# Actors playing younger version of another actor **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 14, 2014, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-playing-younger-version-of-another-actor/690752 "2014-06-14T03:52:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Gretchion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8edcca/32.png) [@Gretchion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gretchion)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2014, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-playing-younger-version-of-another-actor/690752/1 "2014-06-14T03:52:14Z")
So recently I read that Troy Gentile from The Goldbergs played a young version of Jack Black’s character in Nacho Libre, and then played a young Jack Black in Tenacious D The Pick of Destiny. Have any other actors played a younger version of another actor in more than one movie? ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2014, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-playing-younger-version-of-another-actor/690752/2 "2014-06-14T06:08:51Z")
Obvious references are James McAvoy as young Patrick Stewart, Michael Fassbender as a young Sir Ian McKellan, and Jennifer Lawrence as a young Rebecca Romijn in the recent _X-Men_ movies. ETA: The recent ones being _X-Men: First Class_ and _Days of Future Past_. ---
**Author:** ![buddha\_david](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@buddha\_david](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddha_david)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2014, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-playing-younger-version-of-another-actor/690752/3 "2014-06-14T06:59:23Z")
This should at least get honorable mention: In 1971’s _Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song_, Mario van Peebles portrayed the young version of Sweet Sweetback, who was played by his father Melvin van Peebles. Thirty years later, in the biographical film _Baadasssss!,_ Mario portrayed the role of his father, as well as the role of Sweetback in the film he was trying to produce and distribute. So essentially, Mario van Peebles has played a younger version of himself. ---
**Author:** ![Neverending\_Elbow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e274bd/32.png) [@Neverending\_Elbow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neverending_Elbow)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2014, 7:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-playing-younger-version-of-another-actor/690752/4 "2014-06-14T07:34:47Z")
In [“A Young Doctor’s Notebook”](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2164430/?ref_=nv_sr_1) Daniel Radcliffe plays a younger version of Jon Hamm. The differences in stature and general appearance are intentional, as the older doctor views his younger self as a small, stupid kid, who had no idea what he was getting into. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2014, 8:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-playing-younger-version-of-another-actor/690752/5 "2014-06-14T08:01:30Z")
Another obvious one is Zachary Quinto and Leonard Nimoy playing the younger and older Spock in the two recent _Star Trek_ movies. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2014, 10:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-playing-younger-version-of-another-actor/690752/6 "2014-06-14T10:03:47Z")
Isis Carmen Jones is an actress with two IMDB credits. One is for playing the young Delores in _Sister Act_, in which the older Delores is played by Whoopi Goldberg. The other is for playing a young Guinan in ST-TNG, in which the elder Guinan is played by Whoopi Goldberg. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2014, 10:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-playing-younger-version-of-another-actor/690752/7 "2014-06-14T10:40:36Z")
Robert De Niro played a younger version of Vito Corleone in The Godfather II, the role that Marlon Brando played in the original Godfather. Both actors won Academy Awards for their respective films, too, Brando for Best Actor and De Niro for Best Supporting Actor. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2014, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-playing-younger-version-of-another-actor/690752/8 "2014-06-14T11:53:16Z")
Uhhhh … Ewan McGregor as the young Obi-Wan Kenobi, originally played by Sir Alec Guinness? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2014, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-playing-younger-version-of-another-actor/690752/9 "2014-06-14T13:11:12Z")
> [@Baker](#): > > Isis Carmen Jones is an actress with two IMDB credits. One is for playing the young Delores in _Sister Act_, in which the older Delores is played by Whoopi Goldberg. > > The other is for playing a young Guinan in ST-TNG, in which the elder Guinan is played by Whoopi Goldberg. This seems to be the only post that fits what I assume the OP wanted. The others are all just younger versions of specific characters–some of them, for some reason, not even in more than one movie. ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2014, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-playing-younger-version-of-another-actor/690752/10 "2014-06-14T14:16:35Z")
Martin Freeman has played Bilbo Baggins at 50-ish in two movies, with a third to come; Ian Holm played Bilbo Baggins at 111+ in three movies. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2014, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-playing-younger-version-of-another-actor/690752/11 "2014-06-14T14:38:08Z")
> [@Gretchion](#): > > So recently I read that Troy Gentile from The Goldbergs played a young version of Jack Black’s character in Nacho Libre, and then played a young Jack Black in Tenacious D The Pick of Destiny. > [@Superdude](#): > > Obvious references are James McAvoy as young Patrick Stewart, Michael Fassbender as a young Sir Ian McKellan, and Jennifer Lawrence as a young Rebecca Romijn in the recent _X-Men_ movies. People, I think you are all misunderstanding the question. Troy Gentile actually played the character named ‘Jack Black.’ James McAvoy did NOT play a character named ‘Patrick Stewart.’ See the difference? In [The Jolson Story](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0038661/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1)(1946) Al Jolson was played by Larry Parks and Scotty Beckett. In [Jersey Boys](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1742044/fullcredits?ref_=tt_cl_sm#cast)a young Joe Pesci is played by Joseph Russo. That’s what the OP wants… I think. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2014, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-playing-younger-version-of-another-actor/690752/12 "2014-06-14T14:39:53Z")
Actually, I misread the OP too. “More than one movie” … missed that bit. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2014, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-playing-younger-version-of-another-actor/690752/13 "2014-06-14T15:08:29Z")
So, it’s asking about actors who have played a real-life person (who also happens to be an actor, or at least an entertainer of some kind) in more than one film? Larry Parks portrayed Al Jolson twice, in _The Jolson Story_ and _Jolson Sings Again_. Michael Sheen has portrayed Tony Blair several times, for sufficiently generous definitions of “entertainer.” ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2014, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-playing-younger-version-of-another-actor/690752/14 "2014-06-14T15:11:51Z")
I think the OP is asking for an actor who played a younger version of another actor (not just the same character) in two movies. Actor Joe Smith played a younger version of a character played by actor Bob Brown in movie #1. Actor Joe Smith played a younger version of a **different** character played by actor Bob Brown in movie #2. ---
**Author:** ![Ashley\_Pomeroy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c68b51/32.png) [@Ashley\_Pomeroy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ashley_Pomeroy)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2014, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-playing-younger-version-of-another-actor/690752/15 "2014-06-14T15:34:15Z")
> [@buddha\_david](#): > > This should at least get honorable mention: In 1971’s _Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song_, Mario van Peebles portrayed the young version of Sweet Sweetback, who was played by his father Melvin van Peebles. Thirty years later, in the biographical film _Baadasssss!,_ Mario portrayed the role of his father, as well as the role of Sweetback in the film he was trying to produce and distribute. So essentially, Mario van Peebles has played a younger version of himself. I… I… Melvin… I cannot… (brain explodes) Er, Ronald Reagan was an actor, and both Richard Crenna and Josh Brolin played him; Brolin played a younger Reagan although Crenna didn’t, albeit that Crenna was playing a version of Reagan younger than the real-life Reagan (who was still alive at the time). ---
**Author:** ![Ibn\_Warraq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e19b73/32.png) [@Ibn\_Warraq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ibn_Warraq)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2014, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-playing-younger-version-of-another-actor/690752/16 "2014-06-14T15:45:21Z")
> [@Ashley\_Pomeroy](#): > > I… I… Melvin… I cannot… (brain explodes) > > Er, Ronald Reagan was an actor, and both Richard Crenna and Josh Brolin played him; Brolin played a younger Reagan although Crenna didn’t, albeit that Crenna was playing a version of Reagan younger than the real-life Reagan (who was still alive at the time). Nitpick. I think you meant James Brolin. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2014, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-playing-younger-version-of-another-actor/690752/17 "2014-06-14T15:57:30Z")
Well, any actor who has played himself in a film has played a younger version of himself, if the events in the film are historical. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2014, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-playing-younger-version-of-another-actor/690752/18 "2014-06-14T18:14:22Z")
> [@Ashley\_Pomeroy](#): > > I… I… Melvin… I cannot… (brain explodes) > > Er, Ronald Reagan was an actor, and both Richard Crenna and Josh Brolin played him; Brolin played a younger Reagan although Crenna didn’t, albeit that Crenna was playing a version of Reagan younger than the real-life Reagan (who was still alive at the time). Nitpick: _James_ Brolin played Ronald Reagan. Josh, his son, played George W. Bush. ---
**Author:** ![dasmoocher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dbc845/32.png) [@dasmoocher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dasmoocher)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2014, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-playing-younger-version-of-another-actor/690752/19 "2014-06-14T21:19:03Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > Well, any actor who has played himself in a film has played a younger version of himself, if the events in the film are historical. It’s been a while since I’ve seen it, but the Andy Kaufman _Man on the Moon_ biopic would qualify for a few, right? ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2014, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-playing-younger-version-of-another-actor/690752/20 "2014-06-14T21:24:56Z")
> [@Baker](#): > > Isis Carmen Jones is an actress with two IMDB credits. One is for playing the young Delores in _Sister Act_, in which the older Delores is played by Whoopi Goldberg. > > The other is for playing a young Guinan in ST-TNG, in which the elder Guinan is played by Whoopi Goldberg. Bonus points to Baker for actually reading and understanding the OP. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-playing-younger-version-of-another-actor/690752.md?page=2)