Mixing family with business! Many famous families have several actors in them — and some of those relatives have gone on to share the screen together.
Robbie Amell, who worked with his cousin Stephen Amell on projects like The Flash, previously explained how they looked too alike to share scenes with one another.
“It’s tough, we’re pretty similar in look. We’re not going to play related,” Robbie told Entertainment Weekly in December 2019. “That was part of the reason they wouldn’t let [our characters] talk to each other on The Flash, they were like, ‘It’s too weird. People know you’re related, you can’t talk to each other.’
Robbie and Stephen would later go on to work together on their crowd-funded film, Code 8.
“Part of it was we just needed to create something for ourselves. We figured if we weren’t willing to take a bet on ourselves, then why should we expect anyone else to?” Robbie explained to EW. “We wanted to give it a shot and make something that we would be proud of, something that people backing us would be proud of.”
Not all family members want to work on the same projects though, including Maggie and Jake Gyllenhaal, who were reluctant to team up. Richard Kelly previously spoke about having to talk Maggie into taking the role in Donnie Darko alongside her brother.
“Immediately, she was like, ‘Richard, you’re only offering this to me because I’m Jake’s big sister. You should be finding the best actress for the role,’” the director told Vox in April 2017. “So she was already trying to talk me out of casting her, in a very selfless way. And I was just really impressed by that … So I was really determined to convince her to do it after that.”
The film wouldn’t be what it was without the brother-sister dynamic that Maggie and Jake brought to their roles.
“Maggie was really an essential piece of the puzzle that makes that family dynamic work in the film,” Kelly added. “I’m grateful that she agreed to do the role.”
Dave Franco also went out of his way not to work with his brother James Franco earlier on in his career.
“For a while, I made a conscious decision not to work with him, just because I wanted to pave my own path,” Dave said during an interview with Variety in November 2017. “I didn’t want to be referred to as ‘James Franco’s little brother’ for the rest of my life. But we have very similar sensibilities.”
Scroll down for more stars who worked with their family on screen:
Mixing family with business! Many famous families have several actors in them — and some of those relatives have gone on to share the screen together.
Robbie Amell, who worked with his cousin Stephen Amell on projects like The Flash, previously explained how they looked too alike to share scenes with one another.
“It’s tough, we’re pretty similar in look. We’re not going to play related,” Robbie told Entertainment Weekly in December 2019. “That was part of the reason they wouldn’t let [our characters] talk to each other on The Flash, they were like, ‘It’s too weird. People know you’re related, you can’t talk to each other.’
Robbie and Stephen would later go on to work together on their crowd-funded film, Code 8.
“Part of it was we just needed to create something for ourselves. We figured if we weren’t willing to take a bet on ourselves, then why should we expect anyone else to?” Robbie explained to EW. “We wanted to give it a shot and make something that we would be proud of, something that people backing us would be proud of.”
Not all family members want to work on the same projects though, including Maggie and Jake Gyllenhaal, who were reluctant to team up. Richard Kelly previously spoke about having to talk Maggie into taking the role in Donnie Darko alongside her brother.
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“Immediately, she was like, ‘Richard, you’re only offering this to me because I’m Jake’s big sister. You should be finding the best actress for the role,'” the director told Vox in April 2017. “So she was already trying to talk me out of casting her, in a very selfless way. And I was just really impressed by that … So I was really determined to convince her to do it after that.”
The film wouldn’t be what it was without the brother-sister dynamic that Maggie and Jake brought to their roles.
“Maggie was really an essential piece of the puzzle that makes that family dynamic work in the film,” Kelly added. “I’m grateful that she agreed to do the role.”
Dave Franco also went out of his way not to work with his brother James Franco earlier on in his career.
“For a while, I made a conscious decision not to work with him, just because I wanted to pave my own path,” Dave said during an interview with Variety in November 2017. “I didn’t want to be referred to as ‘James Franco’s little brother’ for the rest of my life. But we have very similar sensibilities.”
Scroll down for more stars who worked with their family on screen:
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Raymond Ablack and Rebecca Ablack
Raymond and his younger sister were both cast on Netflix’s Ginny & Georgia. The Degrassi alum, for his part, portrays coffee shop owner Joe while Rebecca plays high school student Padma. While the sibling pair rarely shared the screen in season 1, they got to act together the following season when Padma was hired as a barista at Joe’s Blue Farm Cafe.
“It’s not lost on me, how impossible the odds were and how lucky I was to have shared a dream with my sister. Feeling grateful,” Raymond gushed via Instagram in March 2021 after season 1 premiered.
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Dakota and Elle Fanning
The sisters have been acting since they were toddlers, but their first collaboration was set to be The Nightingale, which is based on Kristin Hannah’s novel of the same name. The film, which follows two sisters living in France who are torn apart by World War II, was scheduled to begin filming in 2020 but had to be placed on hold due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Production has yet to recommence.
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Gigi and Bella Hadid
The supermodels have starred in fashion campaigns, magazine shoots and walked runways together including the 2016 and 2018 Victoria’s Secret Fashion shows.
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Julianne & Derek Hough
In addition to playing extras in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, they both performed as pros on Dancing With the Stars, even going on several tours for the competition series.
The pair also came together for Step Into … The Movies, in which a star-studded cast of singers, dancers and actors paid homage to the most iconic moments of dance on film by reimagining the most legendary cinematic performances through a modern lens.
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Aly and AJ Michalka
The sisters, who work together as singing duo Aly & AJ, released their debut album, Into the Rush, in 2005. The twosome also starred together in the 2006 Disney film Cow Belles.
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Kevin, Joe and Nick Jonas
The three brothers started their band, the Jonas Brothers,** in 2005 and went on to star in their own Disney series, JONAS, from 2009 to 2010. The siblings also appeared on an episode of Hannah Montana, and Kevin and Nick made cameos in Joe’s Camp Rock films.
While the trio briefly called it quits on their band in 2013, they reunited in 2019. they kicked off their comeback with single “Sucker” and have been making music together ever since.
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Benji and Joel Madden
The twin brothers started the band Good Charlotte together in 1997, releasing their self-titled debut album three years later. Benji and Joel performed as pop duo The Madden Brothers on two albums in 2011 and 2014. They launched their artist management and development company, MDDN, in 2015.
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Paul McCartney and Mary McCartney
The Beatles legend’s daughter directed the 2022 Disney+ documentary If These Walls Could Sing, which looked back on the history of Abbey Road Studios. “I just learned so many things that I didn’t know,” Mary told E! News in December 2022. “I didn’t realize the diverse range of music that had been recorded there.”
Mary pointed out that she wanted to create a “calm and conversational” environment on set for her interview subjects — especially her father. “I was very lucky,” she said. “I had a reference point historically where he could give me little nuggets of information about Abbey Road when I was researching it. … I’m really happy with the interview with my dad because he’s great.”
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Kelsey Grammer and Spencer Grammer
The Frasier alum and daughter Spencer, whom he shares with ex-wife Doreen Alderman, star opposite one another for the first time in Lifetime’s The 12 Days of Christmas Eve.
“I’ve learned so much from him as an actor [and] a lot of my work ethic comes from him as well,” the Greek alum said of her father during a November 2022 appearance on Today. “So, it was really easy to work together. [I’ve been] inspired by your comedic timing, it’s definitely influenced me.”
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Damon Wayans and Damon Wayans Jr.
In October 2022, it was announced that the father and son duo were developing a series for CBS.
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Timothy Olyphant and Vivian
The actor’s teenage daughter appeared alongside him in FX’s series Justified.
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Katey Sagal and Jackson White
The real-life mother and son play fictional family members on Hulu’s Tell Me Lies, which premiered in September 2022. In the fifth episode, viewers were introduced to Norah (Sagal) when Stephen (White) returned home from school for the holidays.
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Tim Allen and Elizabeth Allen-Dick
The Toy Story star revealed in September 2022 that his real-life daughter would be playing his onscreen child, Sandra, in the Disney+ series The Santa Clauses. Allen, for his part, will reprise the role of Scott Calvin a.k.a. Santa Claus. “You know, it’s been such an organic experience and overzealously it’s great to work with, there’s no question about it,” he told E! News of their time as coworkers. “It was life-changing for me.”
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Olivia Wilde and Daisy
The Booksmart director enlisted her daughter, Daisy, whom she shares with ex Jason Sudeikis, to appear in her 2022 film, Don’t Worry Darling. The little one, who was 5 years old when they filmed, plays Rosie in the movie, which Wilde directed and acted in as well.
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Kurt Russell and Wyatt Russell
In July 2022, the Death Proof star and his youngest son signed on for an untitled Apple TV+ series about Godzilla and other Titans monsters that will take place in the same universe as 2021’s Godzilla vs. Kong.
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Chris Pratt and Patrick Schwarzenegger
The Guardians of the Galaxy star teamed up with his brother-in-law for The Terminal List in July 2022. The twosome play James Reece and Donny Mitchell, respectively. Patrick is the younger brother of Pratt’s wife, Katherine Schwarzenegger, whom he wed in 2019.
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Chris Hemsworth, Tristan Hemsworth, Sasha Hemsworth and India Hemsworth
“It felt sort of like a one-off, fun family experience. I don’t want them to be child stars and actors. It was just a special experience we all had,” the Marvel star told Kevin McCarthy in June 2022 about the decision to have his kids in Thor: Love and Thunder.
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Ewan McGregor and Esther McGregor
“I’m sure everybody thinks she got the job because of me, but really, she didn’t,” the actor explained during an appearance on The Late Late Show With James Corden in June 2022. “She auditioned for the role. Deb, the brilliant director, said to me, ‘I found this great girl, but she turns out to be your daughter. Are you happy with that?’ I said that would be amazing.”
The Star Wars star added: “She was just brilliant. You don’t really know with your kids until that moment when I was acting with her, and it felt really normal and natural.”
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Rob Lowe and John Lowe
News broke in April 2022 that the West Wing alum would be starring alongside his son in the upcoming Netflix series, Unstable. The duo will play a father and son on the comedy and serve as executive producers.
John previously worked with his dad on 9-1-1: Lone Star. Rob plays fire captain Owen Strand on the Fox drama, while John works as a writer and story editor on the project. Rob’s brother, Chad Lowe, served as a director on two episodes of the drama in 2021 and 2022.
Chad was later cast in the series as Rob’s onscreen brother for a May 2022 episode.
Both Rob and John appeared on The Grinder in 2015 and 2016, playing Dean Sanderson and Joel Zadak, respectively. Chad again joined his brother as a director for one episode of the comedy in 2016.
One year later, Rob joined forces with both of his sons, John and Edward Lowe, to film the short-lived series The Lowe Files. The show followed the Lowe men as they explored infamous unsolved mysteries.
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Oscar Isaac and Michael Benjamin Hernandez
Isaac revealed in March 2022 that he hired his brother Hernandez to help him play dual personalities, Steven and Marc, in Moon Knight. “It was the closest thing to me there is on Earth,” Isaac told reporters via Entertainment Tonight. “So, he came in and he would play either Steven or Marc and even did the accent and everything — both accents — and so that was really helpful to have someone that’s not only a great actor but also shares my DNA to play off of.”
The siblings previously worked together in 2020’s The Letter Room.
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Judd Apatow, Leslie Mann and Iris Apatow
The writer and director didn’t have to look far when it came to casting his new movie, The Bubble, which chronicles a fictional film crew making a movie during the COVID pandemic. Apatow cast his younger daughter, Iris, as an influencer-turned-actress. Apatow previously directed Mann and Iris — along with daughter Maude — in 2012’s This is 40.
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Dominic West and Senan West
The father and son duo are set to play Prince Charles and Prince William on season 5 of The Crown, according to Variety.
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Margaret Qualley and Andie MacDowell
“It was my idea, actually,” Qualley told E! News about sharing the screen with her mother in September 2021. “I pitched the idea to Margot Robbie, because she’s one of the producers on this, and she loved it.”
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Mark and Michael Consuelos
Not only has Michael Consuelos played the younger version of his real-life pops onscreen, but in the Wednesday, August 18, episode, the father-son duo also acted alongside one another. During the flashback scenes, the former soap star played Hiram’s father while Michael reprised his role as a teenaged Hiram.
“Tonight I have the great honor of sharing the screen with my son @michael.consuelos and the always brilliant @melton they absolutely killed it,” the Kingdom alum wrote via Instagram at the time. “… Thank you to @writerras for giving me and my family a memory that will last a lifetime.”
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Sean and Dylan Penn
The actor and his daughter came together for 2021’s drama Flag Day. While Sean portrays counterfeiter John Vogel, Dylan stars as his daughter, Jennifer, in the film.
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Kevin Smith and Harley Quinn Smith
“I’m very happy for her,” the director gushed over his daughter, who was one of the breakout stars of Freeform’s Cruel Summer, during a June 2021 E! News interview. The father-daughter duo later opened up about cowriting a top-secret series together.
“It’s such a cool gift to be able to work with somebody you’re related to,” Harley said at the time. “We have pretty similar minds, so it’s kind of like you’re shooting with another version of yourself. It’s so much fun and we’re working on another thing together now which has been, in my opinion, the most fun yet, and I can’t wait for us to be able to share with the world what that is.”
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George and Mayan Lopez
The George Lopez alum will star alongside his daughter Mayan in the NBC show Lopez vs. Lopez, which received a comedy pilot commitment in June 2021.
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Stephen Amell and Robbie Amell
The cousins worked together on The Flash and in their film Code 8. The two will be reuniting for the sequel to the sci-fi movie.
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John and Joan Cusack
The brother and sister duo have worked together many times on projects including Sixteen Candles, Say Anything…, High Fidelity and War, Inc.
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Cole Sprouse and Dylan Sprouse
The twins started out their individual acting careers by often playing the same character including the role of Julian McGrath in 1999’s Big Daddy. They later went on to star in Disney Channel’s The Suite Life of Zack and Cody and its spinoff, The Suite Life on Deck.
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Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen
The sisters became household names for their joint portrayal of Michelle Tanner on Full House. The pair continued to work together, starring in several movies including It Takes Two and The Adventures of Mary-Kate and Ashley.
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Dave Franco and James Franco
The brother duo appeared in The Disaster Artist together in 2017.
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Hilary Duff and Haylie Duff
Haylie made several guest appearances in Lizzie McGuire, which starred Hilary. The sisters also filmed Material Girls together.
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Maggie and Jake Gyllenhaal
The twosome are known for their collaboration in Donnie Darko.
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Angelina Jolie and Jon Voight
The now-estranged daughter and father duo appeared in Lara Croft: Tomb Raider.
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Will Smith and Jaden Smith
Jaden joined his father in The Pursuit of Happyness.
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Luke and Owen Wilson
The Wilson brothers started sharing the screen in Bottle Rocket and would later appear in The Royal Tenenbaums together.
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Mamie Gummer and Meryl Streep
Streep worked with her daughter Gummer in Ricki and the Flash.
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Tia and Tamera Mowry
The twins starred in Sister, Sister together for six seasons. The Mowry sisters also worked on Disney Channel’s Twitches and Twitches Too.
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Colin Hanks and Tom Hanks
Colin and Tom shared the screen in The Great Buck Howard.
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Casey and Ben Affleck
The Affleck brothers can be seen in Good Will Hunting. Casey was later cast in his brother’s directorial debut film, Gone Baby Gone.
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Matt, Joey and Andrew Lawrence
The sibling group played brothers in Brotherly Love. Matthew and Andrew later appeared in their brother’s former show Melissa and Joey.
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Kirk Cameron and Candace Cameron
Kirk made a guest appearance on Full House with his sister Candace.
