appears in projects when he chooses.

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 a car accident in 2008. Their second son, Carson, made his first public appearance at his father’s Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony on December 1, 2023, at just 12 months old.

Seriously, how did Dakota Fanning even do that? One minute she’s the adorable little girl on Ally McBeal and then, like, a few years later she’s this totally badass detective in The Alienist? It feels like she just became this strong, independent character overnight! People talk about child actors struggling, but she just…transformed. It wasn’t an instant thing, of course, but it feels that way when I think about it. It’s incredible!

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 sister Elle Fanning in the movie The Nightingale. She also received a Golden Globe nomination in 2025 for playing Marge Sherwood in the Netflix series Ripley.

Though she began her career playing a young version of her sister Dakota’s character in the film I Am Sam, Elle Fanning has since established herself as a unique and successful actress with her own distinct style.

Elle started her career playing supporting roles in films, often as the child of the main actors, appearing in movies like Daddy Day Care, The Door in the Floor, Babel, and Reservation Road. She also had guest roles on popular TV shows such as the CSI series, Criminal Minds, House, and Law & Order: SVU – shows she was likely too young to watch herself! As she grew older, Elle continued to take on diverse roles, moving from family-friendly films like We Bought a Zoo and Maleficent, to young adult movies like Super 8 and Twixt, critically acclaimed dramas like Trumbo and 20th Century Women, and even darker, more fantastical films like The Neon Demon and The Beguiled.

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

Since becoming famous on the 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 any major roles, Hilary Duff has been impressive in Younger, playing a complex coworker to Sutton Foster’s character—a woman in her 40s 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 before separating in 2014 and eventually divorcing. She then married songwriter Matthew Koma, and together they have three daughters: Banks Violet, Mae James, and Townes Meadow, who was born in May 2024.

Candace Cameron Bure, known as the older sister D.J. Tanner on the show Full House (which aired from 1987 to 1995), is also the younger sister of actor Kirk Cameron. Her character’s hairstyle became a popular trend for 12-year-old girls at the time.

She’s appeared in many TV movies, including some that tackled important issues. One example is the 1996 film No One Would Tell, which was based on the heartbreaking true story of a high school student who was killed by her abusive boyfriend after months of suffering in silence. It’s a story that still resonates deeply.

Lately, Candace Cameron Bure has become a Hallmark Channel favorite. After co-hosting The View for two seasons and appearing in five seasons of the Netflix revival Fuller House with most of the original cast, she now stars in Hallmark’s popular Christmas movies and leads the Aurora Teagarden mystery series, which is based on the novels by Charlaine Harris.

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, her three marriages frequently made news. A short-lived engagement to Justin Hodak also drew attention, especially after he violated a restraining order she’d obtained against him. He was later sentenced to over six years in prison in 2019 for possessing a dangerous weapon and providing false evidence.

Having been sober since 2008, the mother of Zoie and Beatrix returned to the world of the Tanner family 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, who started on the show as babies and grew into a recognizable 6-year-old. They then used their fame to build a successful business, launching movies, clothing lines, books, and more – creating what became known as the Olsen empire.

After 2004’s New York Minute, Mary-Kate continued acting with a role on the show Weeds and appearances in the films The Wackness and Beastly. Ashley, however, stepped away from acting. Today, both sisters are highly successful in the fashion world as the co-founders of the award-winning brands The Row and Elizabeth & James.

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

Before he was a famous actor, environmental activist, and Oscar winner for The Revenant, Leonardo DiCaprio had a very different start. In 1991, he played a homeless teenager named Luke who was taken in by the Seaver family on the TV show Growing Pains. Even as a young actor, DiCaprio had a remarkably youthful appearance. He began acting years before and was already 16 on Growing Pains. He received his first Oscar nomination for What’s Eating Gilbert Grape and became known for playing troubled 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 acclaimed films like 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 career to include films aimed at young adults, such as 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 public voice as a UN Goodwill Ambassador to support women and promote gender equality globally. Additionally, she’s worked as a model for brands like Prada and Burberry, started a gin company with her brother Alex Watson, and studied creative writing at Oxford University.

Neil Patrick Harris, originally from New Mexico, achieved early success, receiving 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 series Doogie Howser, M.D. – a possibility he playfully acknowledged by hilariously parodying himself in the comedy Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle.

After a period of slowing down due to working too hard early in his career in Hollywood, he stayed busy with theater, appearing in three Broadway productions. Eventually, he landed the perfect TV role as the charming Barney Stinson on How I Met Your Mother, which earned him four Emmy nominations. In 2010, he was nominated for three Emmys and won two – one for co-producing the 2009 Tony Awards and another for a guest appearance on Glee.

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

Oh my gosh, Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka are just the cutest! I was SO thrilled when they had Gideon and Harper – those little guys arrived via surrogacy back in 2010, and they’re just precious. And then, finally, in 2014, they officially got married! It was everything I hoped for, seriously. They’re the perfect family!

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 series, That’s So Raven, where she played a fashionable teen with psychic abilities. During that time, she also made appearances in other Disney Channel shows, including The Cheetah Girls, The Suite Life of Zack & Cody, Kim Possible, and Sonny With a Chance.

After her show ended in 2007, Raven-Symoné continued to appear on television, with roles in shows like American Dad, Nashville, State of Georgia, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Master of None, and Drunk History. She also had a recurring role on Black-ish and co-hosted The View for three seasons. In June 2020, she married Miranda Maday.

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2025-12-09 00:57