Jason Bateman’s Kids: Everything to Know About Francesca and Maple

As it turns out, talent runs in the Bateman family. The Arrested Development alum's dad, Kent Bateman, is an actor, writer and director, and his big sister, Justine Bateman, is a fellow actress who has appeared on shows like Family Ties, Men Behaving Badly, Desperate Housewives and Californication.

Following his Emmy win for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series for Ozark, Jason opened up about his father's influence on his career and told IMDB TV, "Instead of going to throw the ball in the park when I was a little boy, he'd take me to the movies and he'd show me what is acting what is directing, and what is good acting what is good directing [and] what does a director do. So my radar was up for what is happening on set since I started, when I was 10, and I and knew well, if I absorb enough knowledge about what's going on here, maybe one day I'll be able to sit in that chair and so, thank you to dad."

Fortunately, the New York native is now leading by example for his two girls, whom he welcomed with his wife, Amanda Anka.

Bateman and Anka welcomed their first daughter, Francesca Nora Bateman, on October 28, 2006, and she is now 18. She landed her first modeling gig at just 2 years old, where she got to pose alongside her dad in a holiday ad for Gap. In 2009, Bateman told Elle, "Anyone who has a kid, when friends ask you if you have a picture, you go, 'Yeahyeahyeah,' and whip out your phone to show off. This was that times ten. Look up there. She's mine and I love her."

The actor has opened up about his daughter's personality, as well as their tight-knit bond, on a few occasions. For instance, in a 2023 interview, he described Francesca as "fashion forward," and in 2007, he mentioned that she has a joyful personality. He told People, "She’s a very, very happy kid. She’s always smiling, wanting to hang out and touch hands and be held. My wife and I are both pretty much like that, although I’m prone to mood swings. She does like to smile."

In 2022, the star also revealed they've watched his show, Ozark, together. He told Entertainment Weekly, "Last night and the night before, my 15-year-old daughter and I sat and watched episode 1 and episode 2 of the show. This is a big deal. I haven't seen them for five years, she's never seen the show."

Bateman's second daughter, Maple Sylvie Bateman, was born on February 10, 2012, and she's now 12 years old. While chatting with GQ in 2014, the actor revealed he'd dropped a few f-bombs around Maple, who was a toddler at the time. He said, "I tend to use as many as I can think of. I don't do it around my 7-year-old, but I do around my 2-year-old, because she doesn't know what the hell I'm saying yet."

Six years later, Bateman's daughter crashed his virtual interview on Jimmy Kimmel Live! by waving to the camera from a glass window. Bateman joked, "There goes Maple. Say hi to Jimmy...You see, I keep her outside. That way, there's more food for me inside the house."

Additionally, in 2023, while discussing his movie, Air, on Good Morning America, Bateman noted that his daughter was into sports. He revealed, "Maple, my 11-year-old, is a huge basketball fan, so I have now finally done something that she can be proud of. She thinks this is very cool, doing the story about Michael Jordan and the Air Jordan."

In 2018, when Bateman appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live, he opened up about one of his funniest and most memorable moments with Francesca, who decided to grill him with questions about certain holiday traditions after an Easter Egg hunt. Somehow, he managed to ruin the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy and Santa Claus for Francesca in a single conversation.

Bateman recalled, "[She said,] 'Daddy, here's what I don't understand. Bunnies don't lay eggs, right?' And I'm like, 'That's true.' And she said, 'So I'm having a hard time putting a couple things together here.' And I said, 'What's the problem?' And she said, 'The Easter egg Bunny: Not real, right?'"

After failing to dodge the question, Bateman ultimately cracked and confessed that the Easter Bunny isn't real. He added, "She made me pinky promise. And I said, 'The Easter egg Bunny is not real.' I can't lie to the kid. I can't break the pinky promise. She goes, 'All right. That makes sense.'

Unfortunately for Bateman, Francesca used the same tactic to make her dad spill the beans about the Tooth Fairy and Santa. And when Bateman broke the news to his wife via text, she wasn't too happy. Bateman continued, "She says, 'That's an 11-year-old single-member audience, you're a professional liar and you can't get through this?' [Then] She said, 'Make her pinky promise she is not going to ruin it for the 6-year-old.'"

Bateman's daughters tend to steer clear of the spotlight these days. Still, the duo has made a few red-carpet appearances with their dad, like when the family of four attended the ceremony to honor Bateman with a Star on The Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2017.

You may have also seen snaps of the proud dad spending quality time with his eldest daughter at sports events, including the Baltimore Ravens vs. Atlanta Falcons game in 2010 and the Boston Bruins vs New York Rangers Game in 2013. More recently, in January 2025, Bateman and his daughter Francesca were seen together at an LA Lakers game, along with Ray Romano and Jason Sudeikis, at the Crypto.com Arena.

The Carry-On star doesn't hesitate to gush over his daughters during interviews and acceptance speeches. In fact, after winning the SAG Award for Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series in 2023 for Ozark, he gave a special shoutout to his wife and daughters for their continued support. He said, "I would like to say specifically though to my wife, my two daughters―Amanda, Franny and Maple―without you, none of it would be enjoyable and it probably wouldn't be possible. I love you more than I even tell you I do, and I'll be home for kisses so don't go to bed. Amanda, pop a mint, I'm going to come give you yours in about five minutes."

When Bateman won the same award in 2023, he mentioned his family once again and said, "I get to say thank you to my wife Amanda, my two kids at home, Maple [and] Francesca, they made me feel like I was a good dad even though I was gone for six months every year. They're better actors than I am."