These Actors Shared The Screen With Their Legendary Parents
It's not easy to grow up famous, especially if you want to pursue the same field as your legendary parent. Some actors are up to the challenge of not living in their parents' shadows, and even end up sharing the screen with them. Many actor heirs startoff with cameos in their parent's films, like Liza Minnelli, who was only two when she performed alongside Judy Garland. Those who take well to the career sometimes end up directing their parent, like Emilio Estevez and Ben Stiller did with their famous dads. From tiny tots to seasoned performers, these actors shared the screen with their renowned parents.
Martin Played Charlie's Father In Two Films And A Series
Charlie Sheen got some screentime at a young age, thanks to his famous father, actor Martin Sheen. As a young boy, Charlie appeared as an extra in Martin's Badlands and The Execution of Private Slovik. The film that really showed their onscreen chemistry though was Wall Street, wherein they played father and son.
The actors teamed up again in the action film No Code of Conduct and the hit sitcom Spin City, both of which featured Martin "pretending" to be Charlie's father.
Emilio Estevez Directed His Dad In The Way
Unlike the rest of his family, Emilio's screen surname is Estevez. This may have made you oblivious to the fact he is Martin Sheen's son and Charlie Sheen's brother! Then again, his looks and acting ability make it pretty clear he fits right into the family.
Like Charlie, Emilio appeared in his father's film Badlands as a child. He went on to star in multiple films alongside Martin, including Nightbreaker and Bobby. In 2010, Emilio shifted the power dynamic by casting his father as the lead in The Way, a film which he wrote, produced, and directed.
Ben And Jerry Starred In Hot Pursuit And Later Zoolander
Ben Stiller's parents may have the cutest love story in Hollywood history, so of course he ended up joining them in comedy stardom. In 1987, Ben landed his debut film role in Hot Pursuit, a film starring John Cusack and Jerry Stiller.
By 2001, Ben's fame had eclipsed that of his father. He co-wrote, directed, and starred in the classic comedy Zoolander. Not only did the hit feature Jerry, but it also starred Ben's wife, Christine Taylor. Both of them also starred in the film's 2016 sequel.
Mammie Played Meryl's Daughter In Ricki And The Flash
With a stellar actress like Meryl Streep, producers have to be sure that the rest of the cast can stand up against her talent. For the dramedy Ricki and the Flash, who better to play her prominent daughter than her actual daughter?
Even Mammie admitted that playing opposite her mother made the emotional role easier to pull off. She said, "It would have been very hard with a stranger to unleash that degree of emotion without worrying, but I know my mom is a professional and she knows me so well."
Natasha And Vanessa Played Mother-Daughter In Evening
Mammie looks so much like Meryl that she also played a younger version of her mother's character in Evening. They weren't the only mother-daughter acting duo on set; the drama also starred the legendary Vanessa Redgrave and Natasha Richardson.
Vanessa portrayed a wom1n on her deathbed who is recounting her one and only true love. Meanwhile, her daughters, played by Natasha and Toni Collette, come to terms with their mother's ending life and what's come of their own. Sadly, Natasha passed just two years after the film's release in a skiing accident.
Jaden Made His Big Break At Age 7 Alongside His Father
Jaden Smith proved that the apple really doesn't fall from the tree when he starred alongside his father in The Pursuit of Happiness. Based on a true story, the tear-jerker film featured impressive performances from both stars, especially considering Jaden was only 7-years-old at the time.
Will Smith scored an Oscar nomination for the role while Jaden brought home an MTV Movie Award for Breakthrough Performance. Both have continued to star in smash hits, and they even reunited in the 2013 film After Earth.
Billy And Miley Starred In Hannah Montana For 4 Seasons
Remember the days when Billy Ray Cyrus was more famous than his daughter, Miley? Long before becoming a "Wrecking Ball," Miley was a teeny-bopper who got her big break by starring as the title role in Hannah Montana.
The Disney Channel sitcom starred Miley as a part-time regular teen, part-time superstar who used a wig and an alias to maintain a normal life. Billy played the star's dad and manager. The show hits so close to home that it may as well have been a reality tv show.
Rumer Acted Alongside Her Mother Demi And Father Bruce
The daughter of two famous actors, Rumer Willis started acting at a young age. Demi made the controversial decision to let the young girl appear in her film Striptease, where Rumer played the daughter of Demi's character. To the pushback, Demi replied, "We don't shame the body, we encourage the body as something beautiful and natural."
Rumer also starred as a younger version of Demi in the film Now and Then when she was just five-years-old. Years later, she appeared in the thriller Hostage, starring her father, Bruce Willis.
Donald And Keifer Starred Together In A 2015 Western
Donald and Keifer Sutherland are such successful actors on their own that you may be shocked to find that they're related! Keifer was just a teenager when he had a cameo appearance in his father's 1983 film, Max Dugan Returns.
They were also both in the 1996 film A Time To Kill, though they didn't appear in any scenes together. Nearly a decade later, they played characters who are also father and son in the western Forsaken.
Liza Was Just 2 When She Appeared In Judy's Film
Being that Liza Minnelli is the daughter of two powerhouses in the entertainment industry-- Judy Garland and Vincente Minnelli-- it's no wonder she started performing young. At just two-years-old, Liza joined her mother on-screen for the finale of In The Good Old Summertime.
Several years later, Liza was the host for the broadcast premiere of The Wizard of Oz, the movie Judy is still famous for, at the age of 10. In 1972, Liza also voiced her mother's role in the animated film A Journey Back To Oz.
3 Generations Of Douglas Actors Starred In It Runs In The Family
For a film called It Runs in the Family, it seems only appropriate to cast actors who are all in one family. In this case, it was the Douglas family. Kirk Douglas grew up impoverished and completely changed his life around when he became a film star in the 1950s.
If you see a younger picture of Kirk, you may spit out your drink because he looked just like his famous actor son, Michael Douglas. Sticking to family tradition, Michael's son Cameron also acts. The three appeared in the 2003 comedy together 17 years before Kirk passed at the age of 103!
Judd Directed While Leslie And Their Daughters Acted
Judd Apatow has a flair for directing adult comedies, and Leslie Mann has a flair for starring in them, so it's only natural that they ended up together. They made it a family affair when their daughters were old enough to join in the fun.
Maude and Iris were just little kids when they appeared in Knocked Up. A couple of years later, they joined their parents again for the making of Funny People. Leslie and the girls reprised their roles for the Knocked Up spinoff, This Is 40.
Willow Voiced Jada's Younger Self In Madagascar 2
Will and Jaden aren't the only actors in the Smith family who paired up for parent-child collaboration. Jada and daughter Willow also teamed up for the film Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa. In this sequel, Willow voiced the younger version of her mother's character, Gloria.
Willow has since voiced a character in her brother's animated series Neo Yokio. The young star also appeared in Will Smith's I Am Legend back in 2007. On another note, have you ever noticed that Jaden is named after their mom (Jada), and Willow is named after their dad (Will)?
Clint And Scott Have Collaborated On Multiple Films Together
Scott Eastwood has followed in his father's footsteps, establishing himself as a leading man with such striking looks that he also has a modeling career. The father-son duo first collaborated in Flags of our Fathers, which Scott acted in, and Clint produced, directed, and scored.
Clint also directed his son in Invictus. They acted side-by-side in the movies Trouble With The Curve and Gran Torino, both of which Clint starred in and directed. When asked about portraying his father in a film one day, Scott joked, "Well, I wouldn't have to say much."
Kate Hudson And Kurt Russell Starred In Deepwater Horizon
Though Kate Hudson has yet to star in a movie alongside her famous mother, Goldie Hawn, she has been in a film with stepfather Kurt Russell. They each played prominent roles in Deepwater Horizon, a dramatization of the offshore drilling rig explosion that occurred in April of 2010.
In the movie, Kurt plays an offshore installation manager, and Kate portrays the wife of protagonist Mike Williams (Mark Wahlberg), the Chief Electronics Technician of the operation. Though the two don't interact in the movie, it's heartwarming to see Kate act in a film with her decades-long father-figure.
Robin And Zelda Starred Together In House Of D
Though House of D didn't get the greatest reviews by critics nor audiences, it did feature Robin Williams playing alongside his talented daughter, Zelda. Robin portrayed a mentally challenged deliveryman who is best friends with a teenager, Anton Yelchin's character.
Zelda comes into the picture as the daughter of one of Robin's customers, and the teenage romance begins. Ironically, when Zelda and Anton's characters' take a liking to one another, Robin's character starts struggling with abandonment issues. It makes sense they picked a real-life father and daughter for those roles, doesn't it?
Eva Portrayed Susan's Younger Self In Dead Man Walking
Eva Amurri is not only the daughter of famous Susan Sarandon but also Italian director Franco Amurri. With such famous parents, it's no wonder the beauty has made a name for herself in Hollywood.
Early into her acting career, Eva portrayed a younger version of her mother's character in Dead Man Walking. The role was based on real-life Sister Helen Prejean, who accepted Susan's invite to Eva's wedding years later. We can only imagine who some of the other party guests must have been, especially considering the groom was pro soccer player Kyle Martino.
Will's Sons Voiced Characters In The Lego Batman Movie
Will Arnett is known for plenty of roles, but to kids, he's most notably the voice of Lego Batman. Lesser known is that his young sons, Archie and Abel, also loaned their voices to the movie. The kiddos were visiting their father in the studio booth when they were recruited to play two orphans in the film.
Being that Archie and Abel also have a performer mother-- actress Amy Poehler-- it's no wonder they were naturals. The boys were only ages 7 and 9 when The Lego Batman Movie came out, so they probably felt very cool among their friends.
At Age 10, Dakota Appeared In A Film Starring Her Mother
Another child of two famous parents-- Melanie Griffith and Don Johnson-- Dakota Johnson appeared in film early. She appeared in a minor role in her mother's film Crazy In Alabama, when she was just 10-years-old.
And did we mention that Dakota's stepfather was yet another famous actor, Antonio Banderas? Antonio and Melanie split in 2015 after almost two decades of marriage, but before then, Dakota spent many occasions on the red carpet with three parental figures.
Two Of Brad And Angelina's Kids Have Been In Their Films
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are not only famous for being Hollywood A-listers and having a controversial relationship, but also for being the parents of six children. Two of their famous little ones have even appeared in films with the stars.
The first was Shiloh, who had a brief cameo with his father in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Years later, little Vivienne appeared in her mother's film Maleficent. Fun fact, Elle Fanning starred in both films, portraying a young Daisy and later Princess Aurora.
