Summary
- Wyatt Russell and his father, Kurt Russell, will be playing the same character in Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, a new Godzilla series that spans two different time periods.
- Many children of famous actors, like Glenn Close's daughter Annie Starke and Mila Jovovich's daughter Ever Anderson, have followed in their parents' footsteps and even played younger versions of their parents' characters.
- Michael Gandolfini had to audition for the role of young Tony Soprano in The Many Saints of Newark and perfectly captured his father's iconic performance in The Sopranos.
Wyatt Russell and his father, Kurt Russell, are playing the same character in Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, which is the new Godzilla series, and there are many other examples of actors who played younger versions of their parents. While AppleTV+ is remaining tight-lipped about the Godzilla show, it will follow the mysterious Army officer Lee Shaw and take place in two different time periods. Monarch: Legacy of Monsters will switch between the 1950s and the 21st century. Wyatt Russell will play 1950s' Lee Shaw and Kurt Russell will play the 21st-century version of the same character.
Kurt Russell is Hollywood royalty, having starred in cult classics such as Big Trouble in Little China and The Thing, and he's also starred in great Western flicks including Tombstone and The Hateful Eight. The actor holds a legacy that few others do, but his son is following in his footsteps. Wyatt Russell now has a major role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as U.S. Agent, and he's now leading Monarch: Legacy of Monsters. Many children of famous actors have similarly followed in their parent's footsteps, and whether it's because of nepotism or because it genuinely makes sense, sometimes they even play younger versions of the parent's characters, too.
10 Glenn Close's Daughter Annie Starke Plays Young Joan Castleman In The Wife
The Wife is a drama based on the novel of the same name, which follows the titular Joan Castleman (Glen Close in an Oscar-nominated performance) as she questions her choices and looks back at major moments throughout her life. As Joan travels to Stockholm with her husband, who is receiving the Nobel Prize for Literature, the film shows flashbacks to their life in the late 1950s. The younger Joan is played by Annie Starke, who happens to be Glenn Close's daughter. It's a decent size role, and it works perfectly because Starke looks so similar to her mother and is also a great dramatic actor in her own right.
9 Mila Jovovich's Daughter Ever Anderson Plays Young Alicia Marcus In Resident Evil: The Final Chapter
Mila Jovovich is the face of the Resident Evil film franchise, as she led all six movies in the series as Alice, plus she played Alicia Marcus. Resident Evil: The Final Chapter features a flashback revealing a young Alicia, played by Jovovich's real-life daughter, Ever Anderson. Anderson is also the daughter of the movie's director, Paul W.S. Anderson, who helmed four Resident Evil installments. Their daughter is quickly building an impressive resume, as Ever Anderson was in Black Widow, too.
8 Meryl Streep's Daughter Mamie Gummer Plays Young Lila Wittenborn In Evening
Evening is a drama about Ann Grant Lord, who on her death bed reminisces about her one true love in the 1950s. Several of Ann's friends visit her, including Lila (Meryl Streep). The large ensemble cast of the 2007 movie is impressive, including Streep's daughter Mamie Gummer, who plays a younger version of her mother's character. In fact, Gummer has a larger role in Evening than her mother, and she even has higher billing than Streep, too.
7 Michael Gandolfini Plays Tony Soprano In The Many Saints Of Newark
James Gandolfini's performance as Tony Soprano in the six seasons of The Sopranos is nothing short of jaw-dropping. The actor gave the depressed mob boss so many layers, and the series might not be considered one of the greatest HBO shows ever if not for the actor. Michael Gandolfini later played young Tony Soprano as part of the cast of The Many Saints of Newark. However, he wasn't cast simply because he looks like his father. Michael Gandolfini actually had to audition for the role with other young actors (via Just Jared), and he perfectly nailed the quirks his later father had displayed in the role decades earlier.
6 Tina Fey's Daughter Alice Richmond Plays Young Liz Lemon In 30 Rock
The sitcom 30 Rock follows Liz Lemon (Tina Fey) as the head writer of a Saturday Night Live-like sketch comedy show, having to deal with obnoxious network heads and actors. One of the most simple parts of the show became one of its most iconic, as Liz's eye-roll is her signature move and perfectly mirrors her mood. In 30 Rock season 7, episode 7, "Mazel Tov, Dummies!" the show reveals the origin of the eye-roll with a flashback, as Liz first adopted the move at the age of seven. The young Liz Lemon is played by Alice Richmond, Fey's own daughter, and her eye-roll is identical to her mother's.
5 Max Winkler Plays Young Barry Zuckerkorn In Arrested Development
Before Henry and Max Winkler teamed up for King Rex, Arrested Development became the first time the father and son appeared in the same show. Henry Winkler is best known for playing Fonzie in Happy Days, but modern audiences know the TV royalty as the terrible lawyer Barry Zuckerkorn in Arrested Development. Zuckerkorn had been George Bluth's lawyer for decades, and several episodes flash back to George and Barry's early days trying to find immoral business loopholes. Young Barry is played by Max Winkler, Henry's real-life son, and the casting isn't just because they look alike. Max hilariously impersonates his father's comedy acting as he gives George terrible legal advice.
4 Indio Falconer Downey Plays Young Harry Lockhart In Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang is often overlooked when it comes to Robert Downey Jr. movies, as it's the kind of clever crime caper that doesn't get made anymore. The movie follows his character, Harry Lockhart, a thief who inadvertently wins a screen test for a movie and is sent to shadow a private detective for a potential role. A flashback depicts young Harry as a child magician, and he's played by Indio Falconer Downey, the son of the lead actor. While the performance isn't enough to tell whether his father's talent has been ed down, Indio's look of terror when the character thinks he botched a magic trick is priceless.
3 Laurie Metcalf's Daughter Zoe Perry Plays Mary Cooper In Young Sheldon
Laurie Metcalf became every viewer's favorite everywoman in The Big Bang Theory, playing Mary Cooper and attempting to keep the obnoxious but genius Sheldon Cooper at bay. That didn't exactly continue in the prequel show Young Sheldon, where the younger version of the character is played by Metcalf's real-life daughter, Zoe Perry. Young Sheldon made Mary insufferable, as she's uncharacteristically mean and acts more like her son did on the prior sitcom. While the character choices don't make sense, Perry's performance of the character is great. She reaches her mother's high octave when the character is angry, and they share the same death stare, too.
2 Vin Diesel's Son Vincent Sinclair Diesel Plays Young Dominic Toretto In F9
There's no denying that the most consistent Fast & Furious theme is family, and that's true in more ways than one in the ninth movie, as Vin Diesel's own son plays a young version of Dom in F9. The 2021 movie tells the backstory of Diesel's Dom Toretto growing up on the racetrack with his father in 1989. While that teenage version of the character is played by New Zealand actor Vinnie Bennett, there's a scene that flashes further back in time to when Dom is just 10 years old. This version of Dom is played by Diesel's real-life son, Vincent Sinclair Diesel.
1 Kurt Russell's Son Wyatt Russell Plays Young Todd In Soldier
While Wyatt Russell will play a younger version of his father's character in Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, this isn't the first time it's happened with the Russells. Kurt Russell starred in the 1988 sci-fi movie Soldier, which follows a genetically engineered soldier, Todd, created to blindly follow orders on the battlefield. The film shows the soldiers as infants growing up, becoming highly disciplined, and learning military training. In a flashback, young Todd is played by an 11-year-old Wyatt Russell, which makes him one of the very first actors who played a younger version of their real-life parent.