Glance at any Hollywood call sheet and you might just think talent is hereditary. The children of today’s chart-toppers, comedy giants, and movie stars are beginning to launch their own careers in the spotlight.
From Weezy’s daughter popping up on tracks to spit her truth, to Natalia Bryant signing with one of the world’s biggest modeling agencies, to Damon Wayans Jr. becoming the go-to guy for the offbeat romantic comedy, Black Hollywood’s next generation is coming in strong.
Bella Murphy is just one of the names we’re sure you’ll be hearing a lot more of, not just because she’s the now-grown-up daughter of comedic legend Eddie Murphy, but because she’s building a name for herself, starring opposite him in the upcoming Amazon Prime Video release Coming 2 America. Not to mention, she’s already landed her first ESSENCE cover and she even photographed her dad for our cover story in the March/April issue.
The 19-year-old is in good company when it comes to her fellow celebrity offspring, many of whom are working on projects directly connected to their parents while others are choosing to do their own thing in similar lanes. No matter the avenue, these nine up-and-comers prove following in their famous parents’ footsteps is a good look. Here’s who we have our eye on as the next generation of Hollywood royalty.
01
Zoë Kravitz
When she isn’t showing off her chops in superhero flicks, the daughter of Lenny Kravitz and Lisa Bonet is channeling mother’s wispy elegance and her father’s fierce style in series like Big Little Lies and High Fidelity.
02
John David Washington
Pauletta and Denzel Washington’s son is the product of two thespians and he literally acts like it. With predictions naming his latest film, Malcolm & Marie, on the Oscar nominee list, there’s no telling where his career will go from here.
03
Simone Johnson
Last year, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s oldest daughter began training for the WWE and her famous dad gave her his stamp of approval. He’s even
jumped in the ring with her during sessions on occasion.
04
Egypt Daoud Dean
Alicia Keys and her son with husband Swizz Beatz share a knack for playing the piano. The pair tickled the ivories together at the 2019 iHeartRadio Music Awards, but it was Egypt Dean’s
production on Kendrick Lamar’s
Untitled Unmastered project at just 5 year’s old that let us know what a musical beast he would be in time.
05
Corinne Foxx
Corinne Foxx is just as versatile as her dad Jamie Foxx. She’s a model, actress, producer, and a deejay, appearing with Jamie on the musical game show
Beat Shazam. She and her famous father also have a Netflix comedy in the works,
Dad, Stop Embarrassing Me.
06
Trey, Willow, And Jaden Smith
Each of Will Smith’s three children have inherited his musical talent. Jaden, specifically, also caught his parents’ acting bug, having starred in a number of films as a child. He’s also tapped into Will and Jada’s entrepreneurial spirit, launching responsibly sourced water brand JUST Water in 2015.
07
Romeo Miller
Romeo Miller was mimicking his pop’s star power as a kid on Nickelodeon. Now he’s all grown up and producing his own projects. The two recently partnered as executive producers on the BET+ movie
Never and Again.
08
Blue Ivy Carter
Blue Ivy was using her royal DNA to gather the girls as an infant when she became the youngest musician to ever appear on a Billboard charting song just days after her birth. Recently, she narrated the audiobook for Matthew Cherry’s “Hair Love.” Clearly, Beyoncé and Jay-z’s daughter is prepared to take the family legacy to the next level.
09
Christian Combs
Christian Combs didn’t just steal his daddy’s face, he snatched his charisma as well. He uses it to act, model, rap, and pull off really convincing Halloween costumes.
