Stacy Conradt
The Quick 10: 10 Famous Only Children
by Stacy Conradt - August 25, 2010 - 5:06 PM

q10

As an only child, I’m thrilled to see the latest study that proves having no brothers or sisters doesn’t automatically make us selfish, spoiled or introverted. Although I’m probably all of those things. Check out these 10 other people who grew up sans siblings. Just know that I’m the most important one. (I’m kidding.)

1. Lance Armstrong. Armstrong has mentioned his struggle with cancer was particularly difficult on his mother because of his only child status.

2. Frank Sinatra. Definitely not an introvert. His parents hoped their only child would pursue a career in civil engineering.

3. Natalie Portman. “I always want to be with someone who has siblings. I will never date another only child,” she once said, and I have to agree with her, personality traits aside. My kid has no aunts or uncles on my side – it would be pretty sad if she didn’t have any on her dad’s side either.

4. Robin Williams. Although he’s rather manic today, Williams has said he was incredibly shy as a child and didn’t overcome that until he joined his high school drama department. He does have two half-siblings who are much older than him – his parents met and married when those children were already grown, so Robin was raised as if he were an only child.

5. Tiger Woods. I guess “selfish” probably applies to him, huh?

6. Laura Bush. The large Bush family, Laura has mentioned, welcomed her into their family from the start and made her feel as though she had grown up with them. Speaking of quiet types…

7. Teller of Penn and Teller. Quiet indeed.

8. Franklin Delano Roosevelt. FDR, so far, is the only president of the United States to be raised as an only child. He had a step-sibling but not until he was an adult. FDR’s mother, Sara, was an infamously involved – some might say smothering – mama.
9. Daniel Radcliffe. Like his film counterpart, Daniel is his parents’ one-and-only. And it’s not just Harry who doesn’t have siblings – many of the characters in the series are only children: Hermione, Neville, Luna, Dudley, Draco.

10. Robert De Niro is another actor who dealt with his shyness by going into acting. It wasn’t until he starred as the Cowardly Lion in a school production of The Wizard of Oz that he found his “voice.”

What do you guys think? Are you an only child who fits that old stereotype like it was written about you? Or do you think the supposed personality traits that go with birth order are ridiculous?

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Comments (38)

  1. Love the Quick 10! Especially today since I’m an only child (and its my birthday!). I thought Robin Williams had a brother though? I think he died of a heart attack. It happened a few years ago, right before Robin had heart surgery himself.

    posted by ValMarie on 8-25-2010 at 5:15 pm

  2. I’m an only child. It has been nothing but a pleasure. I’ve found that I have a bond, specifically with my mom, that is considerably stronger and deeper than people with sibs. Yes, it’s a bit of a generalization, but more often than not, I’ve found it to be true.

    posted by Alice on 8-25-2010 at 5:47 pm

  3. I am an only child and I have had the best life! We had plenty of money growing up, my parents had plenty of time and I had a great childhood. Now in adulthood, I am close with my parents, have many close friends and a super marriage. Since I don’t have siblings, I have “picked” my own as an adult. Never wanted sibs a day in my life.

    One thing I do wonder…my husband (not an only) and I chose not to have kids (I have never wanted any), and I wonder how many other onlies feel this way? I do know people from large families who have deliberately chosen not to have kids b/c of their chaotic or poverty stricken upbringings.

    posted by TeacherPatti on 8-25-2010 at 6:07 pm

  4. well, I feel you can sometimes guess how many siblings a person has ( even if they are boys or girls, how much of an age gap) just by talking to them for about 15 minutes.
    I’m the eldest of three girls, btw.

    posted by Genevieve on 8-25-2010 at 6:12 pm

  5. I am the youngest of five girls and I can’t imagine how dealing with my Mom’s death would have been if I were an only child. I could not have made it through that awful experience (she died very suddenly and unexpectedly) without the support of my sisters. I’m sure only children deal with it every day and I give them props but I just can’t imagine how hard that would be.

    posted by Kimber Christian on 8-25-2010 at 6:17 pm

  6. Tiger Woods has half siblings, including a niece on a golf scholarhsip.

    posted by gamerjohn on 8-25-2010 at 6:29 pm

  7. I’m an only child and love it! I was rather shy until, like Williams, I started drama at high school. Now most people comment that I’m one of the most extroverted people they know! They also comment that I’m selfish and spoiled but shhh… ;)

    posted by Nikki on 8-25-2010 at 6:46 pm

  8. I’m an only child. I was shy when I was really little and I used to wish I had a brother or sister, but by the time I was like 11, all of that nonsense went away. I think being the only child teaches you how to deal with yourself. I don’t mind being alone. I don’t always feel that I need to have a boyfriend or that I need to have someone with me all the time. I’ve noticed that the friends that I have who came from big families can’t handle being by themselves.
    My parents are great. We always did family vacations with other families who had kids my age, so at least I had kids to play with. I’m still really close friends with some of the kids we used to go away with. Yeah, I had a lot of cool toys and my parents did anything they could for me. I don’t think that makes me spoiled…I think it makes me really lucky!

    posted by Tdizz on 8-25-2010 at 7:57 pm

  9. I seem to recall that composer Cole Porter and film critic Roger Ebert were also only children.

    posted by Baarbear on 8-25-2010 at 8:20 pm

  10. birth order has always fascinated me. my whole siblings are 11 and 19 years older than me so in many ways i was raised as an only child. i always found myself stuck in the middle between the two generations as my sister’s children are closer to me in age than my siblings are. it was nice to get a lot of attention from my parents when i was younger, but to this day i feel like i have more pressure to succeed. as far as personality traits, i do think i demonstrate both only child traits and last child traits.

    my husband is a true only child and his mother died when he was only 11. his father never remarried so he’s remained the apple of his father’s eye since. he definitely demonstrates the stereotypes of an only child: he’s an introvert, is lonely, and as i call it he possesses a “lone wolf quality” where he will often keep to and fend for himself. i have also found that the only children i know seem to have old souls since they often associate with adults more than their contemporaries.

    posted by plain jane on 8-25-2010 at 8:22 pm

  11. FDR did not have a step-sibling but a half-brother James (known as Rosy) who turned 28 the year FDR was born.

    posted by mrsmcvities on 8-25-2010 at 8:36 pm

  12. I’m an only child as well, and I HATE the stereotype, because I’m nothing like it. A lot of my friends who have siblings make comments about spoiled only children and then look at me and go, “Oh yeah. I forgot.” So, needless to say, I really enjoy this.

    posted by Kelsey on 8-25-2010 at 9:30 pm

  13. I was raised an only child, but have had step-siblings since I was very young & a half-sibling since I was 13, so I’m not sure if the typical stereotypes really apply. Like most of these folks, I’m wicked introverted & was painfully shy until graduating high school…once I got to a point in life where I didn’t have to be entirely surrounded by idiots I really came out of that proverbial shell :)

    posted by sammylee on 8-25-2010 at 9:50 pm

  14. @ plain jane: I can totally see where you’d draw conclusions like that. From what I’ve seen of people who grow up with siblings close in age, they’re not comfortable being alone. As an only child, I go a bit wonky in the head if I don’t have enough time to myself. Also, MUCH more comfortable with people older than I am.

    posted by sammylee on 8-25-2010 at 9:55 pm

  15. I love being an only child. I wouldn’t trade it for anything. I feel like I do fit the stereotypes to a degree, but people are often surprised when they find out I don’t have siblings, so maybe not.

    posted by Faith on 8-25-2010 at 10:24 pm

  16. I am the oldest of eight children.

    I would not have it any other way. The social dynamic of a family like that is simply irreplaceable. Each one of my siblings brings a unique quality into the mix of our clan. We all make each other better, like a good team.

    I love them very much!

    posted by Josiah on 8-26-2010 at 2:39 am

  17. I am not an only child, but I do consider myself a little too selfish.

    “Weird Al” Yankovic is an only child.

    posted by Wolfe on 8-26-2010 at 8:28 am

  18. I married an only child. I have 4 brothers and a sister, and I happen to be the youngest. I give my husband a VERY different view of childhood and we think very differently. He is the quiet, calculated one. I’m the gregarious, tenacious extrovert. He isn’t introverted by any means but he isn’t the perfect definition of a ‘social butterfly’ either.

    posted by Kate in Italy on 8-26-2010 at 8:38 am

  19. Cool article! I’m not an only child, but the middle child between two siblings. Seems like there are many onlies here with some interesting stories.

    I’ve always wondered one thing though: As an only child, do you feel an enormous pressure to succeed? We all know that some parents like to live vicariously through their children, so I’m just curious what some of the onlies thought?

    posted by JDtheDJ on 8-26-2010 at 9:00 am

  20. As an only child, I agree with Tdizz that being an only child makes you more comfortable with being yourself, and being alone. People with siblings find this strange – and therefore label us as “loners.” I find the ability to be alone to be a great strength.

    posted by Julie on 8-26-2010 at 9:12 am

  21. I’m the oldest of four but we’re all quite comfortable being alone.

    posted by Becky on 8-26-2010 at 9:31 am

  22. My hubby and are both only children. Neither one of is spoiled or selfish. He is way more introverted and shy than me but I do like to be alone. When he’s working, I always shop and eat out by myself.

    posted by Kani on 8-26-2010 at 9:59 am

  23. I wish there was footage of Robert de Niro playing the Cowardly Lion!

    posted by kat on 8-26-2010 at 10:28 am

  24. I’m the youngest of three girls and I think I might have been more spoiled as a child than my friends who are only children. However, my sisters are 5 and 7 years older and the oldest one left home when I was 10. The other one went to college at 17, so from 12 on I was pretty much the only one. One of my sisters is my best friend and we don’t really talk to the other one. When the time comes to think about having my own kids, I think I only want two, preferably close in age.

    That said, I’ve dated two guys who were only children and their parents, particularly the moms, werre very hard to impress.

    posted by Caitlin on 8-26-2010 at 10:39 am

  25. @ JD – I’m the middle of three too! Wooo middle children!

    posted by Melodye on 8-26-2010 at 11:30 am

  26. I am an only child and I think there are perks to it. Sometimes I wonder if it allows you to have a closer bond to your parents because you have spent so much one on one time with them. I am introverted, but I am not spoiled. It irritates me when others assume all onlies are spoiled, in my opinion that is not true. And I think onlies are more comfortable being with themselves.

    posted by Emma on 8-26-2010 at 11:41 am

  27. I am an only child, not by my parents choice.

    I am spoiled and can be selfish, I am very much the extrovert and love to be the center of attention. I also love my alone time and my closest friends are closer to my parents ages than mine.

    I carry the traits of a lots of birth orders, not just an only child. Everyone does tell me that the only thing that does give it away is if you spend enough time with me, conversations that involve siblings or nieces and nephews are the only time I shut up :)

    posted by Eden on 8-26-2010 at 11:47 am

  28. I am an only child, and as an only child, I have fit the stereotypes during certain parts of my life. I have also completely not fit the stereotypes during other parts of my life. I can be introverted one minute, and a “social butterfly’ the next. I think that there are benefits to being an only child. I’m from a single parent home, so I had more than I probably would have had if I had siblings. I agree with the commenter above that I was not spoiled, just lucky! I do wish at times that I had siblings because I have no idea what that bond is like, and growing up with no one your age to play with can get lonely. On the other hand I think that only children form deeper bonds with true friends, almost making them “siblings”. And as another commenter above said, having no one else to deal or cope with tragedies involving your parents is extremely difficult. I have had to be the mediator at times between my father and mother, which is fair to no one. I do think that being an only child can help with creativity, because you have to learn to entertain yourself. I have twin sons, and I am happy to know that they will have each other.

    posted by Cameron on 8-26-2010 at 12:35 pm

  29. My daughter has lots of singleton friends who seem pretty lonely and phone her a lot, she’s happy to have a sister. I had to have a spare!

    I picked up this little factoid from a book last week: In a few generations in China, due to the One Child policy, there will be no such thing as brothers and sisters, aunts and uncles, or cousins.
    Doesn’t the thought of that blow you away?

    posted by Mare on 8-26-2010 at 1:02 pm

  30. I’m an only child (wasn’t supposed to be, but that’s how it goes). My husband has marveled in the past how I’m not selfish or spoiled, even though I had a lot handed to me as a child-and an adult, for that matter. Manners were HAMMERED into me though so I was always grateful for what I had, and my parents were not afraid to say “no” (except to books. they never ever said no to a book-which probably helps explain why I’m such a voracious reader :).

    I’ll agree with Alice though re: my relationship with my mom. Granted, she was chronically ill throughout much of my childhood and that had a huge impact on our relationship (in a positive way, if you can associate those two things), but my mom and I are super close. I don’t know if it was extremely hard to deal with that as an only child-it was a fact of life for as long as I can remember, so what else did I know? I’ve grown closer to my dad too as I’ve gotten older.

    I’m definitely an introvert. A loner, even-well, sometimes. When I’m around people I’m comfortable with (and I try to spend time with friends as much as possible), I can be just as loud and chatty as the next person. But in general I’m not particularly good at making friends and I treasure my “me” time, but I’ve grown more outgoing and bold as I’ve gotten older, especially since it’s practically a requirement of my job. The friends I DO have though are very dear to me, and I’ll do almost anything for them. Some are like family. My future kids may only have one aunt on their dad’s side, but I guarantee they’ll have lots of other aunts and uncles to dote on them!

    posted by Kate on 8-26-2010 at 1:45 pm

  31. I am an only child, and I wouldn’t want it any other way. I have always enjoyed spending time by myself and have a close bond with my parents. I have always gotten along well with people who are much older than me.

    One thing I have noticed though, is that I do Not understand sibling relationships. I have many friends who have siblings that do really awful, mean things, and my friends are always forgiving. I can not comprehend the ‘they are family, so I have to forgive them’ mentality. It is beyond me. :)

    posted by KimberlyJ on 8-26-2010 at 2:01 pm

  32. I think it’s silly that to read too much into being an only child or having many siblings for that matter. I have siblings and am very close with my mom. I have siblings and value my “me-time”. Maybe even more so because it could often be considered a commodity. I also think its silly for people to say that they wouldn’t want it any other way, not ever being able to have it the other way you wouldn’t know if the grass was greener.

    It’s very nice to have big brothers though. Even though they tormented me. One of my brothers is the funniest person I know and can make me laugh usually within 10 seconds.

    posted by Brit on 8-26-2010 at 2:39 pm

  33. We love our privacy, that’s for sure. But, we’re also extroverts, because we need the company. ;)

    posted by Dragon on 8-26-2010 at 2:57 pm

  34. Birth order theory is fascinating. My husband is a “family jewel”–an only child born to older parents who wanted lots of kids, but could only have one. Most singletons tend to act like first-born kids of multi-sibling families, but family jewels act like last-born kids of big families. Their parents usually treat them as babies far too long, being overprotective and not encouraging them to grow up, be responsible, and think for themselves. Their kids often are slow to reach emotional maturity or achieve success in school or careers. My husband resisted his parents in this, which soured his relationship with them (oh, the guilt tripping!) and still didn’t prevent him from having problems. He doesn’t believe he would ever be a good boss, is bad at planning for the future, and was scared of being a father.

    posted by Gorb on 8-26-2010 at 3:31 pm

  35. I’m the youngest of 3 children. My sister is 8 years older than me and my brother is 5-1/2 years older; they had both moved out by the time I was 12. I wouldn’t trade them for the world, though. I’m super close to my dad (who was a single parent), but the person I’m closest to is my sister, despite the age difference. I can’t imagine not having her.

    I have three close friends who are only children, and they all hated it. I know not everyone does, but my friends definitely did. They all want big families (at least 3), because they don’t want their kids to be lonely like they were.

    I’m a semi-introvert who likes people a lot but needs plenty of alone time. So is my sister, though–and she definitely didn’t grow up in an only-child situation.

    posted by Katey on 8-26-2010 at 6:50 pm

  36. I wouldn’t exactly call myself selfish. I don’t only think of myself. But sometimes I do have a little trouble seeing the world past my own face. Spoiled? Maybe a little. My parents did a really good job of only spoiling me for birthdays and Christmas’s as a kid. After my dad died though that changed. But now that I’m living out on my own I’m much less spoiled. (Still a little bit though sometimes…) Introverted? Extremely.

    posted by Megan on 8-27-2010 at 3:37 pm

  37. According to other sites, Robin Williams does have two half brothers.

    posted by Cassie on 10-13-2010 at 12:57 pm

  38. This is weird, I have two brothers but, the majority of my friends are only children, and always ask me what its like to have a sibling, but I at times tell them I wish I was in their shoes, because me and my brothers always fought and had to share things regardless of who has or owns what. If I were an only child, I wouldn’t have this problem

    posted by Brian S. on 5-25-2011 at 1:05 am

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