Nicholas Carpenter is the son of Scott Carpenter, one of the original Mercury astronauts, and Maria Roach Carpenter, daughter of film producer Hal Roach. Carpenter has a brother, Matthew Scott; four half-siblings from his father's first marriage, Marc Scott, Kristen Elaine, Candace Noxon and Robyn Jay; and a half sibling from his father's third marriage, Zachary Scott. Carpenter grew up in Los Angeles, where his father made his home after retiring from NASA in 1969.