# 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:** 16\ **Page:** 3
**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:** [November 2, 2011, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-and-movies-where-real-life-family-members-play-characters-who-are-family-members/601504/41 "2011-11-02T00:54:26Z")
Liza Minnelli played Judy Garland’s young daughter in **[In the Good Old Summertime](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sKoihsmtqyo#t=4m59s)** (for a single shot). ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2011, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-and-movies-where-real-life-family-members-play-characters-who-are-family-members/601504/42 "2011-11-02T02:31:04Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > No problem. I love that movie. I should’ve known YouTube would have it: [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bt3\_BeT3gGI](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bt3_BeT3gGI) ---
**Author:** ![Tess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e480ec/32.png) [@Tess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tess)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2011, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-and-movies-where-real-life-family-members-play-characters-who-are-family-members/601504/43 "2011-11-02T02:51:32Z")
A few episodes of CSI:NY had Danny’s brother, Louie. He was played by Carmine Giovinazzo’s cousin (whose name escapes me). ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2011, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-and-movies-where-real-life-family-members-play-characters-who-are-family-members/601504/44 "2011-11-02T04:11:26Z")
My Three Sons. Stanley Livingston’s brother Barry played his adopted brother. I think. Wasn’t watching it by the time Barry came on board. . ---
**Author:** ![Shmendrik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Shmendrik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shmendrik)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2011, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-and-movies-where-real-life-family-members-play-characters-who-are-family-members/601504/45 "2011-11-02T05:27:27Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > 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. Gob Bluth, played by Will Arnett, marries a nameless seal trainer played by his wife Amy Poehler. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2011, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-and-movies-where-real-life-family-members-play-characters-who-are-family-members/601504/46 "2011-11-02T05:43:35Z")
Did’nt Charlie Sheen play a young President Bartlett on the West Wing? Or was that Emilio? ---
**Author:** ![Monkey\_Chews](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/65b543/32.png) [@Monkey\_Chews](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monkey_Chews)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2011, 7:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-and-movies-where-real-life-family-members-play-characters-who-are-family-members/601504/47 "2011-11-02T07:14:50Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > The younger version of Amy Pond (played by Karen Gillan) in _Dr Who_ is played by Gillan’s real life younger cousin Caitlin Blackwood. Another one from the latest season Doctor Who - Mark Sheppard plays a character in 1969, and his father W. Morgan Sheppard plays the same character in 2011. ---
**Author:** ![Pai325](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Pai325](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pai325)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2011, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-and-movies-where-real-life-family-members-play-characters-who-are-family-members/601504/48 "2011-11-02T12:17:00Z")
I think the twins on Everybody Loves Raymond were the younger brothers in real life of the girl who played the daughter. ---
**Author:** ![pancakes3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ba9def/32.png) [@pancakes3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pancakes3)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2011, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-and-movies-where-real-life-family-members-play-characters-who-are-family-members/601504/49 "2011-11-02T12:37:52Z")
Charleton Heston’s son was the baby moses, and the couple on “The League” are actually married. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2011, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-and-movies-where-real-life-family-members-play-characters-who-are-family-members/601504/50 "2011-11-02T13:30:57Z")
> [@AK84](#): > > Did’nt Charlie Sheen play a young President Bartlett on the West Wing? Or was that Emilio? No. A young Jed Bartlet (note, just one “t” in his last name) appeared only once that I recall, and was played by Jason Widener, who was no relation to Martin Sheen as far as I know. > **[Two Cathedrals](https://westwing.fandom.com/wiki/Two_Cathedrals)** > > CRISIS BREWS IN SEASON FINALE -- The Haitian army besieges the American Embassy there and Bartlet (Martin Sheen) continues his campaign to sufficiently fund the Justice Department's case against Big Tobacco. Additionally, Toby (Richard Schiff) gets a... ---
**Author:** ![pinqy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a3d4f5/32.png) [@pinqy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pinqy)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2011, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-and-movies-where-real-life-family-members-play-characters-who-are-family-members/601504/51 "2011-11-02T13:47:34Z")
What? No mention of Webster where married couple Alex Karras and Susan Clark played a married couple? ---
**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 2, 2011, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-and-movies-where-real-life-family-members-play-characters-who-are-family-members/601504/52 "2011-11-02T16:24:59Z")
In the _Sopranos_, Silvio and Gabriella Dante were played by real-life husband and wife Steven and Maureen Van Zant. In _It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia_ Charlie obsesses over the unnamed waitress, who is played by Charlie Day’s real-life wife, Mary Elizabeth Willis. I could also point out that real-life husband and wife, Rob McElhenney and Kaitlin Olson, play part of “the gang,” but there’s no relation on the show. ---
**Author:** ![Indyellen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/indyellen/32/4176_2.png) [@Indyellen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indyellen)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2011, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-and-movies-where-real-life-family-members-play-characters-who-are-family-members/601504/53 "2011-11-02T16:32:28Z")
> [@Monkey\_Chews](#): > > Another one from the latest season Doctor Who - Mark Sheppard plays a character in 1969, and his father W. Morgan Sheppard plays the same character in 2011. And separately, on an episode of [NCIS](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1256288/), Mark played the younger version of the character played by his father (who is, incidentally, a very nice and interesting man - I met him at a convention.) ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2011, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-and-movies-where-real-life-family-members-play-characters-who-are-family-members/601504/54 "2011-11-02T16:39:20Z")
Wow, we’ve been missing a really obvious one: Lucy and Desi Arnaz playing Lucy and Ricky Ricardo on **I Love Lucy**. And speaking of married couples, real-life married couple Hume Cronyn and Jessica Tandy played Joe and Alma Finley in **Cocoon**. I think they have played a married couple elsewhere as well. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2011, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-and-movies-where-real-life-family-members-play-characters-who-are-family-members/601504/55 "2011-11-02T18:23:21Z")
> [@Spoke](#): > > …And speaking of married couples, real-life married couple Hume Cronyn and Jessica Tandy played Joe and Alma Finley in **Cocoon**. I think they have played a married couple elsewhere as well. Yes, in _batteries not included_. ---
**Author:** ![BubbaDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bubbadog/32/333_2.png) [@BubbaDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BubbaDog)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2011, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-and-movies-where-real-life-family-members-play-characters-who-are-family-members/601504/56 "2011-11-02T19:22:38Z")
Bill Murray’s brother Joel was the only brother Bill had who didn’t play a family member in Scrooged. Joel played the Christmas party guest of brother John Murray who had the role of James Cross, younger brother of Bill’s Character Frank. Bill’s other brother Brian Doyle Murray played Earl Cross, the father of his character. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-and-movies-where-real-life-family-members-play-characters-who-are-family-members/601504.md?page=2)