Jason Bateman has recently enjoyed a highly successful time in both movies on TV and you might wonder whether or not he has any siblings. Does he even have a twin?
Jason Bateman is not a twin. He does have a sister, Justine, also an actor but the siblings were both three years apart. They enjoyed similar starts to their careers before struggling in the following years but both have now found a much better balance in their lives.
For more about Jason Bateman and his sister, Justine, read on.
Parallel Lives
Jason Bateman was born in Rye, New York in 1969, the son of an American film producer father and British flight attendant mother. His sister, Justine, was also born in Rye in 1966, making her three years older than Jason.
Jason and Justine Bateman found their big breaks in Hollywood at roughly the same time. Both siblings earned some early credits in smaller roles, most notably Jason’s part as James Cooper in 21 episodes of “Little House on the Prairie” between 1981 and 1982.
Both of their breakthrough roles came in 1982, with Jason starring as Derek Taylor in “Silver Spoons” and Justine landing her most memorable part as smart daughter Mallory Keaton in “Family Ties”, where she starred alongside Michael J Fox.
While Jason’s stint on “Silver Spoons” would last a couple of years, Justine’s enjoyed seven years of sitcom stardom in “Family Ties”.
Throughout this period, Jason starred in a number of sitcoms such as “It’s Your Move” and “Valerie” (later known as “The Hogan Family”), becoming one of America’s favorite teen heartthrobs.
He also appeared in the critically panned sequel “Teen Wolf Too” in 1987, which was produced by his father, Kent Bateman. The movie marked Jason’s film debut and, despite the icy response that it received, there were better things to come for the young actor.
Falling and Rising
Despite both enjoying highly successful acting careers in the 80s, both Bateman siblings found the 90s to be far more difficult times. Jason continued to get TV roles in shows such as “Simon”, “Chicago Sons” and “George & Leo” but none of these runs lasted more than a year and he faced a great deal of uncertainty about his future prospects.
For Justine, the situation was no better. Despite coming off a starring role in a popular sitcom, her roles were mostly relegated to TV movies and guest spots in shows such as “Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman”.
Jason battled substance abuse issues while Justine struggled to overcome the damaging effects of media scrutiny on her self-image. With the help of a 12-step program and embracing Christianity, Justine was able to recover from eating disorders and took a step back from mainstream Hollywood.
She still made guest appearances in successful shows such as “Desperate Housewives” and “Modern Family”, though she now seems to choose the roles that appeal to her, rather than struggling to find consistent acting work. Now married and a mother of two, she has moved behind the camera and directed a couple of short films.
For Jason, the 2000s brought a Hollywood resurgence, with “Arrested Development” revitalizing his career and getting revived on Netflix years after its cancellation, by popular demand.
More recently he has starred in the critically acclaimed “Ozark”, also showing a talent behind the camera by winning an Emmy for his work in the director’s seat for a 2018 episode.
His movie career has also reached new heights with roles in films such as “Game Night” and “Zooptopia”, a far cry from his worrying debut in “Teen Wolf Too”.
Looking to the future, the Bateman siblings both have far better prospects than their troublesome 1990s might have suggested. Still, no matter how much their careers have mirrored each other, the brother and sister pair are not twins.