10 Actors Who Were Unrealistically Close in Age to the Actors Portraying Their Parents

It's pretty naive to believe that everything we see in movies is true, but some of the deceptions they pull off are impressive. The common theme in Hollywood is casting twenty-somethings, and sometimes thirty-somethings, to play high school students. Characters who appear much older are difficult for actual high school students to relate to. Alan Ruck's performance as Cameron Frye in Ferris Bueller's Day Off is an example of this. Ruck was 30 years old when he played as a high school senior.
Like the actual age differences between some of the actors playing parent and child. When an actor portrays a child of an unrealistic age, there may be a small age gap between them and the actors portraying their parents. Some actors have even commented on the subject, studying how to look older on screen.
We've made a list of on-screen family members with ridiculous real-life age gaps, so sit back, scroll down, and you'll have a clear grasp of Hollywood in no time.

#1 Alexander has one of the most astonishing age gaps.

Source: Amica

Angelina Jolie and Colin Farrell have the most ridiculous age difference. They play mother and son in Alexander, a 2004 historical drama film. The plot focuses on the life of Alexander the Great, the ancient Macedonian king. Jolie, Alexander's mother, was only 29 years old when she played Olympias. Farrell, at 28 years old, was only a year younger than Jolie.
Despite the shocking age gap, the film did quite well, thanks to a star-studded cast that included Jolie, Farrell, Rosario Dawson, Anthony Hopkins, Jared Leto, and Val Kilmer.

#2 Both parents are not much older than the Son In Boyz N The Hood

Source: Cultture

In the 1991 crime movie Boyz N The Hood, Cuba Gooding Jr. played Tre Styles. Tre's parents were both played by actors who were not much older than Cuba. Tre's father was played by Laurence Fishburne. At the time of filming, Fishburne was only 29 years old, and Gooding was only six years younger, at 23. Angela Bassett played Tre's mother. Gooding is only ten years older than Bassett.

#3 In Rocketman, Bryce Dallas Howard was inspired by her mother.

Source: Moviepilot

In the 2019 musical film based on Elton John's life, Bryce Dallas Howard played Sheila Eileen, the singer's mother. Taron Egerton, who played Elton John, was 28 years old when filming, and Howard, despite playing his mother, was only nine years older.
Howard played John's mom from her early twenties to her late seventies. To make Howard appear older, the film's production team used prosthetics. She even got the inspiration for her portrayal of Elton's mother from her own mother.

#4 Cher's Cameo In Mamma Mia: Here we go again

Source: Just Jared

Ruby Sheridan, Donna Sheridan's mother, was introduced to viewers in the sequel to Mamma Mia. Cher portrayed Ruby. At the time of filming, Streep (Donna Sheridan) was 69 years old, and Cher was 72 years old. Cher mentioned the age difference on the Graham Norton Show.
"I am older than her by four years, when they asked, I said, that's absolutely fine, that's cool," Cher explained to Norton.

#5 Forrest Gump: Once love interests, now mother & son

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In the blockbuster 1994 film Forrest Gump, Tom Hanks portrayed Forrest Gump alongside Sally Field as Gump's mom. Mrs. Gump is played by Field from the time Forrest is a child until he becomes an adult. During filming, Hanks was 37 years old, and Field was ten years older, at 47.
The makeup team worked hard to make Field appear older as Forrest ages throughout the film. They had even played love interests in the film Punchline a few years before.

#6 Maybe Regina George has a cool mother?

Source: Cultture

Rachel McAdams portrayed Regina George, one of Hollywood's most famous mean girls. McAdams was 26 years old when she co-starred in this 2004 film with Amanda Seyfried and Lindsay Lohan, both of whom were 20 at the time.
Amy Poehler, 33, played the high school student's mother. They are only 7 years age difference. Maybe Regina George's mother is a cool mom?

#7 Sean Bean & John Noble In Lord of the Rings: Return of the King

Source: Cultture

Sean Bean played Boromir in the final installment of The Lord of the Rings. Boromir's father, Denethor, played by John Noble, is just 11 years older than his son. Bean was 44 at the time of filming, and Noble was 55.
For this hit 2003 film, the age gap does not appear to be an issue. This is the second time a father/son duo has had a surprising age difference in the Lord of the Rings franchise.

#8 In The Hobbit, the son is older than the father.

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In The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, Lee Pace and Orlando Bloom portrayed the father/son elven duo of Legolas and Thranduil. Pace portrayed the Elvenking Thranduil, while Bloom portrayed his son, prince Legolas. Fans will be surprised to learn that Bloom, despite playing Pace's son, is two years his senior.
Bloom was 36 years old at the time of filming, while Pace was 34. Because they are elves, the age difference doesn't seem to be a big deal.

#9 The father/son duo in Indiana Jones & The Last Crusade

Source: The Movie Database

Harrison Ford returned to the role of Indiana Jones in the 1989 blockbuster Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Sean Connery appeared as Indiana's father, Henry Jones. The age difference between Connery and Ford was only 12 years. At the time, Ford was 46 years old and Connery was 58 years old.
This isn't the first time an age disparity has appeared in the series. Marion Ravenwood, played by Karen Allen in Raiders of the Lost Ark, was ten years Ford's senior.

#10 Will Ferrell & Mary Steenburgen In Stepbrothers

Source: Metro 95.1

Will Ferrell co-starred with John C. Reilly in the 2008 comedy Step Brothers as Brennan Huff, 40. Despite being only 14 years older than him, Mary Steenburgen played Ferrell's mother in the film. At the time of filming, Ferrell was 41 years old, and Mary Steenburgen was 55 years old.
This is one of the more plausible age differences on this list, but it is still possible. Steenburgen previously portrayed Ferrell's stepmother in one of the most iconic holiday films, Elf, in 2003.