# Examples of family casting good enough that you noticed **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 29, 2010, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-family-casting-good-enough-that-you-noticed/534262 "2010-03-29T22:18:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![gwendee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/35a633/32.png) [@gwendee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gwendee)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2010, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-family-casting-good-enough-that-you-noticed/534262/1 "2010-03-29T22:18:54Z")
I’ve just borrowed season 1 of Army Wives from the library. It’s decent TV, certainly worth what I’m paying to watch it. One thing I keep noticing is that the families really look like families. The girls playing Kim Delaney’s daughters look like her. There’s a family with a teenaged son and he looks like a textbook illustration of what you’d get from This Mom + This Dad. I think DJ on Roseanne was a decent bit of casting. Any to add? Feel free to add examples of bad casting. I seem to recall it being remarked that the kids on Charles in Charge didn’t look like eachother or the parents or young enough to need childcare. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2010, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-family-casting-good-enough-that-you-noticed/534262/2 "2010-03-29T22:43:14Z")
Small Wonder is not a popular show, I know, but the father and son were incredibly well cast, so far as looking like an actual father and son - when I was watching it once as a kid, my mother actually asked if the actors were related. ---
**Author:** ![tattman40](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/db5fbb/32.png) [@tattman40](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tattman40)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2010, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-family-casting-good-enough-that-you-noticed/534262/3 "2010-03-29T23:01:38Z")
I always thought that Sally Struthers was perfect for Archie’s daughter on All in the Family. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Man\_In\_Black](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bcef8e/32.png) [@The\_Man\_In\_Black](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Man_In_Black)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2010, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-family-casting-good-enough-that-you-noticed/534262/4 "2010-03-29T23:25:35Z")
> [@Tengu](#): > > Small Wonder is not a popular show, I know, but the father and son were incredibly well cast, so far as looking like an actual father and son - when I was watching it once as a kid, my mother actually asked if the actors were related. Nothing to add. Just wanted to say that I love Small Wonder. ---
**Author:** ![Pray\_for\_peace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Pray\_for\_peace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pray_for_peace)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2010, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-family-casting-good-enough-that-you-noticed/534262/5 "2010-03-29T23:31:45Z")
I always thought that Charlie and the kids on Party of Five looked like real siblings. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2010, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-family-casting-good-enough-that-you-noticed/534262/6 "2010-03-29T23:32:46Z")
AJ and Anthony on Sopranos looked pretty realistic. ---
**Author:** ![Rico](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rico/32/3582_2.png) [@Rico](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rico)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2010, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-family-casting-good-enough-that-you-noticed/534262/7 "2010-03-30T00:07:49Z")
It wasn’t a TV show, but a commercial for ATT Go-Phones. [Starring singer Meat Loaf as a father and Adam Cagley as his son](http://30daysout.files.wordpress.com/2008/05/meat-loaf.jpg), parodying “Paradise By The Dashboard Lights.” Cagley was the perfect choice to be Meat’s son. And if you remember that commercial, 80s diva Tiffany Darwish played the mom. Oh yeah! [VIDEO: Here’s the extended spot - quite the production!](http://www.thedailyswarm.com/headlines/watch-meatloaf-tiffany/) ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2010, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-family-casting-good-enough-that-you-noticed/534262/8 "2010-03-30T00:16:14Z")
Vic Mackey’s [oldest child](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1188915/) on “The Shield” sure looked a lot like him… 😉 ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2010, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-family-casting-good-enough-that-you-noticed/534262/9 "2010-03-30T00:59:50Z")
I think everyone’s always thought that Kelsey Grammar and David Hyde Pierce are perfect as brothers. ---
**Author:** ![Eats\_Crayons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/278dde/32.png) [@Eats\_Crayons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eats_Crayons)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2010, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-family-casting-good-enough-that-you-noticed/534262/10 "2010-03-30T01:10:41Z")
> [@Sidney Evgeni Jordan](#): > > I always thought that Charlie and the kids on Party of Five looked like real siblings. That was going to be my pick. My girlfriend at the time even mentioned, “It’s amazing they were able to cast people who actually really look related.” ---
**Author:** ![Eats\_Crayons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/278dde/32.png) [@Eats\_Crayons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eats_Crayons)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2010, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-family-casting-good-enough-that-you-noticed/534262/11 "2010-03-30T01:12:24Z")
> [@gwendee](#): > > I think DJ on Roseanne was a decent bit of casting. I also thought Darlene was quite believable too. DJ looked like Roseanne, but Darlene had some Dan elements too. And John Ritter as the Scrub’s guys’ dad. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2010, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-family-casting-good-enough-that-you-noticed/534262/12 "2010-03-30T01:13:11Z")
Alton Brown’s “family” on _Good Eats_. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2010, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-family-casting-good-enough-that-you-noticed/534262/13 "2010-03-30T01:18:39Z")
Geraldine Chaplin playing her own real-life grandmother, Hannah, in **Chaplin**. Vicky Lawrence often played a relation to Carol Burnett in skits; they certainly looked like they were. ---
**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:** [March 30, 2010, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-family-casting-good-enough-that-you-noticed/534262/14 "2010-03-30T01:29:40Z")
> [@Rico](#): > > And if you remember that commercial, 80s diva Tiffany Darwish played the mom. Tiffany had a last name? Who knew? ---
**Author:** ![Long\_Time\_First\_Time](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ad7895/32.png) [@Long\_Time\_First\_Time](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Long_Time_First_Time)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2010, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-family-casting-good-enough-that-you-noticed/534262/15 "2010-03-30T01:31:06Z")
IMHO the Grey sisters, Lexi and Meridith on Grey’s anatomy look very much like sisters and their father could be their dad. Second Niles and Frazier ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2010, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-family-casting-good-enough-that-you-noticed/534262/16 "2010-03-30T01:33:16Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > Geraldine Chaplin playing her own real-life grandmother, Hannah, in **Chaplin**. > > Vicky Lawrence often played a relation to Carol Burnett in skits; they certainly looked like they were. [From Wiki.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vicki_Lawrence) > [@](#): > > She was the only cast member, except for Burnett herself, who stayed on the show for the entire eleven seasons. Lawrence’s ascension to become part of the Burnett show is part of Hollywood legend; she was hired for the show on the basis of a letter she had sent to Burnett and the producers,\*\* with a photograph of Lawrence that clearly showed her resemblance to Burnett.\*\* ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2010, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-family-casting-good-enough-that-you-noticed/534262/17 "2010-03-30T13:06:35Z")
In the movie “Atonement” I think they did a pretty good job matching [these](http://www.independent.ie/multimedia/archive/00158/SaoirseRonan_opt_158378b.jpg)[three](http://i.thisislondon.co.uk/i/pix/2008/01/003_garaiES_415x275.jpg) [actresses](http://www.zuguide.com/image/Vanessa-Redgrave-Atonement.7.jpg) , especially Mses Ronan and Redgrave. ---
**Author:** ![ianzin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ed655f/32.png) [@ianzin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ianzin)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2010, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-family-casting-good-enough-that-you-noticed/534262/18 "2010-03-30T13:13:23Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > I think everyone’s always thought that Kelsey Grammar and David Hyde Pierce are perfect as brothers. You’re right that many people seem to share this opinion. Just popping in to say that I have always been amazed by this, because to me they look nothing like siblings. I guess it just goes to show how subjective it all can be. ---
**Author:** ![DianaG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7ab992/32.png) [@DianaG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DianaG)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2010, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-family-casting-good-enough-that-you-noticed/534262/19 "2010-03-30T13:16:08Z")
Supernatural is really great at casting people to play older and younger versions of the characters. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2010, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-family-casting-good-enough-that-you-noticed/534262/20 "2010-03-30T13:24:50Z")
After years of hearing about Chandler’s transvesite father on Friends, casting Kathleen Turner in the role was brillant. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-family-casting-good-enough-that-you-noticed/534262.md?page=2)