# Least believable relatives ever cast opposite one another? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 23, 2004, 12:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/least-believable-relatives-ever-cast-opposite-one-another/246643 "2004-05-23T12:08:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![bienville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@bienville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bienville)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2004, 12:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/least-believable-relatives-ever-cast-opposite-one-another/246643/1 "2004-05-23T12:08:40Z")
I was watching [The Wolf Man](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0034398/) recently (got the DVD Legacy Collection). As I watched the film, I found it a bit distracting (in an amusing way) that Lon Chaney Jr. was supposed to be Claude Rains’ son. I kept trying to imagine just how giant a woman Rains would have had to have had sex with in order to produce Lon Chaney. The two are just so incredibly mismatched in terms of physical characteristics it was laughable. Now I know that genetics play surprises in real life too. I’m a pale skinned, 5’7”, redhead, whereas my brother is a tanned 6’4” blonde- same mother same father. I also understand the willing suspension of disbelief while watching a film. But still, can you think of any pairings of family members in movies or on T.V. that you just couldn’t accept (based on contrasting physical characteristics)? . ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2004, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/least-believable-relatives-ever-cast-opposite-one-another/246643/2 "2004-05-23T13:20:01Z")
> [@bienville](#): > > … But still, can you think of any pairings of family members in movies or on T.V. that you just couldn’t accept (based on contrasting physical characteristics)? > > . Randy Quaid and Dennis Quaid were cast as brothers in some movie, those guys don’t look anything alike. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2004, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/least-believable-relatives-ever-cast-opposite-one-another/246643/3 "2004-05-23T14:14:30Z")
Those towhead, blue-eyed children on Everybody Loves Raymond. I think the Quaid brothers do look alike. Except one is much more better looking. Reminds me of the basketball Millers. Cheryl and Reggie look remarkably alike but somehow Cheryl is a very attractive woman and Reggie is a Ferengi. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2004, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/least-believable-relatives-ever-cast-opposite-one-another/246643/4 "2004-05-23T14:27:29Z")
Sean Connery, Dustin Hoffman, and Matthew Broderick played grandfather-father-son in _Family Business_, leading one to conclude that the women in that family were highly promiscuous. In the same year, Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise were equally unlikely brothers in _Rain Man_. ---
**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:** [May 23, 2004, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/least-believable-relatives-ever-cast-opposite-one-another/246643/5 "2004-05-23T15:46:05Z")
> [@ArchiveGuy](#): > > In the same year, Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise were equally unlikely brothers in _Rain Man_. Aw, c’mon! They’ve both got dark hair and a beak! I found Billy Crudup to be kinda wrong as the son of Ewan McGregor/Albert Finney and Alison Lohman/Jessica Lange. Two light-haired blue-eyed parents producing a boy with black semi-curly locks and dark eyes? They should’ve asked Jared Leto if he was busy that week for the same basic look but more believable parentage. ---
**Author:** ![BiblioCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BiblioCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BiblioCat)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2004, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/least-believable-relatives-ever-cast-opposite-one-another/246643/6 "2004-05-23T16:01:53Z")
> [@Biggirl](#): > > Those towhead, blue-eyed children on Everybody Loves Raymond. And add to that the towhead, blue-eyed kids on _Full House_, who were supposed to be the children of a brunette Bob Sagat and John Stamos’ sister, whose family was Greek. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Tusculan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecd19e/32.png) [@Tusculan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tusculan)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2004, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/least-believable-relatives-ever-cast-opposite-one-another/246643/7 "2004-05-23T16:24:43Z")
Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito were cast as [twins](http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0096320/). What? ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2004, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/least-believable-relatives-ever-cast-opposite-one-another/246643/8 "2004-05-23T17:08:26Z")
> [@BiblioCat](#): > > And add to that the towhead, blue-eyed kids on _Full House_, who were supposed to be the children of a brunette Bob Sagat and John Stamos’ sister, whose family was Greek. :rolleyes: I’ll complete the unholy towheaded trio by adding the entire cast of _Seventh Heaven_. The only people who look remotely blood-related are the parents! ---
**Author:** ![wolf\_meister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf_meister/32/15202_2.png) [@wolf\_meister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_meister)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2004, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/least-believable-relatives-ever-cast-opposite-one-another/246643/9 "2004-05-23T17:12:04Z")
The best example of this has to be the movie “To Catch A Thief” (1955) where Jessie Royce Landis (born Nov 25, 1904) portrays the _mother_ of Cary Grant (born January 18, 1904) !!! Other egregious pairings: Angela Lansbury (born October 16, 1925) portrays the mother of Elvis Presley (born January 8, 1935) in “Blue Hawaii”. Angela Lansbury (born October 16, 1925) portrays the mother of Laurence Harvey (born October 1, 1928) in “The Manchurian Candidate”. Spencer Tracy (born April 5, 1900) and Robert Wagner (born February 10, 1930) portray _brothers_ (okay half brothers) in the movie “The Mountain”. ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Mapp](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miss_mapp/32/369_2.png) [@Miss\_Mapp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Mapp)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2004, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/least-believable-relatives-ever-cast-opposite-one-another/246643/10 "2004-05-23T17:14:09Z")
> [@ArchiveGuy](#): > > In the same year, Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise were equally unlikely brothers in _Rain Man_. This was a bit of casting that always seemed unlikely to me too, until I saw _The Graduate_ again; in the scenes where young Hoffman hangs around by the pool wearing his sunglasses, I can see a plausible resemblance to Cruise. The least believable family casting I ever saw was Ricardo Montalban and Esther Williams as twin brother and sister in a film called _Fiesta_: [http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0039377/](http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0039377/) Mary Astor played their mother. ---
**Author:** ![Agrippina](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8797f3/32.png) [@Agrippina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agrippina)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2004, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/least-believable-relatives-ever-cast-opposite-one-another/246643/11 "2004-05-23T17:23:39Z")
> [@wolf\_meister](#): > > The best example of this has to be the movie “To Catch A Thief” (1955) where Jessie Royce Landis (born Nov 25, 1904) portrays the _mother_ of Cary Grant (born January 18, 1904) !!! > > Other egregious pairings: > Angela Lansbury (born October 16, 1925) portrays the mother of Elvis Presley (born January 8, 1935) in “Blue Hawaii”. On the show “Frasier”, John Mahoney (born 1940) played the father of Kelsey Grammer (born 1955). ---
**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:** [May 23, 2004, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/least-believable-relatives-ever-cast-opposite-one-another/246643/12 "2004-05-23T17:37:33Z")
Michael Gambon and L.L. Cool J cast as father and son in _Toys_ (one of the worst movies of all time). ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2004, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/least-believable-relatives-ever-cast-opposite-one-another/246643/13 "2004-05-23T17:54:31Z")
> [@wolf\_meister](#): > > The best example of this has to be the movie “To Catch A Thief” (1955) where Jessie Royce Landis (born Nov 25, 1904) portrays the _mother_ of Cary Grant (born January 18, 1904) !!! Right pair, wrong movie. Jessie played Grace Kelly’s mother in _To Catch a Thief_. Jessie played Cary Grant’s mother in _North by Northwest_. ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_Rhosis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@Sir\_Rhosis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_Rhosis)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2004, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/least-believable-relatives-ever-cast-opposite-one-another/246643/14 "2004-05-23T18:20:38Z")
IRL families often produce talent and no talent siblings. I remember an episode of M_A_S\*H which co-starred Alan’s father, Robert and Alan’s younger brother (Anthony?). Robert and Alan gave their usual good performances, while the younger Alda was cringe-inducing (he had to yell at the two elder Aldas over something). Good God, y’all. Sir Rhosis ---
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2004, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/least-believable-relatives-ever-cast-opposite-one-another/246643/15 "2004-05-23T18:26:01Z")
_According to Jim_, anyone? ---
**Author:** ![ioioio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ioioio/32/316_2.png) [@ioioio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ioioio)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2004, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/least-believable-relatives-ever-cast-opposite-one-another/246643/16 "2004-05-23T18:39:38Z")
In Kenneth Branagh’s _Much Ado About Nothing,_ Denzel Washington and Keanu Reeves are cast as half-brothers (Don Pedro and Don John). ---
**Author:** ![Askia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/96bed5/32.png) [@Askia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askia)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2004, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/least-believable-relatives-ever-cast-opposite-one-another/246643/17 "2004-05-23T22:32:49Z")
Well, Jeff Goldblum (son) as the intellectual progeny of Judd Hirsch (father) in Independence Day strained plausibilty, Jeff Goldblum and his “daughter” in Jurassic Park 2 strained biological plausibilty. Is it possible to find Jeff Goldblum effectively credible as anyone’s relative? ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2004, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/least-believable-relatives-ever-cast-opposite-one-another/246643/18 "2004-05-23T22:35:53Z")
The father and brothers in **Legends of the Fall**. Totally unbelievable casting. ---
**Author:** ![wolf\_meister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf_meister/32/15202_2.png) [@wolf\_meister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_meister)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2004, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/least-believable-relatives-ever-cast-opposite-one-another/246643/19 "2004-05-24T02:09:55Z")
**Walloon** I’ll admit I made a mistake. :smack: Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![MidnightRadio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecd19e/32.png) [@MidnightRadio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MidnightRadio)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2004, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/least-believable-relatives-ever-cast-opposite-one-another/246643/20 "2004-05-24T04:23:33Z")
In _Poltergeist_, when the father goes to the parapsychologists to ask for help, they ask him the ages of each member of the family. He says that he’s 31 and his wife is 30 or something like that and that their oldest daughter is 16. It’s not impossible, but it’s highly unlikely that a couple their age would have a 16-year-old daughter. And yet, at the same time, I can’t help but think that the writer(s) knew what they were doing. I mean, it’d be one thing if the ages of the parents and the age of the daughter were mentioned in two separate scenes. At least then, the excuse could be made that the writer(s) just didn’t have their thinking caps on. But when the ages are given in the _same scene_, not ten seconds apart… I just can’t believe that during the months-long production, not a single person noticed the oddity and pointed it out. So, I think it must have been deliberate. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/least-believable-relatives-ever-cast-opposite-one-another/246643.md?page=2)