Beyond the entertainment and academic world, Justine has proven herself to be a woman of many talents. More recently, she has shown the world her skills as a highly successful business mogul. Channeling her passion for knitting, she took this everyday hobby above and beyond by proceeding to found her very own clothing company.
Named “Justine Bateman Designs,” this fashion line of exclusively hand-knitted items was founded by Bateman in 2000. To market her items, Bateman is often seen out on the town, sporting one of many cute and quirky ensembles from her design line. To pursue this newfound passion Bateman ultimately decided that she needed to take a break from acting.
Justine Bateman: Behind the Scenes, Up Close and Personal
Like many others in showbiz, Justine Bateman has most definitely proved herself as much more than her ditzy “Family Ties” character. Unlike Mallory, in reality, Bateman is very intelligent and ambitious, excelling in many fields beyond acting. Despite her contract with “Family Ties,” which prevented her from attending college while the show was on air, Bateman found a way to excel as a non-traditional college student.
With the rise of widely popular digital video platforms like YouTube in the mid-2000s, Bateman quickly realized the importance of ‘long-form’ online media production. As a result, in 2012, Bateman enrolled herself as a student at UCLA, in order to study computer science and digital media management. In 2016, she would finally complete her degree at the age of 50.
Real-Life, Famous Family Ties
Like her character on “Family Ties,” in real life, Justine Bateman also has a brother: Jason Bateman. And you’ve probably heard of him too. Similar to Justine, Jason also rose to fame with the help of increasingly popular television sitcoms of the 1980s, such as "The Hogan Family” and “Silver Spoons.”
In addition to his earlier fans, Jason has also garnered international acclaim for his starring role as Michael Bluth on the hit series, “Arrested Development”. He has also taken on big roles in a number of Hollywood films, including Game Night (2018), Horrible Bosses (2011), Zootopia (voice role, 2016), The Change-Up (2001) and The Switch (2010).
A “Family Ties” Musical?
When it was announced in 2016 that the producer of the hit Broadway musical “Wicked” was in the process of creating a stage version of “Family Ties,” Justine Bateman made it clear she did not support the stage adaptation of the show.
Indeed, ever since the “Family Ties” play was announced, Bateman has not been shy to vocalize her disapproval, even taking to Twitter at one point to publicly express her obvious disapproval, writing “Ew, ew, ew, ew” in response to the producer’s announcement. First debuting in Ohio on June 1, 2017, the true reason why Bateman is not a fan remains a mystery to us.
More Than Just Mallory: Beyond “Family Ties”
Before starting her own businesses, Justine Bateman certainly stayed busy, making quite a name for herself in the world of television. Over the years, she appeared in “Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman,” “Out of Order,” “Men in Trees,” “Still Standing,” “Californication,” and even Disney’s “Wizards of Waverly Place”.
Bateman also took on a role on the hit comedy-drama television show, “Desperate Housewives.” In addition to acting, Bateman has also sat in the director’s chair, producing and directing several pieces, including the 2008 TV movie documentary, “Speechless,” as well as the television series, “Easy to Assemble” (2011).