Fame In The Family

Fans of the teeny-bopping boy band the Jonas Brothers know there are more than three stars in the family. Though not a member of the band, "Bonus Jonas" Frankie, just 8 years old, has a supporting role in the crooning clan's fame as well as his own entertainment ambitions.

He's not alone. Siblings in entertainment, especially in the music business, have been around for decades -- consider the Jacksons, the Osmonds and the Baldwins. But as an unprecedented amount of tweens have risen to fame and fortune the past two years, so too have their siblings, often riding the coattails of their more famous brothers and sisters.

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Many times families begin in the business together, but one sibling will simply get picked up earlier says Toni Casala, president of Children in Film, a resource site for parents of Hollywood talent. "One may have found success, but the other one is already in the loop," says Casala.

Producers and managers are apt to notice them on the set of a sibling's production. "It's definitely an entre," says Casala. "It's just easy."

Consider Aliana "Ali" Lohan, the younger sister of Lindsay Lohan. Like her sister, she started her career as a Ford model and appeared in small, non-credited parts in several of her sister's films. Ali was one of the stars of the family's reality show "Living Lohan," which focused on the recording of her second studio album and her musical ambitions.

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A familiar last name hasn't hurt Stella Hudgens, the younger sister of "High School Musical" star Vanessa Hudgens. She has appeared in "According to Jim," "Deeply Irresponsible," and the 2007 film "The Memory Thief." The younger Hudgens already has a small fan following, creating online fan sites and posting candid photos of the 13 year old.

Sharing the same good looks as their more famous family counterparts helped Dylan Efron (brother of Zac), James Grint (brother of Rupert) and Alex Watson (brother of Emma) build fan clans, despite empty resumes.

"No one cares whether or not they're talented," says Ellis Cashmore, author of "Celebrity Culture." "The mere family connection is sufficient. [It's] strong enough to guarantee them a following and perhaps a future in show business."

But even siblings who aren't entertainers can benefit from a famed family member. Scott Sandler has been younger brother Adam Sandler's lawyer for years, though he's taking a new role in showbiz this year as a co-writer and producer of Shortcut, a film slated for release under Adam's new production company Scary Madison.

Daniel Depp, half-brother of actor Johnny Depp, made headlines last year for causing a bidding war among publishers for the rights to his first novel, "Loser's Town," a thriller involving celebrity blackmail.

"For a famous sibling, it's always easier in the beginning," Robert Thompson, founding director of the Center for the Study of Popular Television at Syracuse University. "What happens after that depends on talent."

Reporting by Lauren Streib