# Which (unrelated) actors could plausibly play close relatives? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 16, 2002, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-unrelated-actors-could-plausibly-play-close-relatives/137020 "2002-11-16T13:56:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2002, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-unrelated-actors-could-plausibly-play-close-relatives/137020/41 "2002-11-18T18:22:57Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by a35362 \* > \*\*Meryl Streep and Renee Zellweger > Julia Roberts and Monica Potter > Nicole Kidman and Robin Wright Penn (maybe) > Hugh Jackman and Matthew Broderick > Renee Zellweger and Cate Blanchett (maybe) > Anne Bancroft and Diane Wiest > Meg Ryan and Sarah Jessica Parker \*\* Dianne Wiest could easily pass as Renee Zellweger’s mother. ---
**Author:** ![Fiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e274bd/32.png) [@Fiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiver)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2002, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-unrelated-actors-could-plausibly-play-close-relatives/137020/42 "2002-11-18T18:36:09Z")
**a35362** , I don’t see the Meryl/Renee thing, but many people have noticed the **Jewel** / **Renee Zellweger** resemblance. Renee has better teeth; that’s the only way I can tell them apart. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Bredin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@John\_Bredin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Bredin)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2002, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-unrelated-actors-could-plausibly-play-close-relatives/137020/43 "2002-11-18T18:41:43Z")
Lena Olin and Jennifer Garner. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![h.sapiens](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e0b2c6/32.png) [@h.sapiens](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/h.sapiens)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2002, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-unrelated-actors-could-plausibly-play-close-relatives/137020/44 "2002-11-18T19:24:31Z")
In a recent episide of _Scrubs_, Tom Cavanaugh of _Ed_ played Zach Braff’s older brother. They must have written the part for him, because the resemblance is pretty good. I remember reading a story about Vicki Lawrence being cast on _The Carol Burnett Show_ because she looked like she could be Carol’s sister. I can kind of see this. ---
**Author:** ![Wolverine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ba9def/32.png) [@Wolverine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolverine)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2002, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-unrelated-actors-could-plausibly-play-close-relatives/137020/45 "2002-11-18T19:24:56Z")
Patrick Swayze and Kurt Russell (brothers) Nicolas Brendan and Bruce Campbell (son/father) My friend swears Ethan Hawke and Sean Astin look alike but I cannot see the resemblance Renee Zellweger and Joey Lauren Adams (sisters) Claire Forlani and Jennifer Garner Catherine Zeta-Jones and Jill Hennessy I know its a minor spoiler but some people haven’t seen this great movie so I won’t ruin it. James Garner and Mel Gibson were completely believable as father/son team in Maverick agree with Redford/Pitt and Ricci/McGowan ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2002, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-unrelated-actors-could-plausibly-play-close-relatives/137020/46 "2002-11-18T21:49:42Z")
Hunter Tylo and Liv Tyler could be mother/daughter. Dylan McDermott and Aidan Quinn could be brothers. ---
**Author:** ![detop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bcef8e/32.png) [@detop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/detop)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2002, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-unrelated-actors-could-plausibly-play-close-relatives/137020/47 "2002-11-18T21:51:19Z")
Tommy Lee Jones and Josh Hartnett as father/son. ---
**Author:** ![Bomzaway](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e480ec/32.png) [@Bomzaway](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bomzaway)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2002, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-unrelated-actors-could-plausibly-play-close-relatives/137020/48 "2002-11-18T22:08:27Z")
Joey Lauren Adams (from Chasing Amy) and Renee Zellwegger could play sisters. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Controvert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@The\_Controvert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Controvert)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2002, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-unrelated-actors-could-plausibly-play-close-relatives/137020/49 "2002-11-18T22:42:55Z")
At first, I thought Jewel Staite was Jewel Kilcher. ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2002, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-unrelated-actors-could-plausibly-play-close-relatives/137020/50 "2002-11-18T23:22:16Z")
i didn’t see anything about dead or alive, so i’ll nominate kelsey grammer and orson welles. ---
**Author:** ![MaxTheVool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MaxTheVool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaxTheVool)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-unrelated-actors-could-plausibly-play-close-relatives/137020/51 "2002-11-19T01:33:00Z")
John Cusack and Paul Rudd, who is currently playing Phoebe’s boyfriend on _Friends_ Ted McGinley and Aaron Dozier, who played the same roll in _Better off Dead_ that Ted McGinley played in _Revenge of the Nerds_ ---
**Author:** ![pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pseudotriton_ruber_ruber)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-unrelated-actors-could-plausibly-play-close-relatives/137020/52 "2002-11-19T02:33:29Z")
HH, I don’t think they look alike (not by 200 lbs or so) but they sure SOUND alike. Close your eyes and you would never know which one was speaking. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Controvert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@The\_Controvert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Controvert)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-unrelated-actors-could-plausibly-play-close-relatives/137020/53 "2002-11-19T04:13:33Z")
Mentioned in a previous thread: Tom Cruise and Peter Facinelli (of Fastlane) ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-unrelated-actors-could-plausibly-play-close-relatives/137020/54 "2002-11-19T14:41:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by detop \* > \*\*Tommy Lee Jones and Josh Hartnett as father/son. \*\* Good one! Have you ever seen youn TLJ in _The Paper Chase_? Also: - Matt LeBlanc could play Sylvester Stallone’s son. - Jada Pinkett-Smith could play James Earl Jones’ daughter or grand-daughter. - Angela Basset and Lynn Whitfield could play sisters. - The Lowry twins (from _Sister Sister_) could play Gregory Hines’ duaghters. ---
**Author:** ![Alias](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a88e4f/32.png) [@Alias](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alias)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-unrelated-actors-could-plausibly-play-close-relatives/137020/55 "2002-11-19T14:56:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Marine\_One \* > \*\*Not in the close relative sense, but does anyone else think that **Kelsey Grammer** would be the best choice to play **Bob Hope** in a biographical movie? \*\* What? ---
**Author:** ![singular1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ba9def/32.png) [@singular1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/singular1)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-unrelated-actors-could-plausibly-play-close-relatives/137020/56 "2002-11-19T20:05:05Z")
Meg Ryan and Sarah Jessica Parker on what planet?!?!? ---
**Author:** ![a35362](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@a35362](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/a35362)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-unrelated-actors-could-plausibly-play-close-relatives/137020/57 "2002-11-19T20:24:32Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by singular1 \* > \*\*Meg Ryan and Sarah Jessica Parker > > on what planet?!?!? \*\* When I saw Hugh Jackman and Meg Ryan in _Kate & Leopold_, they looked like Matthew Broderick and Sarah Jessica Parker’s older siblings to me. ---
**Author:** ![xanadu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c4cdca/32.png) [@xanadu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xanadu)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-unrelated-actors-could-plausibly-play-close-relatives/137020/58 "2002-11-19T21:05:56Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Second Guest \* > \*\*I will go to my grave adamantly refusing to believe that Gillian Anderson and [Jo Anderson](http://www.josite.hey.nu/) _aren’t_ related. They must be. They just don’t know it. \*\* Wow. You are _not_ kidding there… ---
**Author:** ![sj2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/65b543/32.png) [@sj2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sj2)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-unrelated-actors-could-plausibly-play-close-relatives/137020/59 "2002-11-19T21:16:44Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Second Guest \* > \*\*I will go to my grave adamantly refusing to believe that Gillian Anderson and [Jo Anderson](http://www.josite.hey.nu/) _aren’t_ related. They must be. They just don’t know it. \*\* Don’t know if I can agree about Scully…but in this shot she does look a tad of Julianne Moore from “The Shipping News” http://www.josite.hey.nu/jo1.jpg.html ---
**Author:** ![Saxman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f6c823/32.png) [@Saxman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saxman)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2002, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-unrelated-actors-could-plausibly-play-close-relatives/137020/60 "2002-11-20T00:11:46Z")
Timothy Dalton and Patrick Stewart. Always freaks me out. 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-unrelated-actors-could-plausibly-play-close-relatives/137020.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-unrelated-actors-could-plausibly-play-close-relatives/137020.md?page=4)