20+ Age-Defying Parent-Child Castings From Blue Bloods, ER, Ginny & Georgia, Golden Girls, Supernatural and More
As TV fans, we're no strangers to suspending our disbelief when it comes to embracing fantastical or implausible storylines from our favorite shows.
But sometimes, it can be an equally enjoyable exercise to fall down a rabbit hole of reason. And that's what we're doing here today, embarking on a journey to answer the age-old question: Could this actor be their co-star's parent in real life?
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The list below rounds up the 20 weirdest, wackiest, most bizarre parent-child castings due to unbelievable age gaps. So if you, too, just watched the Season 2 premiere of Apple TV+'s The Buccaneers and thought, 'Leighton Meester is playing mom to a 19-year-old woman?!,' you're in the right place.
Our list has it all, from a Family Ties father who had only 14 years on his on-screen son, to a Golden Girl who defied all logic by actually being younger than her daughter. We've also got age-defying pairings from Six Feet Under, Supernatural, The Good Place, Blue Bloods, Orange Is the New Black, Schitt's Creek, The Cosby Show, George Lopez and more.
But before you get scrolling, some housekeeping: Our round-up is sorted from widest to smallest age gap, and we're sharing how old the actors were at the time they first appeared alongside each other — not how old they are today. Also, we've steered clear of soap operas and timey-wimey time travel shows. (We are in a rabbit hole of reason, remember?!)
Without further ado, it's time for you, dear reader, to fly the coop and review our sampling of TV's most bizarre parent-child castings — and as always, feel free to nominate others that come to mind!
Meredith Baxter (35) and Michael Gross (35) played parents to Michael J. Fox (21)
Age Gap: 14 years
Michael Sheen (50) and Bellamy Young (49) played parents to Tom Payne (36)
Age Gap: 14 and 13 years
Frances Conroy (48) played mother to Peter Krause (35)
Age Gap: 13 years
Belita Moreno (52) played mother to George Lopez (40)
Age Gap: 12 years
Jeffrey Dean Morgan (39) played father to Jensen Ackles (27)
Age Gap: 12 years
Earle Hyman (58) played father to Bill Cosby (47)
Age Gap: 11 years
Janet Hubert (34) played mother to Karyn Parsons (23)
Age Gap: 11 years
Brian Cox (72) played father to Alan Ruck (61)
Age Gap: 11 years
Leighton Meester (39) plays mother to Kristine Frøseth (29)
Age Gap: 10 years
Mo'Nique (31) played mother to Countess Vaughn (21)
Age Gap: 10 years
Leslie Grossman (45) played mother to Kristen Bell (36)
Age Gap: 9 years
John Marshall Jones (34) played father to Essence Atkins (25)
Age Gap: 9 years
Gretchen Mol (37) played mother to Michael Pitt (29)
Age Gap: 8 years
Brianne Howey (31) plays mother to Antonia Gentry (23)
Age Gap: 8 years
Adina Porter (37) played mother to Rutina Wesley (29)
Age Gap: 8 years
Jane Curtin (75) played mother to Katey Sagal (68)
Age Gap: 7 years
Len Cariou (70) played father to Tom Selleck (65)
Age Gap: 5 years
Frances Fisher (52) played mother to Laura Innes (47)
Age Gap: 5 years
Jennifer Robertson (43) played mother to Tim Rozon (38)
Age Gap: 5 years
Elizabeth Rodriguez (32) played mother to Dascha Polanco (30)
Age Gap: 2 years
Estelle Getty (62) played mother to Bea Arthur (63)
Age Gap: -1 year!
Which parent-child castings surprised you the most? And which did we miss? Hit the comments with your thoughts!
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