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Let's get right into it. When I first saw Kip Pardue playing Sunshine in Remember the Titans, I could have sworn he must have been Kim Basinger's son. Mainly, I see their connection in the eyes. There's a lot of leeway between a mother and son pair, but if I saw them in a film together, I'd never question it.
Next up are Kiefer Sutherland and Peter Sarsgaard. These guys look close enough that a lot of casual viewers actually confuse the two. A close inspection reveals that they actually look quite different, but their overall head shape, passably similar eyes, and near idential jaw/mouth structures still make for a great brother pairing.
This last one is almost painfully obvious, but Helen Hunt and Leelee Sobieski seem born to play family. The interesting thing is, they actually don't look as much like each other as people remember, but their eyebrows and unique nose shapes are spot on, and the rest is close enough. Taking the level of discrepancy into account, a mother-daughter match seems most likely.
One thing I love to do while watching films is creating links between unrelated actors that could, nevertheless, convincingly play family. It's not just about two people looking identical... it's about finding elements of their faces could really pass as a shared genetic trait. It takes a more focused observation to notice cheekbone and jaw structure similarities, but it's in these details that strong, believable familial resemblances are formed.
One great example that comes to mind is in The Return of the King. Denethor, Boromir and Faramir are all superbly cast. Boromir, played by Sean Bean, is the image of his father Denethor, played by John Noble. Faramir, played by David Wenham, has the same distinct nose as his brother and father, but his features are softer, and his eyes are lighter.
Seeing the similarities and the differences together, you intuitively realize that Faramir's mother must have had blue eyes, and that he takes after her. Just think of how many siblings you know where each one takes after a different parent. It's no different in this case, but there are key anchoring similarities that make the family ultimately believable.
The first people in my family casting files are Michael Caine and Maggie Smith (perhaps best known for playing Professor McGonagall). Family relation? Siblings, definitely. Their main similarities lie in the set of their eyes and the the shape of their mouths.
Here's an easy one, Christine Taylor and Katrina Bowden from 30 Rock. I don't think I have to point out just why they would be perfect to play mother and daughter on screen.
This last one, I've thought would be perfect ever since I saw 10 Things I Hate About You. Heath Ledger and Joseph Gordon-Levitt nail the look on so many levels. They have the same eyebrows, eyes, mouth, jaw and cheekbones. Joseph is a little thinner in build, but we're not casting twins here, we're casting brothers. And just to drive my point home, here are two sets of pics.
So that's it for Chapter 01 of Celebrity Trees. Check back often to see the next sets of actors, some of which will be obvious and, I guarantee, some that will be completely unexpected. I've already got a pretty long list to work through, so stay tuned.
