The Arquette Family stands as one of Hollywood’s most enduring dynasties, their name synonymous with acting talent and a deep-seated commitment to activism. This legacy is prominently carried on by siblings Patricia and David Arquette, both celebrated actors in their own right. However, the “arquette family” story extends far beyond these two, encompassing their siblings Richmond, Rosanna, and the late Alexis Arquette, all of whom have contributed to the family’s rich cinematic tapestry. The roots of acting in the “arquette family” tree run deep, stretching back two generations to their father, Lewis Arquette, recognized for his role in the beloved 1970s television series The Waltons, and their grandfather, Cliff Arquette, a well-known radio personality and comedian during the 1950s and 60s.
Patricia Arquette has firmly cemented her place in the acting world, achieving critical acclaim and accolades. She garnered an Emmy Award for her leading role in the television show Medium, secured an Oscar for her performance in the 2014 film Boyhood, and won a Golden Globe in 2020 for her work in Hulu’s The Act.
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David Arquette also achieved fame through his prominent role in the Scream film franchise and his appearance in Never Been Kissed alongside Drew Barrymore. His personal life has also been a subject of public interest, particularly his 11-year marriage to Courteney Cox, with whom he shares a daughter, Coco Arquette. David later remarried Christina McLarty in 2015, and together they have expanded the “arquette family” with two more children.
Yet, the “arquette family’s” acting prowess is not limited to Patricia and David. Their siblings Richmond, Rosanna, and Alexis (who passed away in 2016) have all enjoyed successful and lengthy acting careers in Hollywood, further solidifying the family’s presence in the entertainment industry.
“Performing is in our blood,” Patricia Arquette eloquently wrote in The Wall Street Journal in 2017, reflecting on her famous family. “Acting was a part of everyday life … You got props in my house if you said something interesting or funny.” This quote encapsulates the environment in which the “arquette family” members were raised, where creativity and performance were nurtured.
From their unconventional upbringing on a Virginia commune to their unwavering commitment to activism, here is a comprehensive look into the Arquette siblings: Rosanna, Richmond, Patricia, Alexis, and David Arquette, exploring the fascinating story of the “arquette family”.
Their Grandfather, Charley Weaver: A Comedy Pioneer
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The “arquette family’s” deep roots in entertainment can be traced back to their grandfather, Cliff Arquette, widely recognized by his stage name, Charley Weaver. Cliff’s career began in music, where he played in bands as a teenager in Hollywood. By the 1930s, he transitioned to radio broadcasting, achieving significant success in Chicago, where he reportedly appeared on 13 radio stations daily, according to The New York Times. It was through radio that his comedic persona, Charley Weaver, was born. He later brought this character to television before retiring in 1955 to pursue his passion for woodcarving.
However, Cliff’s retirement was short-lived. Jack Paar from The Tonight Show brought him back into the limelight. Patricia Arquette recounted this event during a 2022 appearance on The Tonight Show, explaining how Paar’s on-air query about Charley Weaver’s whereabouts led to Cliff writing to Paar and subsequently being invited onto the show. Charley Weaver became a recurring figure on The Tonight Show throughout the 1950s. In 1966, when NBC launched the game show Hollywood Squares, Weaver occupied the lower left square, a position he held until his passing in 1974.
Cliff Arquette’s comedic talents earned him a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1960, a testament to his influence on subsequent generations of the “arquette family”. Patricia Arquette noted in a 2022 interview with The New Yorker that their grandfather’s artistic pursuits significantly influenced their upbringing. Growing up surrounded by artists and witnessing their grandfather’s success instilled a sense of performance and creativity in the Arquette children.
A Childhood on the Skymont Commune
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Lewis Arquette, Cliff’s son and himself an actor, and his wife Brenda “Mardi” Nowak, had five children who form the core of the modern “arquette family”: Rosanna (born 1959), Richmond (1963), Patricia (1968), Alexis (1969), and David (1971). Both Lewis and Mardi, being artists, were drawn to a communal lifestyle, leading them to move their family to a commune in Virginia.
In the early 1970s, the Arquette siblings experienced a unique upbringing when their parents relocated them to the Skymont Commune in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley. Patricia Arquette described their living conditions in a 2017 interview with The Wall Street Journal, recalling a cabin without a bathroom, running water, or electricity, where the entire family slept in a single room.
Patricia explained that their parents sought to raise them in a “spiritual, utopian society” away from mainstream society and closer to nature. This experience profoundly shaped the “arquette family” values and perspectives.
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Richmond Arquette remembers their time on the commune positively, highlighting the sense of community and freedom they enjoyed. In a 2015 interview with Virginia Living, he recalled being constantly surrounded by friends and enjoying activities like swimming in creeks and rivers.
However, Patricia also acknowledged the hardships of living in “intense poverty” at Skymont. She recounted experiences of hitchhiking for long distances and going without shoes for days, and sometimes relying on government assistance for food. These experiences instilled in Patricia a deep understanding of poverty and resilience, shaping her perspective and activism later in life. Despite the challenges, Patricia also recognized that the commune fostered her creativity, as art and music became central to their lives due to the lack of material possessions. The “arquette family” spent four formative years on the commune before moving to Chicago and eventually settling in Los Angeles.
Navigating a Turbulent Childhood
Several members of the “arquette family” have openly discussed the challenges of their childhood, including alleged instances of physical and substance abuse. David Arquette described their upbringing as “turbulent but also filled with love” in a 2020 interview with The Guardian. He also mentioned his mother being “abusive” in the same interview, indicating the complex dynamics within the family.
In a 2011 interview with Oprah Winfrey, Patricia and Rosanna Arquette provided further insights into their childhood environment. Rosanna described their household as filled with “drama” due to their father’s acting career and their mother’s poetry. They recounted instances of alleged physical abuse by their mother, painting a picture of a volatile home life.
Patricia and Rosanna also detailed their father, Lewis Arquette’s, struggles with substance abuse, including marijuana and alcohol. Rosanna emphasized the pervasive nature of addiction within a family, stating, “When you grow up in that kind of family, it is a family disease. It affects everybody.” Patricia added to this sentiment, describing their childhood home as “like a minefield,” where unpredictability was the norm.
Despite the difficulties they faced, both parents of the “arquette family” reportedly addressed their issues later in life. Lewis Arquette achieved sobriety in his later years, and Mardi Arquette became a therapist, suggesting a path towards healing and reconciliation. Rosanna recalled her mother’s later years with “nothing but forgiveness and love.” Patricia, while acknowledging a “love-hate relationship” with her mother, recognized her mother’s profound dedication to her children and her positive influence within the family.
Parental Hesitation Towards Acting Careers
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Ironically, despite their own backgrounds in entertainment, the parents of the “arquette family” discouraged their children from pursuing acting careers. Patricia Arquette revealed in a 2017 interview with W Magazine that her parents “didn’t want me acting when I was a kid. They really didn’t want me or any of us acting at all.”
However, the Arquette children’s inherent creativity proved difficult to suppress. The family collectively participated in a commercial for Libby’s canned food in the 1970s. Richmond and Patricia even created their own home movie titled James Long as children. Patricia also performed at the Philadelphia Folk Festival as a child. Around the age of 12, Patricia persuaded her parents to allow her to get an agent, marking the beginning of her professional acting journey and the continued acting legacy of the “arquette family”.
Patricia recounted her early experiences in audition waiting rooms to The New Yorker, describing a moment where she felt disillusioned by the intense environment and parental pressures. This early exposure briefly deterred her, and her parents were initially relieved. Patricia explained to W that their parents’ hesitation stemmed from recognizing the “hard business” that is Hollywood, seeking to shield their children from its potential pitfalls.
Rosanna Arquette and the Harvey Weinstein Allegations
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Rosanna Arquette achieved prominence in the 1980s and 90s with roles in acclaimed films like Desperately Seeking Susan, The Big Blue, and Pulp Fiction. In 2017, she bravely became one of the first women to publicly accuse Harvey Weinstein of sexual harassment, alleging that this decision negatively impacted her Hollywood career. Her courageous act became part of a larger movement, contributing to the exposure of widespread misconduct in the entertainment industry and beyond.
In a 2017 exposé published by The New Yorker, Rosanna detailed an encounter from the early 1990s where Weinstein allegedly harassed her at the Beverly Hills Hotel. According to her account, Weinstein, dressed in a bathrobe, requested a massage and then attempted to force her hand towards his genitals. Rosanna firmly rejected his advances, stating, “I will never do that,” as reported by The New Yorker. Weinstein allegedly responded by telling her she was making a mistake.
Rosanna believes that Weinstein subsequently made her career “very difficult for me for years.” Despite the potential professional repercussions, Rosanna does not regret speaking out. She views her experience as contributing to a greater cause, shifting her focus towards activism and advocating for the voiceless. In a 2019 interview with The Guardian, Rosanna stated, “This is my karma. It’s for the greater good that it happened to me, because what has become more important in my life is the activism, and being … one of the voices for the voiceless.” Her experience highlights the “arquette family’s” broader commitment to social justice and speaking truth to power.
A Family Legacy of Activism
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Activism is deeply ingrained in the “arquette family” ethos, dating back to the civil rights movement. Their mother, Mardi Arquette, was a dedicated civil rights and anti-war activist in the 1960s and 70s, actively involving her five children in protests and social justice initiatives.
Rosanna Arquette recounted a powerful memory of meeting Martin Luther King Jr. at an anti-Vietnam War protest organized by her mother in a 2021 interview with Harper’s Bazaar UK. She described being in a truck with King, her chest painted with “Stop the war kill no more,” and his gentle request for someone to put a shirt on the young Rosanna.
Patricia Arquette shared similar childhood experiences with The New Yorker, emphasizing her upbringing with an activist mother who championed civil rights and social justice. She highlighted her involvement in diverse volunteer efforts, fighting for various marginalized groups, reflecting the inclusive nature of their activism.
The “arquette family” has continued this activist tradition into the present day. Rosanna produced a documentary in 2002, Searching for Debra Winger, addressing the limited roles for older women in Hollywood. Patricia Arquette famously used her 2015 Oscar acceptance speech to advocate for equal pay for women, garnering support from fellow actresses like Meryl Streep and Jennifer Lopez.
Patricia followed her powerful speech by launching an equal pay platform with U.N. Women in 2017, further solidifying her commitment to gender equality. Patricia Arquette’s 2 Children: All About Harlow and Enzo
Furthermore, their sister Alexis Arquette was a pioneering transgender activist until her passing in 2016. The family has honored her legacy through the Alexis Arquette Family Foundation, now known as The Alexis Project, which provides crucial medical and mental health support to the LGBTQ+ community. Rosanna Arquette aptly summarized their family’s dedication to activism in an interview with The Guardian: “This is in our DNA.”
Remembering Alexis Arquette: A Transgender Pioneer
Alexis Arquette tragically passed away on September 11, 2016, at the age of 47. The cause of death was cardiac arrest resulting from HIV, which Alexis had lived with for 29 years. The surviving “arquette family” members released a heartfelt statement to PEOPLE, celebrating Alexis’s life and legacy.
The statement acknowledged Alexis’s brilliance as an artist, painter, singer, entertainer, and actor, highlighting her roles in films like Pulp Fiction, Last Exit to Brooklyn, Of Mice and Men, and The Wedding Singer. The “arquette family” emphasized that Alexis’s career was “cut short, not by her passing, but by her decision to live her truth and her life as a transgender woman.” They lauded her as “a vanguard in the fight for understanding and acceptance for all trans people.”
The statement further reflected on the profound impact of Alexis’s journey: “We learned what real bravery is through watching her journey of living as a trans woman. We came to discover the one truth – that love is everything.” Alexis Arquette is remembered as one of the first openly transgender activists in Hollywood, leaving behind a powerful legacy that her siblings continue to champion. The “arquette family” has been described as “fiercely defensive” of Alexis throughout her transition and beyond.
In 2018, they established the Alexis Arquette Foundation (now The Alexis Project) to further the positive work Alexis initiated for the transgender community. Rosanna Arquette described Alexis’s passing as “a huge wound, an open gaping wound, in our family” in an interview with PEOPLE, explaining the motivation behind creating the foundation in Alexis’s name. At a 2024 event for The Alexis Project, David Arquette shared with PEOPLE that Alexis’s decision to come out as a trans woman was “[really tough].” He acknowledged the professional challenges Alexis faced after transitioning, but also celebrated her strength and pioneering role in opening doors for future transgender individuals in Hollywood. David expressed immense pride in Alexis, emphasizing the profound impact she had on his life, teaching him about art, music, fashion, humor, loyalty, kindness, friendship, and family.
Rosanna Arquette’s Marriages and Family
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Rosanna Arquette has been married four times throughout her life, first to director Tony Greco, then to composer James Newton Howard, followed by restaurateur John Sidel, and lastly to investment banker Todd Morgan. Her personal life, like other members of the “arquette family,” has been a subject of public interest.
From her marriage to John Sidel, Rosanna has a daughter named Zoë Bleu Sidel. Zoë Bleu is following in the “arquette family” footsteps, pursuing an acting career and recently appearing in the 2022 film Signs of Love. Rosanna has spoken proudly of her daughter’s talent and wisdom, acknowledging Zoë Bleu as “really talented and very gifted” and “quite the little wise owl.”
Richmond Arquette: A Private Actor with Notable Roles
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Richmond Arquette, the second eldest sibling in the “arquette family”, maintains a more private profile compared to his siblings. Despite his preference for privacy, Richmond has built a substantial acting career, appearing in nearly 80 films and television shows since 1993, contributing significantly to the “arquette family” acting legacy.
Richmond’s notable roles include appearances in the psychological thriller Zodiac (2007), The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008), and the romantic comedy Made of Honor (2008). He is also recognized for his brief but memorable role as the delivery man in the final scene of the acclaimed 1995 film Se7en. While Richmond may be less publicly visible than some of his siblings, his consistent work and appearances in well-regarded films demonstrate his solid and enduring career within the “arquette family” of actors.
