This article was published on Collider on 9/19/22
On-screen parents starring alongside their real-life children can produce character connections that are deeper due to the relationships they have off-screen. Either famous people cast their child in their film to make it more meaningful or emotional, or a kid chooses to work with their parent out of respect for their art and a desire to collaborate. But no matter how they decide to team up, parent/child collaborations are often some of the best on-screen relationships. No matter the genre, famous parents and their sometimes famous, sometimes unknown children, bring a lot of joy, heart, and depth to their roles. With Little Demon, another family project, now airing, here is a list of our ten favorites.
Eugene Levy and Dan Levy on Schitt’s Creek
Schitt’s Creekis a show created by father and son Eugene Levy and Dan Levywho also star as father and son, Johnny Rose and David Rose. Although Schitt’s Creek was Dan Levy’s breakout role, Eugene Levy has a long comedy history. Coming from the first season of Second City Toronto, Eugene has been in everything from American Pie, to Over the Hedge, to Father of the Bride. Although always bringing the laughs, starring alongside his son in Schitt's Creek sees the veteran comedian playing a role with real heart as well as superb humor. It is clear from their on-screen dynamic that their relationship is one full of mutual respect and admiration. Their real-life closeness allowed them to bring depth to their characters' relationships based on personal experience. The two characters navigate family issues regarding money, mentorship, identity, and upbringing that audiences can be sure the two have navigated together outside the show. What makes this match-up so magical is their ability to draw out the best performances from each other, as well as the other actors on the show.
Glenn Close and Annie Starke in The Wife
Although starring in a film together, mother and daughter Glenn Closeand Annie Starke barely spent any time together on the set of The Wife. The film is about a woman who travels with her husband for his acceptance of a Nobel Prize for Literature. During the trip, she starts to think about old compromises, betrayals, and secrets she has kept for her husband. Glenn Close plays the titular role, while Annie Starke plays the younger version of the character. This was great casting not only because of the ways in which Starke looks like a younger version of Close but also because Starke brought the same intensity and passion to the role as her mother. They never ran into each other on set largely because they have no scenes together, but Glenn Close made a point to not even bump into Annie Starke because she didn't want to get in the way when it came to the development of her character. She didn't want to be too large of an influence. What makes this duo so spectacular is how their performances mirror each other despite decades separating them.
Ben Stiller and Jerry Stiller in The Heartbreak Kid
The son of two incredibly talented and famous comedians, it’s no wonder Ben Stilleris so funny. Ben Stiller has starred in many movies with his parents including Zoolander with his father, Jerry Stiller, and Night at the Museumwith his mother, Anna Meara. The funniest of all, however, is the 2007 remake of The Heartbreak Kid. In the film, Ben and Jerry play a father and son duo who draw their humor from Jerry Stiller’s tacky outfits and crass terminology. It’s clear from watching the two on screen that they had fun developing a boorish rapport.
Meryl Streep and Mamie Gummer in Ricki and the Flash
Being the spitting image of her mother, there is no mistaking that Mamie Gummer is Meryl Streep's daughter. In Ricki and the Flash, the two play a mother and daughter who are struggling to repair their relationship. When Ricki (Streep) comes home to take care of her daughter, Julie (Gummer), after her divorce, the two wrestle with the fact that Ricki hasn’t been around the past few years. The two use their respect, talent, and chemistry to create a subtext of love for this on-screen mother and daughter. Meryl Streep has been working as an actor since the 70s and is now deemed the greatest actor of her generation. Mamie Gummer, on the other hand, has been acting her entire life. As a toddler, Meryl and Mamie performed together in Heartburn, although Mamie was credited as "Natalie Stern" so as to not draw any media attention to her. So, Rickie and the Flash is not their first on-screen appearance together, just the best one.
Will Smith and Jaden Smith in The Pursuit of Happyness
The first of three collaborations, The Pursuit of Happynessmarks the beginning of Jaden Smith's acting career alongside his father, Will Smith. The Pursuit of Happyness came out in 2006, followed by The Karate Kidin 2010, and After Earthin 2013 with Life in a Yearin 2020 as an honorable bonus mention, as it starred Jaden Smith and was executive produced by both Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith. Only 8 years old, Jaden Smith kick-started his career in entertainment costarring in a film with his very famous father about a single father’s struggle with homelessness. Jaden Smith had a major uphill battle getting the role of Charlie Jr. in The Pursuit of Happyness. The studio feared that audiences wouldn't be able to suspend disbelief enough to believe Jaden and Will Smith were characters in a story. They also worried that there would be whispers of nepotism over the casting. After six auditions, it was undeniable. Jaden Smith had more charisma, more chemistry with his father, and more charm than any other actor the studio could find.
Donald Sutherland and Kiefer Sutherland in Forsaken
Forsaken is a revisionist western film about a gunslinger, played byKiefer Sutherland, who tries to make amends with his estranged father, played by Donald Sutherland, while their community is being ransacked by ruthless men trying to steal their land. It took almost 30 years for this father and son to make an appearance on screen together, but it was well worth the wait. While making this deeply emotional and seemingly personal story that produced great performances from two amazing actors, Donald Sutherland said that the two of them kept it as professional as they could. Although the film reflected their situation and, “purified them” in some ways, they were always just two actors working together. They saw it as a tremendous gift to be able to work that deeply with someone known so deeply on a DNA level- a dynamic that can be seen on screen.
Danny & Lucy DeVito in Little Demon
Although not a family from Hell, Lucy DeVito, andDanny DeVitoare a family delving into the world of voice acting. The two have worked together in the past on the sets of The Good Night, Curmudgeons, The Comedian, and Dumbo. Their latest project, Little Demon, is an animated FX series following Chrissy (Lucy DeVito) as she navigates puberty while being the daughter of a normal woman and Satan (Danny DeVito). The two love voice acting together, and although they think their new animated roles couldn’t be more different from their real-life relationship, they enjoy getting the opportunity to explore applying their current dynamic to new situations. It's fun getting to hear two distinct and iconic voices bring beautiful animation to life.
Thor: Love and Thunder
Thor: Love and Thunder is a film filled with family members. The cast is a web of connections and familial relationships. To start, the film stars Chris Hemsworthplaying Thor himself. Playing Thor’s daughter is Chris Hemsworth’s real-life daughter India Hemsworth. Actually, after the release of the film, it was revealed that all three of Hemsworth’s kids appear in the film. The film also starsNatalie Portman, who has a son and a daughter in the film, and Christian Bale whose kids also appear in the movie alongside him. Even the director, Taika Waititi, put his children in the movie. Waititi said he got his creative inspiration from looking around the set, seeing that everyone had kids, and wanting them to be involved in the project. And involved they were! Not only was everyone on screen together, but they helped bring the words of the script to life through drawings and hanging out with their parents while they were still in character laughing at Christian Bale’s dribbling bile. So rarely do parents get to work with all of their children, let alone multiple parents getting to work with their children all in one movie. Thor: Love and Thunder is truly a family affair.
Tilda Swinton and Honor Swinton Byrne in The Souvenir Part I and Part II
In 2019, Tilda Swinton and her daughter, Honor Swinton Bryne, starred in the film The Souvenir. The film chronicles a young woman’s experience in film school and her relationship with her mother. It's a film fueled by the deeply traumatic and fraught relationship between Julie (Swinton Byrne) and her drug-addicted partner, Anthony (Tom Burke). It’s a semi-autobiographical film for the director, Joanna Hogg. Although not an actress, all thoughts of nepotism were assuaged as soon as Bryne stepped on screen. She brought an intensity and depth to the character that was reminiscent of the brilliance her mother brings to her roles. The film was done improvisationally, so Swinton and Bryne had to come up with their dialogue as they went.
A challenge for even an experienced actor like Tilda Swinton, Honor Swinton Bryne had a greater challenge ahead of her. Hogg wanted someone playing her proxy who had no film experience. Someone uncomfortable on camera, and someone who captured Hogg's young essence. Honor Swinton Bryne was such a person as Swinton Byrne had never acted prior to The Souvenir. The two gave such a great performance together that The Souvenir: Part II was one of the most highly anticipated films that premiered at Cannes in 2021.
Martin & Charlie Sheen in Wall Street
Martin Sheen has two sons who have become just as prolific of actors as he is. Both Charlie Sheen and Emilio Estevez have starred in movies with their father. But arguably the best collaboration between any of them is the 1980s classic, Wall Streetstarring Charlie and Martin. The movie is about a young stockbroker who becomes involved with a corporate raider with no morals. Charlie and Martin Sheen play a father and son duo in the film. According to Money Never Sleeps: The Making of Wall Street, director Oliver Stone gave Charlie Sheen a choice of who should play his character's father. Ultimately, he chose his own father, giving them a reverse nepotism dynamic. They teamed up again in 2010 for the Wall Street sequel, Money Never Sleeps. The two have made many movies together after this, but none hit the spot quite like Wall Street.
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