17 actors who look so much like their famous parents that they played them on screen (17 photos)

Sometimes the apple falls so close to the tree that you can immediately tell they're related. Film often exploits the physical resemblance of close relatives—and here's a whole list of such examples.





1. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson played his wrestler father, Rocky, in the 1999 TV series "That '70s Show"



This was The Rock's first acting role.

2. O'Shea Jackson Jr. played his father, rapper Ice Cube, in the biopic Straight Outta Compton





O'Shea told News Corp Australia Network:

Director F. Gary Gray knew this film had to be authentic, and no one would play this role as passionately as I do because it's my family's legacy.

3. In the film "Evening," Mamie Gummer played Lila Wittenborn Ross in the 1950s, while her mother, Meryl Streep, portrayed the same character in the present day.



Meryl and Mamie also played mother and daughter in "Ricki and the Flash" eight years later, in 2015. They had previously played similar roles in the 1986 film "Healing."

4. Ever Anderson played the younger version of Alicia Marcus, her mother Milla Jovovich's character, in Resident Evil: The Final Chapter



The director was Ever's father, Paul W.S. Anderson.

5. Michael Gandolfini has cast his father, James, as Tony Soprano in the upcoming "Sopranos" prequel, "The Many Saints of Newark."



Michael first watched "The Sopranos" while preparing for the role, which helped him feel a connection with his late father. He told Esquire:

There's a scene where Tony yells at A.J., and he brings pizza to apologize, sits by the bed, and says, "I couldn't ask for a better son." I just knew he was talking to me in that scene.

6. Michael Consuelos played the teenage version of Hiram Lodge, played by his father, Mark, on Riverdale



This was Michael's first audition. On "Live with Kelly & Ryan"—his mother's show—he said:

There was a group of people who could have been brothers or cousins… it looked like a group of Michaels in the audition room.

7. Melissa Rivers played her mother, Joan, in the biopic "Joy," about inventor Joy Mangano.



Melissa told the Hollywood Reporter:

I wanted to make sure everything looked right. I wanted to make sure everything was done respectfully. And honestly, as soon as they put the wig on me, I stopped looking in the mirror—it was too weird.

8. Mario Van Peebles wrote, produced, directed, and starred as his director father, Melvin, in the biopic "Scoundrel."



The film is based on Melvin's experience making his 1971 indie film "Sweet Sweetback: Song of the Scoundrel," in which he also starred. Mario also had a supporting role, playing a younger version of Sweetback.

9. Former Philadelphia Phillies manager Ruben Amaro Jr. played his father, former Major League Baseball player Ruben Amaro Sr., in two episodes of The Goldbergs.



A teenage version of Ruben Amaro Jr. also appears frequently on the show because in real life, he attended high school with Adam F. Goldberg, the creator of the semi-autobiographical series.

10. In the wedding episode of "30 Rock," Tina Fey's daughter, Alice Richmond, played Liz Lemon in a childhood flashback.



Alice also appeared in the 2020 "30 Rock" special.

11. In "Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa," Willow Smith voiced the younger version of her mother Jada Pinkett Smith's character, Gloria.



This experience inspired 7-year-old Willow to take up acting to be like her mother.

12. CJ Wallace played his father, rapper The Notorious B.I.G., as a child in the film Notorious



CJ told the Columbus Telegram:

Other people may look like him and dress exactly the same, but I did well because I knew how to react, because my grandmother… told me about him, the way he acted, and a lot of other things.

13. Sophia Loren played her mother, Romilda Villani, and herself in the film "Sophia Loren: Her Own Story"



Sophia again played Romilda in the miniseries "My House is Full of Mirrors" (2010).

14. In an episode of "Orange Is the New Black," Dasani Cristal Gonzalez played 14-year-old Daya (in flashbacks), played as an adult by her mother, Dascha Polanco.



Dasani's mother was very proud of her success.

15. Quinn Dempsey Stiller voiced Alex the lion cub, voiced as an adult by his father, Ben, in Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa.



Ben and Quinn also played father and son in Lockdown (2021), and they both had supporting roles in the children's comedy Megamind (2010).

16. In the film "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang," Indio Falconer Downey played the 9-year-old version of his father, Robert Downey Jr.'s character, Harry Lockhart.



The film was produced by Indio's stepmother, Susan Downey.

17. And finally, Zoe Perry plays Mary Cooper, Sheldon's mother, on Young Sheldon—a role her mother, Laurie Metcalf, famously played on The Big Bang Theory.