Damon Wayans Jr. (ABC)
Dakota Johnson (WireImage)
Scott Caan (
)
Jessica Capshaw (ABC)
Jason Ritter (ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Some people think that, for an actor, having a superstar parent opens all doors. But if this were true, Mamie Gummer would be an in-demand Emmy winner, while Dakota Johnson would be scrounging for supporting roles in straight-to-video features. Of course, nothing could be further from the truth. “The name gets you the meeting, but your talent gets you the job,” says veteran casting director Barbara Barna Abel. In looking at some children of the famous, we have to ask: Did the talent really rub off?
Mamie Gummer
Famous parent: Meryl Streep (“Sophie’s Choice,” et al.)
Hits: None.
Misses: Two canceled series, the Shonda Rhimes medicine -in-the-tropics drama “Off the Map,” and the canceled medicine-in-the-Rockies drama, “Emily Owens, M.D.”
TV forecast: While Gummer, 29, has scored in guest spots on “The Good Wife,” her mother’s success has so far eluded her.
Damon Wayans Jr.
Famous parent: Damon Wayans (“In Living Color”)
Hits: Wayans recurred on his father’s hit sitcom “My Wife and Kids.” More recently, he was set to co-star in “New Girl” until “Happy Endings” got picked up. Turns out he would have been secure with a hit show either way.
Misses: “The Underground,” his father’s 2006 attempt at an edgy sketch-comedy show for Showtime.
TV forecast: With “Happy Endings” getting decent ratings, Wayans, 30, should be secure here for a while. But if not, his natural talent and charm should keep him a familiar face for a long time to come.
Dakota Johnson
Famous parents: Melanie Griffith (“Working Girl”) and Don Johnson (“Miami Vice”), and stepdad Antonio Banderas (“Philadelphia,” “Spy Kids,” “Shrek”)
Hits/Misses: Fox’s “Ben and Kate” has been critically well-received, but mediocre ratings leave it on the bubble.
TV forecast: While her show may not last the season, Johnson, only 23, has exhibited a bubbly warmth that should help land her back on the small screen should “Ben and Kate” find itself on the chopping block.
Scott Caan
Famous parent: James Caan (“The Godfather,” “Misery”)
Hits: HBO’s “Entourage,” where his guest turn as a take-no-prisoners talent manager fit the show’s vibe so well, he wound up in the cast; and the CBS hit “Hawaii Five-0,” where his role as Det. Danny “Danno” Williams earned him a Golden Globe nod.
Misses: None.
TV forecast: Caan, 36, seems destined for a career much like his dad’s, playing tough guys with heart.
Jason Ritter
Famous parent: John Ritter (“Three’s Company”)
Hits: “Parenthood” earned Ritter an Emmy nod.
Misses: “The Class,” “The Event.”
TV forecast: Like his dad, Ritter, 32, has an easygoing charisma that should find him in steady work for some time.
Jessica Capshaw
Famous parents: Kate Capshaw (“Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom”) and stepdad Steven Spielberg (“ET,” “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” et al.)
Hits: After guest roles on “ER,” “Bones,” and “The L Word,” Capshaw found steady work first on “The Practice,” and, since 2009, on “Grey’s Anatomy,” where her Dr. Arizona Robbins lost her leg in last season’s plane crash.
Misses: The long-forgotten 1999 sitcom “Odd Man Out.”
TV forecast: Given the longevity of “Grey’s Anatomy,” Capshaw, 36, could conceivably have a long and fulfilling career without even changing jobs — assuming Shonda Rhimes doesn’t kill off her character in a season-finale catastrophe.