# Actors who have appeared in the same film/show but not as relatives **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 26, 2009, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-have-appeared-in-the-same-film-show-but-not-as-relatives/507717 "2009-08-26T00:38:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2009, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-have-appeared-in-the-same-film-show-but-not-as-relatives/507717/1 "2009-08-26T00:38:49Z")
Examples: Lots of times actor’s family members will have cameos: Jean Stapleton’s son had a walk-on as a Boy Scout in an _ALL IN THE FAMILY_ episode, Charlton Heston’s son played the infant Moses in _THE TEN COMMANDMENTS_, one of Tony Shalhoub’s children was recently on MONK and had about one line- but I’m talking about “more than third spearcarrier from the left” roles. Carroll O’Connor’s much troubled real life son Hugh (adopted, hence the lack of resemblance) was a regular as one of the deputies _In the Heat of the Night_. He was rarely the focus of the episode, but some weeks his part was bigger than others. Their characters weren’t related. In _ED WOOD_ Martin Landau portrayed Bela Lugosi, a performance for which he won an Oscar. His real life daughter Juliet Landau played Loretta King, a significant supporting role (she’s the actress who Ed mistakenly thinks is going to finance his movie). I can’t remember if they interact (Bela was the villain in the movie in which Loretta appears), but their characters aren’t related to each other. In _A TIME TO KILL_ Donald Sutherland plays Lucien Wilbanks, the alcoholic disbarred lawyer who’s mentor to the hero (Matthew McConnaughey). Kiefer Sutherland is Freddie Lee Cobb (the brother of one of the two men Samuel Jackson’s character murders as revenge for raping his daughter) who joins the KKK. The characters aren’t related and I don’t believe they interact. In the TV series _3rd Rock from the Sun_ John Lithgow’s real life son- who looks a lot like him- portrayed one of his students, Leon, in many episodes. Usually it was just a bit part but a few times he had something to do other than just sit in his desk and look stupid and intimidated (the character was both). He and Lithgow were usually in the same scene and Ian looks a lot like him. (As Ian hasn’t done any acting since then and went to Harvard I’m assuming this was largely a “let’s earn some college/student loan payback money” thing.) Any other examples you can think of? ---
**Author:** ![CT\_Damsel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@CT\_Damsel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CT_Damsel)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2009, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-have-appeared-in-the-same-film-show-but-not-as-relatives/507717/2 "2009-08-26T00:44:59Z")
oops you said not relatives. Sorry ---
**Author:** ![breezman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4491bb/32.png) [@breezman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/breezman)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2009, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-have-appeared-in-the-same-film-show-but-not-as-relatives/507717/3 "2009-08-26T01:07:27Z")
On the ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW, Ron Howard’s father and brother occasionally appeared. His dad had one minor speaking role as a bus driver or something, and was also a non-speaking guest at a party. Ron Howard’s brother on a number of occasions played Leon. Leon never did anything but stand on the street or sidewalk, eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, which he always offered to share with whoever said “hi” to him. On one episode of MARRIED WITH CHILDREN, David Faustino’s (aka Bud Bundy) brother Michael played an attendant at a car wash. He looked a little bit like David F, but sounded _exactly_ like him. At the beginning of THE BREAKFAST CLUB, Anthony Michael Hall is dropped off at school by his real-life mother and sister. ---
**Author:** ![TWDuke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e495f1/32.png) [@TWDuke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TWDuke)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2009, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-have-appeared-in-the-same-film-show-but-not-as-relatives/507717/4 "2009-08-26T01:24:50Z")
Christopher Masterson of **Malcolm in the Middle** was a guest star on an episode of **That '70s Show** , on which his brother Danny Masterson was a regular. Their characters were not related in any way. Brother and sister Harry and Daisy Earles played characters in **Freaks** that were unrelated - by blood, anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2009, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-have-appeared-in-the-same-film-show-but-not-as-relatives/507717/5 "2009-08-26T01:25:20Z")
In _The Royal Tenenbaums_ (2001), Owen Wilson plays tennis pro Richie Tenenbaum, while his brother Luke plays Eli, his friend from across the street. Brian Doyle Murray appears in bit parts in many Bill Murray movies, usually as an unrelated character. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2009, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-have-appeared-in-the-same-film-show-but-not-as-relatives/507717/6 "2009-08-26T01:30:52Z")
> [@breezman](#): > > On the ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW, Ron Howard’s father and brother occasionally appeared. His dad had one minor speaking role as a bus driver or something, and was also a non-speaking guest at a party. Ron Howard’s brother on a number of occasions played Leon. Leon never did anything but stand on the street or sidewalk, eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, which he always offered to share with whoever said “hi” to him. In Ron Howard’s _Apollo 13_ his mother played Jim Lovell’s mother and his father played a minister at the house. Tony Shaloub’s wife Brooke Adams played a stewardess that Monk tortured on a flight. She then played the role again on the 100th episode. Looks like she played two other roles on the show but I don’t remember them. ---
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2009, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-have-appeared-in-the-same-film-show-but-not-as-relatives/507717/7 "2009-08-26T01:34:13Z")
In _Grosse Pointe Blank_, John Cusack plays Joan Cusack’s boss, but not her brother. ETA: IMDB says Joan’s been in 10 movies with John, but it doesn’t list them. ---
**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:** [August 26, 2009, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-have-appeared-in-the-same-film-show-but-not-as-relatives/507717/8 "2009-08-26T01:35:38Z")
Three of Charlie Sheen’s relatives have appeared on Two and a Half Men, not as relatives of his character, Charlie. [ul] [li]Father Martin Sheen has appeared as the father of the neighbor, Rose.[/li][li]Brother Emilio Estevez has appeared as a friend of Charlie’s.[/li][li]Sam Sheen, Charlie Sheen and Denise Richards’s daughter, has played the daughter of Lisa (Richards).[/li][/ul] ---
**Author:** ![mshar253](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6de8d8/32.png) [@mshar253](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mshar253)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2009, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-have-appeared-in-the-same-film-show-but-not-as-relatives/507717/9 "2009-08-26T01:42:15Z")
Becky Slater, a character from The Wonder Years who was obsessed with Kevin Arnold (IIRC), is the real-life sister of Danica McKellar, Winnie Cooper. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2009, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-have-appeared-in-the-same-film-show-but-not-as-relatives/507717/10 "2009-08-26T01:45:19Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > Looks like she played two other roles on the show but I don’t remember them. She played a Sheriff out in some country backwoods town. She was dressed up completely differently to her Flight Attendant role, so it almost worked. Two of the Wilson brothers, Luke and Andrew, played distinctly separate roles in _Charlie’s Angels_ (one as Cameron Diaz’s love interest, the other as a Chauffeur). But as the Wilsons all look very distinctive, with the big chins and the teeth, it was a little bit obvious. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2009, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-have-appeared-in-the-same-film-show-but-not-as-relatives/507717/11 "2009-08-26T01:46:10Z")
Fred Savage appeared as a professor on Boy Meets World (the show that Ben Savage starred in). He’s not supposed to be related to the Cory character. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2009, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-have-appeared-in-the-same-film-show-but-not-as-relatives/507717/12 "2009-08-26T01:53:25Z")
Martin Sheen’s daughter Renée Estevez had a minor recurring role on **The West Wing** (Nancy, one of the President’s clerical secretaries). I only recall her speaking once, something along the lines of “Good morning, Mr. President.” No important plotlines really involved her. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2009, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-have-appeared-in-the-same-film-show-but-not-as-relatives/507717/13 "2009-08-26T02:01:48Z")
Dennis Weaver’s sons Robby, Rick and Rusty all had occasional bit parts on **McCloud** and **Gunsmoke** ; Rusty was also in an episode of **Gentle Ben**. Except for one or two episodes of **Gunsmoke** , all of these were with their dad and none of them were as Chester’s relatives. ---
**Author:** ![parthenokinesis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/cc9497/32.png) [@parthenokinesis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/parthenokinesis)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2009, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-have-appeared-in-the-same-film-show-but-not-as-relatives/507717/14 "2009-08-26T02:29:00Z")
Rosanna Arquette was on Medium for something or other. Really couldn’t stand to watch it or remember what she played from what I did catch, but it happened. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Punkyova](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@The\_Punkyova](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Punkyova)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2009, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-have-appeared-in-the-same-film-show-but-not-as-relatives/507717/15 "2009-08-26T04:01:26Z")
When Buddy Ebsen was starring in Barnaby Jones, his daughter Bonnie was trying to establish herself as an actress. She was blonde and cute, and I remember her having a part in a short lived sit-com. She guest starred on Barnaby Jones, in a standard sexual victim role. I remember wondering what kind of father would think it was a good idea to put his daughter in public in that kind of situation, but I was young, naive and unaware of the lure of stardom. Actually, imdb shows them together in 6 episodes of Barnaby Jones and 2 TV movies. And it lists Bonnie in a dozen roles over 20 years, which is much more of a career than I would have expected. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2009, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-have-appeared-in-the-same-film-show-but-not-as-relatives/507717/16 "2009-08-26T05:26:47Z")
> [@Bayard](#): > > In _Grosse Pointe Blank_, John Cusack plays Joan Cusack’s boss, but not her brother. > > ETA: IMDB says Joan’s been in 10 movies with John, but it doesn’t list them. Broadcast News (1987) Class (1983) Cradle Will Rock (1999) Grandview, U.S.A. (1984) Grosse Pointe Blank (1997) High Fidelity (2000) Martian Child (2007) Say Anything… (1989) Sixteen Candles (1984) War, Inc. (2008) ---
**Author:** ![Lantern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d26b3c/32.png) [@Lantern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lantern)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2009, 7:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-have-appeared-in-the-same-film-show-but-not-as-relatives/507717/17 "2009-08-26T07:02:39Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > In Ron Howard’s _Apollo 13_ his mother played Jim Lovell’s mother and his father played a minister at the house. In addition, his brother Clint Howard played a NASA flight controller. ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2009, 10:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-have-appeared-in-the-same-film-show-but-not-as-relatives/507717/18 "2009-08-26T10:42:09Z")
_Little House on the Prairie_ had several examples. Melissa Gilbert played Laura Ingalls while her brother Jonathan Gilbert played Willie Oleson. Patrick Labyorteaux played Andy Garvey while his brother Matthew Laborteaux (note different spelling of surname) played Albert Ingalls. Michael Landon was Charles Ingalls while his daughter Leslie Landon played one of the schoolteachers, Miss Plum. ---
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2009, 10:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-have-appeared-in-the-same-film-show-but-not-as-relatives/507717/19 "2009-08-26T10:55:06Z")
Alan Alda’s father Robert appeared in an episode of **Mash** as a visiting surgeon, unrelated to Alda’s character. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2009, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-have-appeared-in-the-same-film-show-but-not-as-relatives/507717/20 "2009-08-26T11:59:01Z")
Howard Stern’s then-wife Alison had a blink-and-you-miss-it cameo as a switchboard operator in **Private Parts**. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-have-appeared-in-the-same-film-show-but-not-as-relatives/507717.md?page=2)