“Bring your child to work” day has long been a favorite of parents across many professions.
This is especially true for parents whose jobs make it harder for them to spend quality
time with their kids.
And sometimes those same kids, when they’re older, end up getting a job working for the
same company.
That way they have a career that allows them to be near their beloved parent.
It’s a win-win.
But if you’re in the entertainment business, and especially if you’re a prominent actor
or actress, there’s a great way to make sure you and your kid get to work together
on a daily basis…
get them an acting job on the same show or film you’re working on!
There’s a long tradition of parent actors working opposite their children on set.
Sometimes it’s when their kids are young and just starting out in the business.
Other times it’s when the child has gotten older and has begun to make a name for themselves.
And of course, unless both the parent and the child are both super famous, you might
not even realize it when the parent-child duo is on the same show or in the same film.
So that’s why we’re here to tell you all about it.
Join Facts Verse as we tell you all about the movies where celebrities acted alongside
their kids (and you missed it!)
Will Smith and Jaden Smith in After Earth If you've been paying attention lately, you
know that Will Smith has been engulfed in controversy because of his notorious slap
to Chris Rock during the 2022 Oscars.
And while the long-term effects of that slap on Will Smith's career remain to be seen,
what we can say for sure is that Smith has enjoyed a long and incredibly remarkable acting
career up until this point.
His fame came at an early stage, after starring for many years on the seminal family sitcom,
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.
Over time, however, he shifted from being a comic television actor to being one of the
biggest Hollywood stars on the planet.
He has starred in some of the biggest movies in the past few decades, ranging from Men
in Black and Bad Boys to Independence Day and I, Robot.
He also has quite a famous family.
His wife Jada has had a stellar acting career as well, and their children are multi-talented
stars themselves.
This, of course, includes his son, Jaden.
Jaden had started in his father's footsteps as an actor by appearing in The Pursuit of
Happyness in 2006 with his dad.
Clearly, this was a good experience for both Jaden and Will, because Will then set about
to make sure there was a project set up specifically so he could act alongside his son again.
That project ended up being After Earth.
The idea was that not only would the pair be able to act opposite each other, but that
the film would set up a series of films in that burgeoning franchise, allowing them to
keep acting together for years to come.
Unfortunately, the movie didn’t turn out as hoped, and no franchise emerged.
But on the plus side, the two Smiths got to act together for that movie, and probably
had a great time doing it!
Meryl Streep and Mamie Gummer in Ricky and the Flash
We assume Meryl Streep needs no introduction here.
She’s perhaps the most esteemed actor in American history, having turned in legendary
performances since the 1970s.
She’s been nominated for a whopping 21 Academy Awards and has won three.
Her work in films ranging from Kramer vs. Kramer and Sophie's Choice to The Devil Wears
Prada and The Iron Lady have won her not only accolades but the respect and admiration of
everyone in Hollywood.
Not to mention millions of fans and admirers around
the world.
Now if the name Mamie Gummer is not quite as familiar to you, we won’t blame you.
For starters, having a different last name than your uber-famous mom won’t always make
it clear that it’s a mother-daughter pairing.
But Mamie Gummer has followed in her mom’s path and has carved out quite a nice acting
career thus far.
She’s acting in TV shows like True Detective and The Good Wife.
She’s also been in movies like Taking Woodstock and Side Effect.
So when the two got the chance to work together in 2015’s Ricki and The Flash, they jumped
at the chance.
Not only that, but they actually played mother and daughter in the film!
When asked if she felt intimidated by working with her legend of a mother, Mamie responded
that she didn’t.
She noted that she was probably one of only a few people in the world who wouldn’t be
intimidated by working with Meryl Streep.
So Mamie is lucky in more ways than one!
Before we tell you more, be sure to give this video a like, and subscribe to Facts Verse
if you haven’t already!
Tom Hanks and Colin Hanks in The Great Buck Howard
Tom Hanks might be the male equivalent of Meryl Streep, in that he’s a legendary actor
who is beloved by millions, and has the awards hardware to back it up.
Hanks is probably best known for movies like Forrest Gump, Philadelphia, A League of Their
Own, and Captain Phillips, though that list just scratches the surface of his incredible
work.
He’s also known as an excellent producer and director.
His son Colin Hanks has made quite the name for himself as well.
While it's undoubtedly challenging to carve out your own success when you're living in
the shadow of perhaps the most liked man in Hollywood.
But Colin has been able to succeed in the business as both an actor and a director.
His work has been a solid mix of films and TV shows over the years, from movies like
Orange County and King Kong to shows like Fargo and Mad Men.
Not too shabby for someone trying to live up to a legendary dad.
The two first got the chance to work together when Tom directed That Thing You Do.
Colin played a bit part as a page.
But their onscreen partnership really came to fruition in the move The Great Buck Howards.
Colin landed the lead role, while Tom plays that character’s father.
It’s about a guy who drops out of law school and then becomes an apprentice for a magician.
The character’s father, played by Tom Hanks, is understandably concerned about his son’s
choices.
Fortunately in real life, Tom seems to be very happy with Colin’s choice to be an
actor like him!
Kirk Douglass, Michael Douglass, and Cameron Douglass - It Runs In the Family
This one is pretty wild, cause it involves three generations of talent.
The Douglass family is Hollywood royalty, and it was all started when Kirk Douglass
became a major star during the Golden Age of Hollywood.
He starred in hits like Spartacus, Ace in the Hole, and Paths of Glory.
And his path was continued by his son Michael, who became a Hollywood a-lister himself.
Michael is best known for work in movies like Wall Street, The American President, and more
recently the Ant Man movies.
And while Cameron Douglass, Michael’s son and Kirk’s grandson, hasn’t been able
to carve out quite as successful a career as his older relatives, he has appeared in
a few films.
Cameron’s career has likely been stifled due to recurring issues with drugs.
But in the film, It Runs In The Family, all three Douglass men appear together.
Unfortunately, the movie wasn't particularly well-received.
Was it the fault of any of the Douglass men?
Who's to say.
But at least they probably enjoyed getting to work together throughout the movie's production,
and that's at least something.
Susan Sarandon and Eva Amurri Martino - 'The Banger Sisters'
Susan Sarandon is another screen legend who has enjoyed a long and fruitful acting career.
From her beginnings in Rocky Horror Picture Show and Bull Durham, to her Academy Award-winning
role in Dead Man Walking, Sarandon has been a favorite of audiences and critics alike
for many decades.
Her daughter, Eva Amurri Martino has followed in her mom’s footsteps and had a fair access
acting career as well.
She’s had a dual focus on Tv and film, appearing in films like The Education of Charlie Banks
and Middle of Nowhere, as well as TV shows like Friends and Californication.
This talented mother/daughter pair have actually acted twice opposite each other.
The first was in the 2002 film The Banger Sisters.
In The Banger Sisters, Susan and Goldie Hawn are best friends who, after many years of
being apart, reconnect.
Eva ended up playing Susan’s daughter in the film.
The two appeared in the same film years later, in 2016's Mothers and Daughters.
That's a pretty apt title for a movie featuring a famous mother-daughter pair!
Clearly, Hollywood’s finest have no issues when it comes to keeping it the family.
Or at least, sharing the big screen with them.
Now it’s time to hear from you.
Can you think of some of the other parent-child movies that we missed?
Do you think seeing parents acting alongside their children makes the relationship seem
more realistic?
Let us know in the comments section below.
And before you go, make sure you give this video a like and subscribe to Facts Verse
if you haven’t already.
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