# Shows and Movies where real-life family members play characters who are family members **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 1, 2011, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-and-movies-where-real-life-family-members-play-characters-who-are-family-members/601504 "2011-11-01T15:25:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2011, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-and-movies-where-real-life-family-members-play-characters-who-are-family-members/601504/1 "2011-11-01T15:25:53Z")
We’ve probably done this before, but I don’t really care. I was watching the HBO series [Enlightened](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1509004/) for the first time last night, and I noticed that Laura Dern’s mother on the show was being played by Diane Ladd, who is Laura Dern’s mother in real life. This put me in mind of [Get a Life](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0098802/), in which Chris Elliot’s dad was played by his real-life dad, Bob Elliot. In what other shows and movies have real-life relatives played characters who were relatives? (Bonus points if the characters are related in a different way from the actors IRL. _E.g._, real-life brothers playing cousins in a movie.) ---
**Author:** ![mcgato](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac8455/32.png) [@mcgato](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mcgato)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2011, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-and-movies-where-real-life-family-members-play-characters-who-are-family-members/601504/2 "2011-11-01T15:34:05Z")
John and Joan Cusack in Grandview, USA, and Say Anything. Well their characters have the same last name, so I’ll assume brother and sister. They are in a number of other movies together, but I’m not sure if their characters are related. ---
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2011, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-and-movies-where-real-life-family-members-play-characters-who-are-family-members/601504/3 "2011-11-01T15:36:48Z")
Aren’t Dexter and Deborah (brother and sister) from _Dexter_ played by a husband and wife? ---
**Author:** ![Sister\_Vigilante](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@Sister\_Vigilante](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sister_Vigilante)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2011, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-and-movies-where-real-life-family-members-play-characters-who-are-family-members/601504/4 "2011-11-01T15:56:49Z")
In Terminator 2 Linda Hamilton’s T-1000 clone is played by her real life twin. She also does some of the flashback (pre-muscles) scenes with the toddler version of John I believe. Likewise, the guard who gets the coffee in the same movie is cloned by the T-1000 and that’s his twin brother too. They were also in Good Morning, Vietnam. Edit: I don’t think this really fits the topic but well, there you go. ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2011, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-and-movies-where-real-life-family-members-play-characters-who-are-family-members/601504/5 "2011-11-01T15:58:11Z")
On Golden Pond - Jane Fonda played Henry Fonda’s daughter. ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2011, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-and-movies-where-real-life-family-members-play-characters-who-are-family-members/601504/6 "2011-11-01T15:59:16Z")
> [@Grumman](#): > > Aren’t Dexter and Deborah (brother and sister) from _Dexter_ played by a husband and wife? They are now ex-husband and wife. ---
**Author:** ![FlightlessBird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/cdc98d/32.png) [@FlightlessBird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlightlessBird)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2011, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-and-movies-where-real-life-family-members-play-characters-who-are-family-members/601504/7 "2011-11-01T16:04:07Z")
In an episode of **Bones** , Bones played by Emily Deschanel meets a quirky distant relative played by her quirky sister Zooey Deschanel. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2011, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-and-movies-where-real-life-family-members-play-characters-who-are-family-members/601504/8 "2011-11-01T16:10:30Z")
Arrested Development nearly did this when Justine Bateman appears to be Jason Bateman’s long lost sister. M. Bluth. It isn’t, though, so they avoid it. Jon Voight appeared in Tomb Raider as Lara Croft’s Dad. The two actors are estranged Father/Daughter(Jolie). ---
**Author:** ![Saltire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saltire/32/553_2.png) [@Saltire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saltire)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2011, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-and-movies-where-real-life-family-members-play-characters-who-are-family-members/601504/9 "2011-11-01T16:11:09Z")
> [@Sister\_Vigilante](#): > > In Terminator 2 Linda Hamilton’s T-1000 clone is played by her real life twin. She also does some of the flashback (pre-muscles) scenes with the toddler version of John I believe. > > Likewise, the guard who gets the coffee in the same movie is cloned by the T-1000 and that’s his twin brother too. They were also in Good Morning, Vietnam. > > Edit: I don’t think this really fits the topic but well, there you go. To continue this offshoot, Nicholas Brendan’s identical twin appeared in the episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer in which Xander is magically split into two people. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2011, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-and-movies-where-real-life-family-members-play-characters-who-are-family-members/601504/10 "2011-11-01T16:14:37Z")
On the old sitcom _I Married Joan_, Joan’s younger sister was played by Beverly Wills, Joan’s real-life daughter. Of course \*The Partridge Family \*had Shirley Jones playing the mother of her real-life stepson, David Cassidy. ---
**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:** [November 1, 2011, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-and-movies-where-real-life-family-members-play-characters-who-are-family-members/601504/11 "2011-11-01T16:22:35Z")
The younger version of Amy Pond (played by Karen Gillan) in _Dr Who_ is played by Gillan’s real life younger cousin Caitlin Blackwood. The two had never met before Blackwood auditioned for the part. ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2011, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-and-movies-where-real-life-family-members-play-characters-who-are-family-members/601504/12 "2011-11-01T16:41:34Z")
It’s not quite the same thing, but in _The Chamomile Lawn_ Jennifer Ehle and her mother Rosemary Harris play the same character at different times. Also not quite the same thing since paternity wasn’t established in the plot, but in _Paper Moon_ Ryan and Tatum O’Neil play a sheister and his young accomplice. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2011, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-and-movies-where-real-life-family-members-play-characters-who-are-family-members/601504/13 "2011-11-01T16:50:05Z")
> [@Sattua](#): > > Also not quite the same thing since paternity wasn’t established in the plot, but in _Paper Moon_ Ryan and Tatum O’Neil play a sheister and his young accomplice. Really, that wasn’t established? Martin and Charlie Sheen played father and son in Wall Street. ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2011, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-and-movies-where-real-life-family-members-play-characters-who-are-family-members/601504/14 "2011-11-01T17:00:32Z")
No, neither in the book nor in the movie. Addie’s mother was a good-time gal killed in a car accident, and it was also possible that the local judge (among others) could have been Addie’s father. I don’t remember if that was brought up in the movie, but the book made it clear that there was no way to prove who Addie’s father was. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2011, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-and-movies-where-real-life-family-members-play-characters-who-are-family-members/601504/15 "2011-11-01T17:24:05Z")
Judd Apatow’s real life wife Leslie Mann has appeared in his movies \*\*\*Knocked Up \*\*\*and _ **Funny People** _, and their two real life daughters have played her daughters in those movies. And Will Smith’s real son jaden played his son in _ **The Pursuit of Happyness.** _ ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2011, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-and-movies-where-real-life-family-members-play-characters-who-are-family-members/601504/16 "2011-11-01T17:26:29Z")
In Diagnosis Murder, Dick Van Dyke’s son played his son on the show. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2011, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-and-movies-where-real-life-family-members-play-characters-who-are-family-members/601504/17 "2011-11-01T17:28:47Z")
The Western \*\*\*The Long Riders \*\*\*featured several sets of actor relatives playing real-life relatives. Actors/brothers David, Keith and Robert Carradine played real life brothers/outlaws Cole, Jim & Bob Younger. Actors/brothers James & Stacy Keach played brothers/outlaws Jesse & Frank James. Dennis and Randy Quaid played Ed and Clell Miller. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2011, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-and-movies-where-real-life-family-members-play-characters-who-are-family-members/601504/18 "2011-11-01T17:32:52Z")
This is a little different from what the OP asked for but it’s still interesting. There was an episode of \*\*\*Magnum PI \*\*\*in which Jose Ferrer plays a judge who’s been nominated for the Supreme Court, while June Lockhart plays the woman he once loved. In flashbacks, their younger selves were played by Jose’s son Gabriel Ferrer and June’s daughter Anne Lockhart. More on targte, however… when June’s father Gene Lockhart played Bob Cratchit in _ **A Christmas Carol,** _ yougn June played one of the Cratchit kids. ---
**Author:** ![Mrs.Cake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/2acd7d/32.png) [@Mrs.Cake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mrs.Cake)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2011, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-and-movies-where-real-life-family-members-play-characters-who-are-family-members/601504/19 "2011-11-01T17:44:17Z")
Jeff Bridges & Beau Bridges in _The Fabulous Baker Boys_ ---
**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:** [November 1, 2011, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-and-movies-where-real-life-family-members-play-characters-who-are-family-members/601504/20 "2011-11-01T17:44:59Z")
In the movie _Donnie Darko_, Jake and Maggie Gyllenhaal play brother and sister. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-and-movies-where-real-life-family-members-play-characters-who-are-family-members/601504.md?page=2)