20 real-life dads and sons who also played family on-screen

Scott Caan's breakout performance as a teen on the run in the gritty indie A Boy Called Hate was full of raw, explosive anger. It made perfect sense when his on-screen father showed up, played by his actual dad, the legendary James Caan, proving that intense, tough-guy energy definitely runs in the family.

Scott Caan didn't just star as a troubled novelist in the indie romance Mercy; he also wrote the screenplay, making it a true passion project. He even brought in his legendary father, James Caan, for a small but memorable role as his character's own difficult and eccentric father, adding a layer of authentic family baggage to the film.

Emilio Estevez didn't just act alongside his father, Martin Sheen, in the moving drama The Way — he directed him. Sheen plays a grieving father walking the Camino de Santiago in Spain to honor his late son, who is played in flashbacks by Estevez himself, making their on-screen moments incredibly poignant and personal.

Brendan Gleeson pulled double duty in the dark comedy The Tiger's Tail, playing both a successful businessman and his long-lost, bitter twin brother. The casting got even better when his actual son, Brian Gleeson, showed up to play his on-screen son, adding another layer of real-life family tension to the mix.

If you thought the actor playing a young Prince William in The Crown had some uncanny chemistry with Prince Charles, you were right. The role was played by Senan West, acting opposite his real-life father, Dominic West, making their on-screen family drama feel even more authentic.

The acting dynasty of Lloyd and Jeff Bridges was on full display when they teamed up for the action-thriller Blown Away. Playing an uncle-nephew duo with a ton of baggage, their on-screen tension and dramatic stares proved that if gravitas is genetic, the Bridges family hit the jackpot.

In one of his father’s final TV projects, Jason Ritter made a small but poignant cameo, sharing the screen with the legendary John Ritter. He later honored his dad's memory with a touching guest spot on 8 Simple Rules, turning a simple role into a powerful moment of legacy in motion.

It's no surprise Ben Stiller's on-screen dad in Zoolander was played by his actual father, the legendary Jerry Stiller. No one else could have delivered those deadpan insults with such perfect comedic timing, creating a truly iconic father-son duo, complete with matching tracksuits.

After Zoolander, Jerry and Ben joined forces again for the 2007 film The Heartbreak Kid, where Ben plays a man afraid of commitment who decides he's ready to propose to a woman he believes is the one. 

Clearly, the acting chops run in the Stiller family. 20 years before The Heartbreak Kid, Jerry and Ben stunned audiences worldwide with their performance in the 1987 production Hot Pursuit. 

Getting a role in a Clint Eastwood film is tough, but it probably helps if he's your dad. Scott Eastwood suited up for a part in his father's epic war film Flags of Our Fathers, proving that when Clint is calling the shots, it's basically the family business.

Fans had to wait a long time to see it, but the father-son tension between Donald and Kiefer Sutherland was finally unleashed in the gritty western Forsaken. Their stoic dynamic was so packed with raw emotion that it practically jumped off the screen.

Honestly, we’d watch Brendan and Domhnall Gleeson read a phone book, so seeing them play a father-son duo in the series Frank of Ireland was a total treat. Their natural Irish charm and effortless chemistry are so good that they make even the most mundane arguments feel like comedic gold.

Sometimes, a questionable motel with bad Wi-Fi can lead to Emmy gold. This real-life father-son duo didn't just give us a show; they gave us the gift that is Schitt's Creek, playing the iconic Johnny and David Rose. Their on-screen chemistry wasn't just good — it was award-winning, hilarious, and completely heartwarming.

Before Jaden Smith was a full-blown brand dropping philosophical tweets, he was just a kid making audiences everywhere cry while acting opposite his superstar dad, Will Smith, in The Pursuit of Happyness.

Will and Jaden re-created that on-screen magic years later in After Earth, proving the Smith family talent is simply out of this world.

It doesn't get more meta than watching a real-life father and son play out a complex family dynamic on screen. Martin and Charlie Sheen channeled their actual relationship in the 1987 classic Wall Street, with Martin playing the grounded, blue-collar dad to Charlie’s high-flying, morally ambiguous stockbroker.

Charlie Sheen leaned into the ultimate action movie trope by casting his real-life dad, Martin Sheen, to play his old-school detective father in the thriller No Code of Conduct. Their on-screen dynamic as a hot-headed cop and his veteran dad/boss was packed with so much authentic tension, it felt like a real family argument with guns.

It took decades, but Hollywood's most iconic dynasty finally united on screen. Kirk and Michael Douglas (along with Michael’s son, Cameron) starred in the aptly titled It Runs in the Family, a film so true to life it was practically a documentary.

What happens when America's Dad gets a son who wants to forge his own path? You get The Great Buck Howard . In the film, Colin Hanks plays the exasperated son to his real-life father, Tom Hanks, and watching them navigate their clashing ambitions feels like a masterclass in chemistry.