Sometimes, all the talent just doesn’t go to one person in a family and parents are fortunate enough to have more than one child who makes it in the industry. Whether they go on to build a generational family empire like the Wayans brothers or sing the soundtracks of our lives like The Jackson 5, there are many sets of famous brothers who have made an impact on the music and entertainment industries or continue to do so. From stand-up comedy to films, these brothers have succeeded together, proving that their familial talent is just that strong.
Check out these 13 sets of celebrity brothers who truly deserve their flowers below.
1. The Wayans brothers
Comedy wouldn’t be the same without the Wayans brothers, especially without the contributions of Keenen Ivory Wayans, who was crucial in skyrocketing himself and his siblings to fame when he created “In Living Color” in 1990 with Damon Wayans. The Fox TV show went on to produce prominent stars like Jim Carrey, Jennifer Lopez, Jamie Foxx and more.
Since then, the Wayans brothers have gone on to establish amazing careers in shows and films like Scary Movie, “The Wayans Bros.” and White Chicks, which starred Shawn and Marlon Wayans. Damon, on the other hand, is known for his roles in “My Wife and Kids” and Major Payne. The brothers have also had notable stand-up comedy careers.
The Wayans brothers have continued making major moves in the entertainment industry. Most notably, Damon launched “Poppa’s House” in October 2024, which casts his son, Damon Wayans Jr., and himself. That same month, Marlon announced that he and his brothers will be returning to the Scary Movie franchise.
2. The Jackson 5
We have Tito Jackson to thank for The Jackson 5, which came to be after his father, Joe Jackson, caught him playing the guitar.
“Tito, Jermaine and I started the group,” Jackie Jackson recalled in “The Jacksons: Legacy” memoir, per Metro UK. “We were just fooling around on guitar and bass and then one day Michael joined us, playing bongos on a Quaker oatmeal box.”
After signing with Motown Records, The Jackson 5 went on to release chart-topping tracks like “ABC,” “I Want You Back” and “The Love You Save.” Over their extensive career, the brothers shaped music across genres. Their impact later inducted them into both the Grammy and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
3. Seth and Stephen Curry
Imagine the luck of giving birth to two NBA players; that’s the power of Sonya Curry, mother of Stephen and Seth Curry. The Curry brothers got their athleticism from their father, Dell Curry, who played in the NBA from 1986 to 2002. Though Seth later played for the Charlotte Hornets, he was his older brother’s teammate on the Golden State Warriors for some preseason games in 2013.
Since being drafted in 2009, Stephen has spent his entire NBA career as a Golden State Warrior and has won a total of four NBA championship rings as of 2022.
4. Wood and Steve Harris
Wood and Steve Harris have starred in major films and television shows, but did you know that they were brothers?
Steve most notably plays the cruel husband Charles McCarter in Tyler Perry’s 2005 film, Diary of a Mad Black Woman. In fact, he portrays the character so well that some people can’t separate him from the role. On the other hand, Wood has starred in films like Remember the Titans and the hit television series, “The Wire.”
In 2021, the Harris brothers acted opposite each other for the first time in Starz’s “BMF.” Steve played Detective Bryant while Wood took the role of Pat, a cocaine dealer. In an interview with TV Line, Steve talked about working with his brother. “We’ve never played opposites in a scene,” he said. “It gave us a chance to go at it. This truly was a highlight.”
5. Charlie and Eddie Murphy
There was clearly plenty of humor to go around in the Murphy household since Charlie and Eddie Murphy are certified comedy legends.
While both brothers have a background in stand-up comedy, Eddie rose to fame through joining the cast of “Saturday Night Live” in 1980. His career then soared as he started in major films like Beverly Hills Cop, Boomerang and Coming to America. The Brooklyn native also received an Oscar nomination for his role as James (Jimmy) “Thunder” Early in Dreamgirls.
Charlie rose to fame on “Chapelle’s Show,” particularly for his segment, “Charlie Murphy’s True Hollywood Stories.” The late comedian also starred in films like Lottery Ticket and Our Family Wedding. The Murphy brothers also got to work together on the 2007 film, Norbit.
6. LaMelo, LiAngelo and Lonzo Ball
Former college basketball star LaVar Ball had huge NBA dreams for his three sons: Lonzo, LiAngelo and LaMelo Ball. Fortunately, they all made it big as professional basketball players. In a 2020 interview with ABC11, LaVar talked about feeling like “luckiest man in the world” for having three sons who play the sport professionally.
“I've been telling them since they were babies somebody has to be better than [Michael] Jordan — why not you?" he shared with the news source.
In 2017, Lonzo was a first-round, second overall draft pick for the Los Angeles Lakers. LiAngelo played basketball overseas in Lithuania and Mexico, and LaMelo was also a first-round draft pick, going third overall to the Charlotte Hornets in 2020.
7. Chris and Tony Rock
Like the Wayans and Murphy brothers, Chris and Tony Rock both carved out careers in comedy.
After building his career as a standup comedian, Chris joined the cast of “Saturday Night Live” in 1990 and later joined the fifth season of “In Living Color.”His career took off with multiple comedy specials and shows like “Everybody Hates Chris,” which saw Tony play Uncle Ryan. The South Carolina-born actor also starred in major film franchises like Shrek, Grown Ups and Madagascar.
Like his older brother, Tony also took on acting projects like “All of Us” and even released the sketch comedy series “The Tony Rock Project.”
8. The Isley Brothers
Another major group of siblings who made a significant impact on R&B is The Isley Brothers. The four oldest brothers — Vernon, Ronald, Rudolph and O’Kelly Isley — founded the group as a teenage gospel quartet in the ’50s. After Vernon passed away at 13 years old, the three remaining brothers moved to New York, later writing and releasing the popular and catchy tune, “Shout.”
The brothers most notably worked with legends like Jimi Hendrix and Berry Gordy at Motown Records. In the early ’70s, younger brothers Ernie and Marvin Isley joined the group along with their brother-in-law, Chris Jasper.
Over the course of their career, The Isley Brothers have recorded three Billboard Top 10 hits — “That Lady, Pt. 1,” “Fight The Power, Pt. 1” and “It’s Your Thing” — and was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1992.
9. Cuba Gooding Jr. and Omar Gooding
The Gooding brothers were no strangers to the entertainment industry — especially because their father pursued a career as the lead singer of the soul music group The Main Ingredient.
Cuba Gooding Jr. starred in classic films like Boyz n the Hood and Jerry Maguire, which earned him an Oscar in 1996. His younger brother, Omar Gooding, also made a name for himself as an actor in shows like the hit Disney show “Smart Guy” and “Hangin’ with Mr. Cooper,” Omar also co-hosted the Nickelodeon show, “Wild & Crazy Kids.”
10. SiR, D Smoke and Davion Farris
SiR, D Smoke and Davion Farris have been making waves in the music industry, inheriting their late mother’s love for music. Like her sons, Jackie Gouché Farris was also a musician, working as a music teacher and background vocalist for artists like Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Anita Baker and more.
R&B singer and two-time Grammy nominee SiR started out in the music industry as a songwriter for artists like Wonder and Jill Scott. Then, in 2017, the Inglewood native signed to Top Dawg Entertainment, going on to release projects like November, Chasing Summer and HEAVY.
His older brother, D Smoke, worked as a high school music theory and Spanish teacher while working on his music career. In 2019, the rapper won Netflix’s rap competition “Rhythm + Flow.” Two years later, he received two Grammy nominations and even earned another nomination in 2023. The eldest of the Farris brothers, Davion, is also a Grammy-nominated artist. Davion also worked as a songwriter for artists like Mary J. Blige, Ginuwine and more. His music is featured in television programs like “The Chi” and BET’s “Twenties.”
11. Omarion and O’Ryan
Along with being quite genetically blessed, Omarion and O’Ryan are also blessed with vocal talents. Fans became familiar with Omarion as the lead singer of R&B boy band B2K. After embarking on a solo career, he went on to record nine hits that landed on the Billboard Hot 100, including 2015‘s “Post To Be.” His younger brother, O’Ryan, released his self-titled solo album in 2004. Twenty years later the two siblings collaborated on “Ice Cream.”
12. Malcolm and John David Washington
Chances are, if your last name’s Washington, you may or may not have a shot at a great career in Hollywood. The sons of seasoned entertainers Denzel and Pauletta Washington, John David and Malcolm Washington, have trekked their own paths in the industry.
Also a former professional football player, John David starred in the HBO series “Ballers,” and major films like BlacKkKlansman, Tenet and Malcom & Marie. Malcolm, on the other hand, made his feature film directorial debut in August 2024 with the screen adaptation of August Wilson’s play, The Piano Lesson. The film turned out to be a family affair as it starred John David and was also produced by Denzel.
In an interview with ESSENCE, John David spoke highly of his brother: “He has always been a director I’m a fan of. It was an artist that I admire and someone that I’m ready for him to spread his wings… and he’s flying.”
13. Taylor Bennett and Chance the Rapper
Chance Bennett, also known as Chance the Rapper, isn’t the only Bennett in the music industry. While Chance rose to fame as an independent artist through mixtapes like Acid Rap and the Grammy Award-winning Coloring Book, his younger brother, Taylor, released four projects of his own. The pair worked together on Taylor’s “Broad Shoulders” and “Grown up Fairy Tales” in 2016 and 2017, respectively.
In an interview with Billboard, Taylor spoke about being known as Chance’s little brother: “My thing is me and [my brother] are super close, so I don’t really care what a lot of people have to say, but I do think that when they say that, sometimes it cuts me short.”