Sometimes, it’s shocking how similar actors’ kids look to their famous parents. When those actors need someone to play a younger version of them, it’s the only time nepotism makes sense. Like, if Ava Phillippe was cast as young Elle Woods in a Legally Blonde prequel, I wouldn’t be mad.
Here are 24 times celebrities’ kids were cast to play younger versions of them:
Her daughter, Zoe Perry, played Mary Cooper on the prequel series Young Sheldon from 2017-2024, and she reprised the role on the spinoff Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage.
2.
That’s not the first time Laurie and Zoe shared a role! Laurie played Jackie Harris, Roseanne’s sister, on Roseanne from 1988-1997, then again on the shortly-lived reboot in 2018. She’s continued to play Jackie on the retooled reboot The Connors since 2018.
On the original run of Roseanne, Laurie appeared as the younger version of Jackie Harris twice — once in 1992 and again in 1995.
3.
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson played a fictionalized version of his wrestler father, Rocky Johnson, on a 1999 episode of That ’70s Show.
4.
From 2013-2019, Dascha Polanco played Daya Diaz on Orange Is the New Black.
In 2017, her daughter, Dasany Kristal Gonzalez, played 14-year-old Daya in a flashback.
5.
Mark Harmon played NCIS Special Agent Leroy Gibbs on NCIS from 2003-2021. He reprised the role on NCIS: New Orleans from 2014-2021 and the pilot episode of NCIS: Origins in 2024.
Between 2008-2020, his son, Sean Harmon, guest starred as a young Gibbs on NCIS seven times.
6.
Mark Consuelos played the villainous Hiram Lodge on Riverdale from 2017-2023.
His son, Michael Consuelos, appeared as teenage Hiram Lodge twice — once in 2018, and again in 2021.
7.
In the dual-timeline movie Evening, Meryl Streep played present-day Lila Wittenborn Ross.
Her daughter, Mamie Gummer, played Lila Wittenborn in the ’50s timeline.
8.
Robert Downey Jr. starred as Harry Lockhart in Kiss Kiss Bang Bang.
His son, Indio Falconer Downey, appeared as 9-year-old Harry Lockheart.
9.
Melissa Rivers played her late mother, Joan Rivers, in Joy, a biopic about inventor Joy Mangano starring Jennifer Lawrence.
10.
Tom Hanks starred as Otto Anderson in A Man Called Otto.
His son, Truman Hanks, played the younger version of Otto.
11.
C.J. Wallace played his late father, The Notorious B.I.G., as a child in Notorious.
12.
O’Shea Jackson Jr. played his dad, Ice Cube, in the N.W.A. biopic Straight Outta Compton.
13.
Mila Jovovich played Alicia Marcus in Resident Evil: The Final Chapter.
Her daughter, Ever Anderson, played the younger version of Alicia.
14.
Sophia Loren played both her mother Romilda Villani and herself in Sophia Loren: Her Own Story.
Here are Sophia and Romilda together IRL:
15.
Mario Van Peebles wrote, produced, directed, and starred as his filmmaker father, Melvin Van Peebles, in the biopic Baadasssss!
16.
Former Phillies GM Rubén Amaro Jr. played his dad, former MLB player Rubén Amaro Sr., on two episodes of The Goldbergs.
17.
John Kani played King T’Chaka in 2016’s Captain America: Civil War and 2018’s Black Panther.
His son, Atandwa Kani, planyed young T’Chaka in Black Panther.
18.
James Gandolfini played Tony Soprano on The Sopranos from 1999-2007.
In 2021, his son, Michael Gandolfini, played a teenage Tony Soprano in The Many Saints of Newark.
19.
From 2022-2023, Rhys Darby starred as Stede Bonnet on Our Flag Means Death.
His son, Theo Darby, played Stede as a child in three episodes in 2022.
20.
Tina Fey starred as Liz Lemon on 30 Rock from 2006-2013.
In 2012, her daughter, then-7-year-old Alice Richmond, cameoed as child Liz Lemon.
21.
James Cromwell played Dr. Arthur Arden on American Horror Story: Asylum from 2012-2013.
His son, John Cromwell, played young Hans Grüper (Dr. Arden’s true identity) on American Horror Story: Asylum as well as American Horror Story: Freak Show from 2014-2015.
22.
Titus Welliver played Det. Harry Bosch on Bosch from 2014-2021. Since 2022, he’s reprised the role on the spinoff series Bosch: Legacy.
In four Bosch episodes between 2015-2017, his youngest son, Quinn Welliver, appeared as young Bosch.
Then, in a 2022 episode of Bosch: Legacy, his oldest son, Eamonn Welliver, played young Bosch.
23.
On Outlander, Grant O’Rourke played Rupert MacKenzie from 2014-2017.
His son, Louis O’Rourke, is set to play Rupert in the prequel series Outlander: Blood of My Blood.
24.
And finally, Stephen Walters played Angus Mhor in Outlander from 2014-2016.
His son, Marlow Walters, is set to play young Angus on Outlander: Blood of my Blood.
Has an actor’s kid ever played the younger version of their character on one of your favorite shows? Let us know in the comments!
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