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National Brother‘s Day, which is recognized on May 24th, was founded by writer and sculptor C. Daniel Rhodes. Though little is known about what inspired the holiday, or why this particular date was selected, it’s the perfect excuse to celebrate that strong, unbreakable bond amongst brothers. If you have a biological brother, or a male figure that you consider to be a brother, today is the day to celebrate each other.
To honor the holiday, we are highlighting 11 sets of brothers who took the entertainment industry by storm, whether it be in music, sports, or film.
1. The Jacksons: Jackie Jackson, Tito Jackson, Jermaine Jackson, Marlon Jackson, Michael Jackson, and Randy Jackson
The infamous Jackson Five started with a group of five brothers: Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon, and Michael Jackson. Led by their father Joe Jackson, in 1964 they formed their group in Gary, Indiana. After winning amateur night at the Apollo theatre in 1967, they soon got on Berry Gordy’s radar, leading them to sign with Motown in 1969. After leaving Motown in 1979, they went on to sign with Epic Records. Jermaine stayed at Motown after having just married Gordy’s daughter, and was replaced by their youngest brother Randy. From their, they went by The Jacksons.
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The legendary Michael, dropped his album Thriller in 1982 and chose to go solo in 1984 after its success. Marlon also quit and Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, and Randy came together to record 2300 Jackson Street. The group disbanded afterwards. Each of the Jackson brothers explored solo careers, but Michael Jackson maintained the longest.
2. Isley Brothers: O’Kelly Isley, Rudolph Isley, Ronald Isley, Vernon Isley, Marvin Isley, and Ernie Isley
The Isley Brothers were and still are another iconic group, known for hits like “It’s Your Thing,” “Between The Sheets,” and “Summer Breeze.” They started as a group of four brothers, O’Kelly, Rudolph, Ronald, and Vernon, until Vernon was tragically killed on his bike. The brothers stopped performing, but after some encouragement from their parents, they moved to New York City and wrote, “Shout.”
Ernie and Marvin Isley joined their older brothers in the band, but later formed their own group with their brother-in-law, Charlie Jasper, called Isley-Jasper-Isley. The group lasted three years before the two brothers returned to the Isley Brothers. Ernie and Ronald are the only surviving members from the group and still play together today.
Eddie and Charlie Murphy were two brothers who could laugh you out of your pants.
Eddie, who is two years younger than Charlie, was just 15 when he started doing stand-up at nightclubs and bars. He got his big break at 19 years old, joining Saturday Night Live, and would go on to do movies like Trading Places, Beverly Hills Cop, and The Golden Child.
When Charlie came home from doing six years in the Navy, Eddie cast him in films like Harlem Nights and Vampire in Brooklyn. Later, he booked his own career-booming gig on the Chapelle Show. He went on to star in other projects, and in 2007, he co-wrote the screenplay for Norbit with Eddie. In 2017, Charlie passed away from leukemia.
Stephen and Seth Curry grew up watching their father, Dell Curry, on the court, so it is no surprise that they both followed in his footsteps. Stephen was drafted to the Golden State Warriors in 2009 and has stuck with the team ever since. Seth, on the other hand, has been on 10 teams, including the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Brooklyn Nets, and the Charlotte Hornets, which is the team his father played on for 10 seasons. In 2025, Seth joined the Warriors with his brother.
There are 10 Wayans siblings total, five of them being brothers. Keenen Ivory Wayans started with dreams of being an entertainer. After writing a couple of films, he went on to make the sketch comedy show In Living Color, which starred most of his brothers at some point, but it was also a starting point for other celebrities like Jim Carey, Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Lopez, and more.
They each went on to do their own big projects, like Damon with Mo’ Money and later a comedy series called My Wife and Kids. Dwayne Wayans worked behind the scenes on In Living Color as a production assistant and did the same for My Wife and Kids.
Shawn and Marlon Wayans created their 90s sitcom The Wayans Bro and made their mark in spoof comedy films with the Scary Movie franchise.
6. Lonzo Ball, LiAngelo Ball, and LaMelo Ball
Before having a career in the NBA, Lonzo, LiAngelo, and LaMelo Ball started playing basketball at their school, Chino Hills High School. Lonzo, who is the eldest, continued playing at the University of California, Los Angeles, and was drafted the next year to the Lakers. After that, he went to the New Orleans Pelicans and played for a few other teams. But now, he is currently a free agent.
LiAngelo also committed to UCLA, but didn’t end up playing any games. He bounced around playing overseas and later in his father’s Junior Basketball Association league. After joining training camps, the G League, and playing professionally in Mexico, he decided to pivot careers and started rapping. He was signed to Def Jam Records in 2025.
LaMelo signed with the Charlotte Hornets in 2020 and has been with them since.
7. Steve Harris and Wood Harris
Steve and Wood Harris grew up in Chicago, and both got into acting in their college years. It happened for Steve after he endured a football injury, that ended his dreams of playing professional football. So he turned to drama and got his Master’s of Fine Arts in acting at the University of Delaware. He’s most known for series like The Practice, and BMF, as well as Diary of a Mad Black Woman.
While Wood was attending Northern Illinois University for his Bachelor of Arts in Theater Arts, he was cast in his first film, Above the Rim. He continued his education and received an MFA at NYU Tisch School of the Arts. In the early 2000s, Wood went on to star in the popular film Remember the Titansand the series The Wire.
Aldis Hodge is known most for his work in Underground, and today he plays Alex Cross in the crime thriller series Cross. But it was his brother Edwin who initially had dreams of being on TV, which started both of their careers. As children, they were both cast in Sesame Street and Showboat. They can even be spotted in Big Momma’s House.
Eventually, they would book their own gigs. Edwin played Marcus Ride in Jack & Bobby. He was also a regular in the military drama called SIX. He played FBI SA Ray Cannon in the FBI: Most Wanted series, too.
9. Giannis Alex Antetokounmpo, Thanasis Antetokounmpo, and Alex Antetokounmpo
Nigerian-Greek NBA players Giannis and Thanasis Antetokounmpo both came to America from Greece to continue their professional basketball careers.
Thanasis started at minor levels with the Greek Club Filathlitikos, before going on to play with them in the semi-professional and lower levels. He was drafted by the Delaware 87ers in 2013 and went to the New York Knicks the next year. Later on, Thanasis was drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks.
Giannis also played for the Filathlitikos youth team before joining the club professionally for two seasons. In 2013, the Milwaukee Bucks drafted him, and he’s been on the team ever since.
Their younger brother, Alex Antetokounmpo, made history when he was drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks in 2025. It was the first time three brothers had ever played on one team.
Cuba Gooding Jr. and Omar Gooding are another set of brothers who were both into acting. Cuba’s first major role was in John Singleton’s Boyz ‘ N the Hood. Before that, he was seen in films like Hill Street Blues, Amen, and Coming to America. In 1996, he won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in the film Jerry Maguire.
Omar Gooding got his start appearing in commercials and starring in McGruff the Crime Dog. Afterwards, he became a host for the 1990s Nickelodeon game show Wild & Crazy Kids. His major television role was in Hangin’ with Mr. Cooper, where he played Earvin.
Sterling Sharpe started in the NFL in 1988 after being drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the first round. He stayed with the team until 1994 and left the league after experiencing a neck injury. In 2025, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Before going on to be a sports commentator and now a podcast host, Shannon was also in the league. In 1990, he was drafted in the seventh round by the Denver Broncos, where he played for nine years. He did two seasons with the Baltimore Ravens, then started playing with the Broncos again, where he ended his football career in 2003.
Shannon was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2011. He was also a Super Bowl champion three times — twice with the Broncos and once with the Ravens.
12. Chris Rock and Tony Rock
Who are two talented and funny actors? Chris Rock and his younger brother Tony Rock. Chris Rock started doing stand-up in the 80s at New York City’s Catch a Rising Star. Eddie Murphy saw him and decided to be his mentor, and soon, Rock was on Saturday Night Live. In 1997, he won two Emmys for his Chris Rock: Bring The Pain comedy shows. He also did behind-the-scenes work as an executive producer for The Hughleys. But the biggest show he made in his career was the one loosely based on his childhood called Everybody Hates Chris. He’s since starred in and EP’d several more projects and even made an animated reboot for Everybody Hates Chris in 2024.
Tony Rock got his start in the industry working at the New York Daily News at age 14 with his father. Years later, he became the host for the game show Can You Tell in the early 2000s. He was also the correspondent for BattleBots. He eventually leaned more into acting and got a recurring role in All of Us. Tony also starred as Uncle Ryan in Everybody Hates Chris. He even appeared in dozens of episodes for the sitcom Mann & Wife.
