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Celebrities with their children L to R: Tom Selleck with daugher Hannah, Willem Dafoe with Jack, and Bruce Springsteen and Patti Scialfo with son Sam

The stars whose kids have regular jobs: from Bruce Springsteen's firefighter son to Harrison Ford's chef son

Nepo-babies are incredibly prevalent in the entertainment industry - but there are plenty of stars whose kids have eschewed fame for more down-to-earth careers

Bryony Gooch
US Writer
May 15, 2024
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Over the past few years, there has been a growing obsession with 'nepo-babies' - the children of celebrities who follow in their parents' footsteps to superstardom, seemingly bypassing all the hard work that took them there. 

In fact, it seems almost inevitable that if you grew up watching your parents in the limelight, you're destined for a career in entertainment too. Already, we're seeing the likes of Blue Ivy and North West take after their parents onstage, while Dakota Johnson followed her parents Melanie Griffith and Don Johnson into acting.

With the number of star-studded dynasties, it's easy to forget that there are a number of stars whose kids have not followed them into the limelight - but these people do exist. They may share a surname, but their jobs are incredibly different.

Here are the stars whose children opted not to enter the entertainment industry.

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NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 10:   Evan Springsteen,  Bruce Springsteen, Patti Scialfa, Sam Springsteen and Jessica Springsteen attends the 72nd Annual Tony Awards at Radio City Music Hall on June 10, 2018 in New York City.  (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Tony Awards Productions)© Dimitrios Kambouris

Bruce Springsteen's son Sam

It seems that Bruce Springsteen's youngest son Sam was "Born To Run" into danger, as in 2020 he was sworn in as a firefighter in Jersey City.

Bruce and his wife Patti Scialfa, Sam's mom, attended the ceremony and sat in the front row to watch their son enter his new role.

"We're very proud. It was a long road," Bruce said of his son's achievement. "He was very dedicated for quite a few years, and we're just excited for him today."

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(L-R, foreground) Leslie Howard Bogart and her mother, Lauren Bacall, attend the 54th Golden Globe Awards at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California, on January 19, 1997. (Photo by Donato Sardella/Penske Media via Getty Images)© Penske Media

Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall's daughter Leslie Howard

Her parents may have been icons of Hollywood's golden era, and she herself may have been named after a movie idol, but Leslie Howard did not follow in her parents footsteps.

Instead, Lesie became a yoga instructor, married to US yoga master Erich Schiffman, and also worked as an emergency room nurse in the 1970s and 80s.

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LOS ANGELES, CA - DECEMBER 24:  Chef Ben Ford (L) and father actor Harrison Ford attend the Los Angeles Mission's Christmas Eve for the homeless at the Los Angeles Mission on December 24, 2012 in Los Angeles, California.  (Photo by David Livingston/Getty Images)© David Livingston

Harrison Ford's son Ben

The oldest son of Harrison Ford, Ben, is a chef and restaurant owner who owns the chain Ford's Filling Station.

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24th November 1975:  British-born actress Elizabeth Taylor meets her son, Michael Wilding Jnr for the first time in six years, at Ffynonwen Farm, Michael's home in Wales.  (Photo by Keystone/Getty Images)© Keystone

Elizabeth Taylor's son Michael

While Elizabeth Taylor's son Michael, named after his acting father, briefly dabbled in acting, he is reportedly now a sculptor, leading an incredibly private life.

The 71-year-old's work is shown at the G2 Santa Fe Gallery, and he said of his sculptures: "For me, sculpting is a collaboration, a kind of improvisational journey, a conversation with stone."

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UNITED KINGDOM - MARCH 12:  Photo of Paul McCARTNEY and Linda McCARTNEY; posed with Linda McCartney (Linda Eastman) and daughter Heather McCartney, on wedding day  (Photo by Cummings Archives/Redferns)© Cummings Archives

Paul McCartney's daughter Heather

Heather's parents may have been musical icons, but she's better known as a potter and artist. She showed an early interest in art, studying pottery and design at art school. 

Heather would then head to Mexico where she lived among the Huichol and Tarahumara groups of indigenous people, before traveling to Arizona where she stayed with her biological father Joseph Melville See Jr. She eventually returned to England to work as a potter.

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NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 12: Willem Dafoe and Jack Dafoe attend NYFF56 Closing Night Gala Presentation & North American Premiere Of "At Eternity's Gate" - After Party at Ascent, NYC on October 12, 2018 in New York City.  (Photo by Paul Bruinooge/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images)© Paul Bruinooge

Willem Dafoe's son Jack

His father may be an incredibly well-respected actor, but Jack Dafoe eschewed stardom for a career in public policy research.

Not much is known about the 42-year-old, but in 2008 he was listed as a Senior Policy and Research Associate for Apollo Alliance, an organization that promotes clean and sustainable living.

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Tom Selleck with wife Jillie and daughter Hannah© Getty

Tom Selleck's daughter Hannah

35-year-old Hannah Selleck is an equestrian who owns the Descanso Farm in Thousand Oaks, California. She credits her love of horses to having grown up on a ranch and she started lessons in Spruce Meadows, near where her father was filming a Western.

With a knack for horseriding, she didn't give up after a significant leg injury in 2018 and got back to competitive horseriding soon after. Today, she breeds and trains "top quality hunter/jumper sport horses."

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Tom is incredibly close to his son Connor© AP

Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise's son Connor

Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman's son is a foodie! His Instagram shows he's an aficionado for fishing, and he runs his own BBQ business - Connor's Meat Shack.

The Instagram for the business shows him tenderly barbecuing meats - making it clear that he's passionate about his craft.

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