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23 Parent-Child Acting Team-Ups That Prove Good Acting Runs In The Family

Great acting runs in the family. In fact, some actors in Hollywood actually have actors as parents or even grandparents. Some actors might use their familial connections to gain audition perks, they don’t take away their talents.
And some other items, these generational actors are invited for some guest roles in their parents’ movies. Some even play the younger versions of their parents. Other times, these child actors play the children of their parents in the movie even! These actors were very convincing in their parts, at least in terms of look.
Regardless of the reason, parent and children actors teaming up in different projects always add a certain endearment to them. The film feels more personal to both the actors and the viewers as well.
Here are 22 pairs of parent-child acting team-ups that prove good acting runs in the family. If you don’t believe us, try checking out these movies and not feel the tug at your heartstrings.

#1 Arrested Development: Henry Winkler and his son, Max Winkler, played Barry Zuckerkorn.

Source: Tammy Kennedy/20th Century-Fox Film Corp. All rights reserved / courtesy Everett Collection / Netflix

They recently collaborated on the limited series King Rex, in which Henry stars and Max directs.

Source: Nicholas Hunt / Via Getty


#2 Thunder Force: Melissa McCarthy and her daughter Vivian Falcone played the same character Lydia.

Source: Netflix /Courtesy Everett Collection / Netflix / Via youtube.com

Ben Falcone, the film's writer, and Vivian's father stated in the press notes, "We've kept Vivian away from acting, although she's quite excellent at it. We wanted someone to play a 12-year-old Lydia, and Vivian looks just like Melissa at that age."

Source: Netflix / Via youtube.com


#3 Riverdale: Michael and Mark Consuelos played Hiram Lodge.

Source: The CW / Via Netflix

Michael's first audition was a success. On his mother's show, Live with Kelly and Ryan, he claimed, "There were several people who looked like brothers or cousins... There appeared to be a swarm of Michaels in the audition room."

Source: Mark Consuelos / The CW / Via instagram.com


#4 That '70s Show: Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson played his wrestler father, Rocky.

Source: Fox / Rob Kim / Getty Images / Via youtube.com

Joseph Lee Anderson, on the other hand, currently plays Rocky on Young Rock.

Source: Nbc / NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images


#5 Joy: Melissa Rivers played her mom, Joan Rivers

Source: 20th Century Fox / Ilya S. Savenok / Getty Images / Via youtube.com

Melissa said to the Hollywood Reporter, "I wanted to make certain that everything looked properly. I wanted to make sure it was appropriate. And, to be honest, after I put on the wig, I stopped looking in the mirror because it was too strange."

Source: Carlo Allegri / Getty Images


#6 Baadasssss!: Mario Van Peebles wrote, produced, directed, and starred as his filmmaker father Melvin

Source: Sony Pictures Classics / Ray Tamarra / Getty Images / Via youtube.com

Melvin's experience making his 1971 independent film Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song, in which he also played the lead, inspired the picture. Mario also played the younger version of Sweetback in a brief part.

Source: Randall Michelson Archive / WireImage for Dan Klores Communications / Via Getty


#7 Resident Evil: The Final Chapter: Ever Anderson and her mother Milla Jovovich played Alicia Marcus.

Source: Sony Pictures Releasing / Via youtube.com

It was directed by Ever's dad, Paul W.S. Anderson.

Source: Axelle / FilmMagic / Via Getty


#8 Notorious: C.J. Wallace played his father, rapper The Notorious B.I.G.

Source: Fox Searchlight Pictures / Larry Busacca / WireImage / Via Getty/ youtube.com

"Others may look like him and dress in the same exact way, but I did well because I know how to react since my grandmother...told me about him and his actions and other things," C.J. told the Columbus Telegram.

Source: Jeffrey Mayer / WireImage via Getty / Larry Busacca / Getty Images


#9 Underworld: Revolution: Kate Beckinsale and her daughter Lily Sheen, played Selene.

Source: Sony Pictures Releasing / Via youtube.com

But this was not their only team-up. They then split Amy's role in Everybody's Fine.

Source: Miramax Films / courtesy Everett Collection


#10 Orange Is the New Black: Dasany Kristal Gonzalez and her daughter Dascha Polanco, plays Daya.

Source: Netflix / Via Netflix

Dascha told Latina, about the team-up: "[Dasany's] a blessing, a miracle baby."

Source: Astrid Stawiarz / Getty Images for Dove


#11 Straight Outta Compton: O'Shea Jackson Jr. played his dad, Ice Cube.

Source: Universal Pictures / Dimitrios Kambouris / Getty Images for H&M / Via Getty / youtube.com

"[Director F. Gary Gray] realized that this movie had to be authentic, and nobody is going to tackle this character as passionately as I would because it's my family's heritage," O'Shea told News Corp Australia Network.

Source: Johnny Nunez / WireImage / Via Getty


#12 30 Rock: Tina Fey and her daughter Alice Richmond played Liz Lemon.

Source: NBC / Via Hulu

Alice also contributed to the performance in certain ways. Tina took a lot of amusing things her kid said when she was younger and turned them into Tracy Morgan quotes.

Source: Bruce Glikas / Bruce Glikas / FilmMagic / Via Getty


#13 Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: Bill Paxton and his son James Paxton both played John Garrett

Source: Kelsey McNeal/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images / ABC / Via youtube.com

After the actor died, the program reintroduced a younger version of the character, played by his real-life son, James Paxton. James stated on Twitter, "It was a true pleasure to bring [this persona] to life. An emotional roller coaster as well. But it was still a blast."

Source: Jason Laveris / FilmMagic / Via Getty


#14 The Many Saints of Newark: Michael Gandolfini and his dad James Gandolfini played Tony Soprano.

Source: Warner Bros. Pictures / HBO / Via youtube.com / youtube.com

While preparing for the part, Michael saw The Sopranos for the first time, which made him feel connected to his late father. He stated to Esquire, "Tony rants at A.J., then buys a pizza to apologize and sits by his son's bedside, saying, 'I couldn't ask for a finer kid.' In that scene, I had a feeling he was speaking to me."

Source: Gregory Pace / FilmMagic / Via Getty


#15 NCIS: Mark Harmon and his son, Sean, played Gibbs

Source: Bill Inoshita / CBS via Getty Images / CBS / Via youtu.be

Sean played his father in the flashback of 6 episodes. Sean's mother, Pam Dawber, is also featured in the episode.

Source: Cbs Photo Archive / CBS via Getty Images


#16 Evening: Mamie Gummer and her mother Meryl Streep played Lila Wittenborn Ross.

Source: Focus Features / Via youtube.com

Eight years later, Meryl and Mamie reunited as mother and daughter in Ricki and the Flash.

Source: Bob Vergara/©Sony Pictures Releasing / courtesy Everett Collection


#17 Kiss Kiss Bang Bang: Robert Downey Jr. played Harry Lockhart and his son Indio Falconer Downey played Harry Lockhart.

Source: Warner Bros. Pictures / Via youtube.com / youtube.com

Susan Downey, Indio's stepmother, produced the film.

Source: Albert L. Ortega / WireImage / Via Getty


#18 Sophia Loren: Her Own Story: Sophia Loren played both her mother, Romilda Villani, and herself.

Source: Courtesy Everett Collection

Sophia reprised her role as Romilda in My House Is Full of Mirrors (2010).

Source: Vanguard Cinema / Via youtube.com


#19 Walk the Line: Shooter Jennings portrayed his late father, country music pioneer Waylon Jennings.

Source: Tim Mosenfelder / Getty Images / 20th Century Fox / Via youtube.com

"They worked closely with Cash on the film when he was still alive. I think it's extremely accurate, and I think it's a very amazing thing, and I'm pleased to have been a part of it "According to the Chicago Tribune, the shooter.

Source: Beth Gwinn / Getty Images


#20 Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa: Jada Pinkett Smith voiced Gloria, Willow Smith voiced the younger version of the sassy hippo.

Source: Dreamworks / Jason LaVeris / FilmMagic / Via Getty / youtube.com / youtube.com

Willow, then 7, was encouraged by the event to pursue acting like her mother.

Source: Arturo Holmes / FilmMagic / Via Getty


#21 The Goldbergs: Former Phillies GM Rubén Amaro Jr. played his dad, former MLB player Rubén Amaro Sr.

Source: ABC / Bettmann / Via Hulu / Getty

An adolescent version of Rubén Amaro Jr. appears on the program as well because he went to high school with Adam F. Goldberg, the semi-autobiographical show's writer.

Source: Ron Batzdorff / Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images


#22 The Big Bang Theory/Young Sheldon: Zoe Perry plays Sheldon's mom Mary Cooper. Her mom, Laurie Metcalf played Sheldon's mom Mary Cooper.

Source: CBS / Via youtube.com / youtube.com

Zoe previously appeared on Roseanne as a younger version of her mother's character Jackie.

Source: Axelle / FilmMagic / Via Getty


#23 Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa: Ben Stiller and his son, Quinn Dempsey Stiller voiced the dancing King of New York, Alex the lion

Source: Dreamworks / ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images / Via youtube.com / youtube.com

They later collaborated on the underrated gem Megamind.

Source: James Devaney / WireImage / Via Getty

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