Hollywood often bends reality with creative freedom, and most of us happily turn a blind eye to the implausible for the sake of Entertainment. Whether it's teenagers with deep-set wrinkles or infants who transform in the blink of an eye, we've seen it all. However, there are times when casting takes an extra leap, like pairing stars as parent and child with glaring age gaps that defy physics.
For example, on-screen mom-son pairs are similar in age in real life or sometimes, a mother whose kid is a few years older than her in reality. It’s true to say that Hollywood's wild parent-child combinations have truly pushed the limits of believability.
#1. Cher & Meryl Streep, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again
Source: PA IMAGES
Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, released in 2018, became a major box office hit. Despite its success, one thing burned some audiences up. Cher portrayed Ruby Sheridan, the mother of Meryl Streep's Donna in the film. It seemed to be silly when Cher is just 3 years older than Meryl Streep.
#2. Estelle Getty & Bea Arthur, The Golden Girls
Source: Bettmann/Getty Images
The Golden Girls starred female legends of Hollywood such as Betty White and Rue McClanahan. The odd thing in the movie is that Estelle Getty played Bea Arthur’s mom Sophia while she was a year younger than Bea Arthur.
#3. Heath Ledger & Kate Mara, Brokeback Mountain
Source: Focus Features
Heath Ledger & Kate Mara were praised for their performances in the cowboy drama Brokeback Mountain. Kate Mara took on the role of the daughter of Heath Ledger’s Ennis Del Mar. At that time, she was 21, being 4 years younger than her on-screen dad.
#4. Drew Barrymore & Adam Garcia, Riding in Cars with Boys
Source: Columbia Pictures
Riding in Cars with Boys cast Drew Barrymore and Adam Garcia as a mom-son duo. It was interesting to know that Adam Garcia, who played the son was 2 years older than the actress in real life.
#5. Sally Field & Tom Hanks, Forrest Gump
Source: Sunset Boulevard/Getty Images
The historical drama Forrest Gump was one of the most popular movies in the 1990s. But it had an unusual bit of casting. Sally Field and Tom Hanks portrayed the mom-son pair but in real life, their age difference was just 10 years.
#6. Elizabeth Rodriguez & Dascha Polanco, Orange Is the New Black
Source: Orange Is the New Black
The award-winning Orange Is the New Black gave us a fresh perspective on the life of a female prison. After its release, audiences discovered an interesting fact that the age gap between Elizabeth Rodriguez and Dascha Polanco, who play mother and daughter, was just 2 years.
#7. Angelina Jolie & Colin Farrell, Alexander
Source: Warner Bros.
Oliver Stone’s Alexander received criticism from critics about historical accuracy. Aside from it, there was a weird casting call. Angelina Jolie got the role of Queen Olympias, the mother of Colin Farrell’s Alexander. In real life, the actress was just one year older than the actor. They looked more like a couple than a mom-son duo.
#8. Amy Poehler & Rachel McAdams, Mean Girls
Source: Paramount Pictures
Mean Girls has become a pop culture phenomenon for the infamous feud between Katy Perry and Taylor Swift. It was more notable for the casting. The age gap between Amy Poehler and Rachel McAdams, who portray a mom-daughter pair, was 7 years.
#9. Winona Ryder & Zachary Quinto, Star Trek
Source: Paramount Pictures
In the 2009 Star Trek, Zachary Quinto played the young Spook while the role of his mother Amanda Grayson was given to Winona Ryder. In real life, she is a mere six years his elder.
#10. John Noble & Sean Bean, The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King
Source: New Line Cinema
The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King was a box office hit with a profit of over a billion dollars and won Oscars. But did you notice an odd thing in this movie? John Noble played the father of Sean Bean’s Boromir, was 11 years older than the actor.
Which pair do you surprise the most? Let us know in the comments.