You can't convince me Truman Hanks isn't just Tom Hanks with a time machine.
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:
1. Laurie Metcalf had a recurring role on The Big Bang Theory as Mary Cooper, Sheldon's mom, from 2007-2018.
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.
In 2017, Zoe told The Hollywood Reporter, "I know the casting directors and they were aware of the parental connection, and [Young Sheldon co-creators] Chuck and Steve Molaro were as well. Chuck was aware that I had become an actor but not of anything I’d done. I went in knowing that I had this odd connection on my side. Odd meaning that I am my mother’s daughter and there was a character already established by her. I knew I had to prove to them that [casting me] would be a good idea and showcase what they were envisioning in this character in a different stage of life."
Here's a side-by-side:
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.
Here's a side-by-side:
3. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson played a fictionalized version of his wrestler father, Rocky Johnson, on a 1999 episode of That '70s Show.
Here's a side-by-side:
It was The Rock's first acting role.
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.
Dascha told E!, "The opportunity was given, and, you know, she worked for it, and that's what it is."
Here's a side-by-side:
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.
While fimling an epsiode in 2020, Sean had the idea for the prequel series NCIS: Origins. In 2024, he told USA Today, "It was a lightning-bolt moment. Gibbs is a guy who has something broken inside, a guy who at one point could have down a darker path."
However, he had no desire to play the lead himself.
He said, "It was an absolute honor to step into the role; it will always be something I’ll hold close to my heart. In truth, I never intended to make a career out of it."
Austin Stowell stepped into the role of Gibbs on NCIS: Origins.
Here's a side-by-side:
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.
In 2018, Michael told Live with Kelly & Ryan, "Dad told me that they wanted me to audition for it, and I was so nervous. I never auditioned for anything before. So, I went there with a bunch of people who could've been brothers or cousins. It looked like there was a bunch of Michaels in the audition room."
Here's a side-by-side:
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.
Mamie told New York Magazine, "I was cast before she was, I’ll say that...We did [have a conversation], but it was brief. Basically, it was, 'You know, fuck it. Why the hell not?'"
Here's a side-by-side:
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.
Here's a side-by-side:
9. Melissa Rivers played her late mother, Joan Rivers, in Joy, a biopic about inventor Joy Mangano starring Jennifer Lawrence.
Here's a side-by-side:
Melissa told the Hollywood Reporter, "I wanted to make sure it looked right. I wanted to make sure that it was respectful. And honestly, once the wig was on I stopped looking in a mirror — it was too bizarre."
10. Tom Hanks starred as Otto Anderson in A Man Called Otto.
His son, Truman Hanks, played the younger version of Otto.
Tom told Today, "Truman, who is either burdened or blessed by resembling myself at the same age as him, and Marc Forster, our fabulous director, just says, 'You know what? It's always so fake to get somebody else to come in and play you, 'cause they never look right. Could maybe Truman do this?'"
Here's a side-by-side:
11. C.J. Wallace played his late father, The Notorious B.I.G., as a child in Notorious.
C.J. told the Columbus Telegram, "Other people may look like him and dress in the same exact way, but I did well because I know how to react because my grandmother...told me about him and his actions and other things."
12. O'Shea Jackson Jr. played his dad, Ice Cube, in the N.W.A. biopic Straight Outta Compton.
Here's a side-by-side:
O'Shea told News Corp Australia Network, "[Director F. Gary Gray] knew that this movie had to be authentic and nobody is going to handle this role as passionately as I would because it’s my family’s legacy."
13. Mila Jovovich played Alicia Marcus in Resident Evil: The Final Chapter.
Her daughter, Ever Anderson, played the younger version of Alicia.
Here's a side-by-side:
It was directed by Ever's dad, Paul W.S. Anderson.
In a 2016 Facebook chat, then-eight-year-old Ever submitted the question, "Mama, how was it to work with me?"
Mila replied, "It was so amazing to work with you. You are [an] unbelievably talented actress, more talented than I've ever been. It was an honor and a privilege to work with you. You're such a great listener and you understand what it is to be real and natural and organic, and I give you so much kudos for that… you keep impressing me every single day."
14. Sophia Loren played both her mother Romilda Villani and herself in Sophia Loren: Her Own Story.
Sophia played Romilda again in the miniseries My House Is Full of Mirrors (2010).
Here are Sophia and Romilda together IRL:
Sophia again played Romilda in the TV biopic La Mia Casa E Piena di Specchi.
15. Mario Van Peebles wrote, produced, directed, and starred as his filmmaker father, Melvin Van Peebles, in the biopic Baadasssss!
Here's a side-by-side:
The film is based on Melvin's experience creating his 1971 indie film Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song, in which he also played the lead. Mario had a minor role in that movie as well, playing the younger iteration of Sweetback.
16. Former Phillies GM Rubén Amaro Jr. played his dad, former MLB player Rubén Amaro Sr., on two episodes of The Goldbergs.
Here's a side-by-side:
A teenage version of Rubén Amaro Jr. was also a recurring character on the show because he went to high school with Adam F. Goldberg, the semi-autobiographical show's creator, in real life.
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.
Atandwa told the Moana Nui Podcast, "One of my biggest dreams as an actor, being raised by this great man, was always to work with him. Because the actor you see, I mean, I've watched him on stage a lot of the time, and the actor you see on stage is not the person that you see at home. So, everybody that comes up to him, like, 'Oh my God, I love you. John, I love you.' I'm like, 'I don't know this guy.' I know the guy that screams at me because the dishes haven't been washed or the dogs haven't eaten or whatnot. So working with him has always been the highlight of my career."
Here's a side-by-side:
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.
Before reprising his dad's iconic role, Michael hadn't watched much of The Sopranos. However, he knew writer/producer David Chase growing up, and he agreed to audition for the role in hopes of impressing the casting director enough to be considered for different parts in the future. To get ready for the audition, he watched the whole first season of The Sopranos.
He told the New York Times, "It was hard to watch my dad alone and then having no one to lean onto...He so was not Tony. The only insight that I think I gained was deep pride in him. I’m exhausted after three months — you did that for nine years?”
Here's a side-by-side:
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.
Before Rhys accepted the role, his two sons knew more about the character than he did.
He told Collider, "Actually, one of my sons was playing a video game where he featured in it. I think my...would've been my 11-year-old at that point, was playing one of those video games that feature pirates, and he says, 'Oh, yes, I know, Dad. He's from this game.'"
Here's a side-by-side:
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.
Here's a side-by-side:
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.
They also shared the role of Bud Vogel in Memorial Day.
Here's a side-by-side:
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.
In 2022, Titus told Looper, "It does give us a little look back and I thought Eamonn really ... made it his own, but he really kept to the integrity of who Harry was, and we really see that the adult that Harry is. The character that we've seen for all these seasons, we get a glimpse into [the fact] that he's always been this guy with the same intensity and attitude about right and wrong."
Here's a side-by-side:
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.
Here's a side-by-side:
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.
Here's a side-by-side:
