Hollywood sibling stars

The Bridges brethren, Beau and Jeff, preceded the Wilsons. Like Owen, Jeff had the more traditional leading man roles, while Beau excelled as a laid-back character actor. Similarly, Randy and Dennis Quaid maintained careers of different types — burly Randy and comparatively handsome Dennis. Dennis has been the light comedy/action hero star, with Randy the reliable character actor. Randy’s holiday antics in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation remain that franchise’s highlight.

Warren Beatty and Shirley MacLaine always will be at the top tier of Hollywood siblings. They’ve maintained a friendly relationship although hints of occasional competitiveness exist. When the AFI honored Beatty last year, wife Annette Bening sat at his right, with sister Shirley at his left. Shirley sobbed through much of the ceremony. Someone who once worked closely with her said the tears probably were to draw attention to herself. Or else, said our source, she was crying because she wasn’t the one being honored.

Jane and Peter Fonda have weathered many a storm. Peter made movie history with Easy Rider but followed that smash with years in the minor leagues. Happily, recent films have proved him a major-league character actor. Jane’s acting accolades eventually outranked her political activism. Jane sometimes wished that Peter would have taken more serious roles following Easy Rider. But she also acknowledged that having a famous father like Henry is more difficult for the child of the same gender.

The Phoenix clan members are as colorful as their names. The events of River ’s 1993 death often overshadow his solid screen honor roll. Joaquin ’s spaced-out appearance with David Letterman threatens to linger in our pop-culture hall of shame, although he made a superb Johnny Cash in Walk the Line. Brother Rain and sisters Summer and Liberty have not yet made strong impressions on the public’s consciousness.

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