17 celebrity parent-child duos that will make you do a double take

Britt HayesTue, July 28, 2026 at 4:51 PM UTC

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Ava Phillippe and Reese Witherspoon in 2024; Kurt Russell and Wyatt Russell in 2026

Kids don’t always inherit their parents’ looks, but when it comes to these celebrities, the resemblance is undeniable — and uncanny.

Mini-mes. Twins. Doppelgängers. Whatever you want to call them, these celebrity parents and their kiddos have heard it all. Still, the similarities are so striking that it’s impossible not to acknowledge them. Wyatt Russell could’ve shown up to his first red carpet with a different last name, and it still would’ve been obvious that his dad is Kurt Russell. While resembling a famous parent probably comes with some downsides, there’s no arguing that the kids on this list won the genetic lottery.

Here are 17 celebrity parents and their nearly identical famous kids.

01 of 17

Gwyneth Paltrow and Apple Martin

Gwyneth Paltrow in 1996; Apple Martin in 2025

Apple Martin is the spitting image of her mom Gwyneth Paltrow, but you can also see the resemblance to her famous dad, Coldplay frontman Chris Martin.

Whatever you do, just don’t call Paltrow’s daughter a nepo baby, a term that the actress referred to as an “ugly moniker” in 2023, noting that she hopes “that my children always feel free to pursue exactly what they want to do, irrespective of what anybody’s going to think or say.”

That said, the younger Martin seems to be following in Paltrow’s footsteps. She’s set to make her acting debut in an upcoming film from rom-com icon Nancy Meyers.

02 of 17

Reese Witherspoon and Ava Phillippe

Reese Witherspoon in 2007; Ava Phillippe in 2026

It’s okay if you mistake Reese Witherspoon for her daughter, Ava Phillippe. In fact, she loves it. In a 2021 interview with Gayle King for InStyle, Witherspoon said it makes her “feel so young” when people think she’s Ava. “I’m so proud of her,” the actress said. “She really rolls with it. I’m sure it’s not easy looking exactly like your mother.”

Ava is the older of Witherspoon’s two children with her ex-husband and Cruel Intentions costar Ryan Phillippe. She got her start as a model, and has even served as the face for her mom’s fashion brand, Draper James.

Recently, Ava has begun pursuing an acting career, appearing in episodes of Netflix’s Ransom Canyon and the short-lived Ryan Murphy drama Doctor Odyssey. She also starred in the music video for Ella Langley’s country hit, “Choosin’ Texas.”

03 of 17

Damon Wayans and Damon Wayans Jr.

Damon Wayans in 1997; Damon Wayans Jr. in 2026

Not only does Damon Wayans Jr. share a name and profession with his dad, Damon Wayans, but they also look remarkably alike.

As Wayans Jr. explained during a 2025 appearance on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, he almost followed a different career path. “I wanted to be an animator growing up for a long time,” the former New Girl star said. “I used to draw all the time and then one day I accidentally opened one of my dad’s checks and I was like, ‘I want to do that! That’s a lot better.’”

Of course, comedy runs in the family: The elder Wayans is part of a sprawling entertainment dynasty that also includes his siblings Keenen Ivory Wayans, Kim Wayans, Shawn Wayans, and Marlon Wayans.

04 of 17

John Ritter and Jason Ritter

John Ritter in 1996; Jason Ritter in 2026

With his blue eyes and wide smile, Jason Ritter could easily be mistaken for his dad, actor John Ritter, who died in 2003. He even does a spot-on impression of the Three’s Company star.

Jason admits that his dad helped him land his first acting job, in the 1992 animated film The Real Story of O Christmas Tree, in which he voiced Little Acorn. “I will say, without any hesitation, this was like a full-on nepotism hire. I will admit that,” the younger Ritter said in a 2023 interview on SiriusXM’s The Jess Cagle Show.

05 of 17

Cindy Crawford and Kaia Gerber

Cindy Crawford; Kaia GerberCredit: Getty(2)

If your mom is supermodel Cindy Crawford and you look exactly like your mom, then you should probably become a model, which is exactly what Kaia Gerber did. Crawford, however, was surprisingly hands-off when Gerber and her brother, Presley, decided to pursue modeling.

“You are so not a stage mom,” Gerber told Crawford when they appeared together on Today in 2025. “I kind of wish you were a little bit more, but she’s so not a stage mom at all, because she’s had her own life experiences, and she has never lived vicariously through us.”

In recent years, Gerber has also taken up acting, appearing in the movies Bottoms (2023) and Saturday Night (2024). She next stars in Ryan Murphy’s FX series The Shards, based on Bret Easton Ellis’ novel and costarring Homer Gere — the son of actor Richard Gere, who was famously married to Cindy Crawford in the ‘90s.

06 of 17

Ice Cube and O’Shea Jackson Jr.

Ice Cube in 2004; O’Shea Jackson Jr. in 2026

O’Shea Jackson Jr.’s first major acting role was playing his own father, Ice Cube — real name: O’Shea Jackson — in the 2015 N.W.A. biopic Straight Outta Compton. But having a famous father, and strongly resembling him, didn’t automatically win Jackson Jr. the part. As he told Entertainment Weekly ahead of the film’s release, he went through a two-year audition process to prove himself to director F. Gary Gray.

“I don’t want anyone to think ‘We can’t get Cube, so let’s get the younger version for this film,’” Jackson Jr. explained. “Nah, I’m ready to show my versatility within cinema as an actor. I’m definitely ready to put my foot in it.”

And he’s done just that, with roles in Ingrid Goes West (2017), Den of Thieves (2018), and the new indie comedy Idiots costarring Dave Franco.

07 of 17

Eugene Levy and Dan Levy

Eugene Levy in 2001; Dan Levy in 2026

One look at Dan Levy’s eyebrows and you know exactly where he gets them: his father, comedy legend Eugene Levy. Talent certainly runs in the family, as evidenced by Schitt’s Creek, the beloved Emmy-winning series the duo co-created and starred in together.

Ahead of hosting the Emmy Awards together in 2024, Dan reflected on the trophies’ constant presence in their family home. “Growing up we just had these decaying Emmy Awards sitting on a shelf,” Dan said, recalling how someone had used “Scotch tape” to reattach a loose placard.

Eugene interjected to take responsibility, joking, “It’s not like I picked it up every day and was waving it around and spinning it.”

08 of 17

Clint Eastwood and Scott Eastwood

Clint Eastwood in 1978; Scott Eastwood in 2026

When he was first embarking on an acting career, Scott Eastwood didn’t want to rely on the name of his dad, veteran actor and director Clint Eastwood, for a leg up — even though the resemblance is uncanny.

“When I started auditioning in the business, I used my mom’s last name,” the younger Eastwood told Today in 2015. “Just to see if I could do it for me. ... You sort of realize early on that you’ve got to go out and audition like everybody.”

Born Scott Clinton Reeves, he initially used his mother’s surname professionally before eventually embracing the Eastwood name. Even then, he still had to audition for roles in his dad’s movies.

“I’ve auditioned for pretty much every one of my father’s movies,” Eastwood explained to Variety in 2015. He landed parts in Flags of Our Fathers (2006), Gran Torino (2008), and Invictus (2009), but lost out on J. Edgar (2011) and American Sniper (2014). “You don’t get a phone call” when that happens, Eastwood said. “It’s nothing personal.”

09 of 17

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Denzel Washington and John David Washington

Denzel Washington in 1999; John David Washington in 2024

With lead roles in Spike Lee’s BlacKkKlansman(2018) and Christopher Nolan’s Tenet (2020), John David Washington has successfully established an acting career in his own right — no easy feat when your father is the great Denzel Washington.

In a 2018 interview with The Times, John David recalled telling his father at age 11 that he wouldn’t consider an acting career because Denzel’s “shadow was so big.” The elder Washington asked if John David had heard of Kirk Douglas. When he said no, Denzel asked if he had heard of Michael Douglas.

“I understood what he was saying,” John David told the outlet, “but it didn’t matter. To me, my dad was different.

10 of 17

Andie MacDowell and Margaret Qualley

Andie MacDowell in 1999; Margaret Qualley in 2026

She may use her father’s last name, but just watch Margaret Qualley act opposite mom, Andie MacDowell, in the Netflix series Maid, and the resemblance is undeniable. Qualley’s star has skyrocketed in the years since, from her Golden Globe-nominated role in 2024’s The Substance to her scene-stealing turns in Yorgos Lanthimos’ Kinds of Kindness (2024) and the 2026 thriller How to Make a Killing, costarring Glen Powell.

These days, MacDowell thinks she’s benefiting from her daughter’s fame in a case of “reverse nepotism.” During a 2025 appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, MacDowell joked, “I am now what they always accuse the children of. ... But I’m now cool because I’m Margaret Qualley’s mom.”

11 of 17

Thandiwe Newton and Nico Parker

Thandiwe Newton in 1992; Nico Parker in 2025

Nico Parker looks like a young clone of her mom, actress Thandiwe Newton, who is best known for her roles in movies like Mission: Impossible 2 (2000) and For Colored Girls (2010), as well as TV faves like Westworld and Big Mouth.

The daughter of Newton and director Ol Parker, the younger Parker wasted no time starting her acting career. After making her big-screen debut in 2019’s Dumbo, she appeared as Joel’s daughter on HBO’s The Last of Us, and earned acclaim for her first leading role in Suncoast (2024). She then played Astrid in 2025’s live-action How to Train Your Dragon and is set to reprise the role in its upcoming sequel.

She even got to act opposite her own mom in the 2021 sci-fi film Reminiscence. “Getting to watch her work when I visit her on set is amazing, but getting to see it firsthand acting with her — you can’t pull your eyes away from her,” Parker told EW in 2024. “She’s so brilliant.”

12 of 17

Jack Nicholson and Ray Nicholson

Jack Nicholson in 1980; Ray Nicholson in 2025

Like Parker and Newton, Ray Nicholson looks as though he was printed in the Jack Nicholson factory — which is sort of true. With those eyebrows, there’s no denying that Jack is Ray’s dad. In fact, the resemblance helped the younger Nicholson land a role in 2024’s Smile 2, the sequel to the 2022 horror hit.

“I think I’m always trying to reference The Shining,” director Parker Finn told EW. “With Ray, he auditioned for that role. The audition was so strong. Of course, Jack Nicholson is one of my favorite actors of all time. I love that Ray has very strong genes, and his smile, instantly, I was like, ‘Oh my God, it’s like looking at a young Jack.’”

13 of 17

Goldie Hawn and Kate Hudson

Goldie Hawn; Kate Hudson

Raised by acting legends Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell, Kate Hudson could’ve gotten an early start on her acting career, especially since she looks so much like her mom. But Hawn has said she took a hands-off approach to the careers of her three children: Kate, Oliver Hudson, and Wyatt Russell.

“I didn’t call an agent and ask them to be represented. I never did that,” Hawn said in 2025. “In fact, they wanted Katie for some show, and she was still in high school,” Hawn continued. “And I didn’t let her do it because I didn’t want her at that age, I wanted her to live a normal life, finish school, at which point you figure that out, but don’t start too soon.”

It seems like Hudson couldn’t wait: She was still a teenager when she made her screen debut in a 1996 episode of Party of Five. Just a few years later, she’d earn an Academy Award nomination and win a Golden Globe for her performance in Almost Famous (2000).

14 of 17

Kurt Russell and Wyatt Russell

Kurt Russell in 2004; Wyatt Russell in 2026

When casting a younger version of Kurt Russell, you could do a lot worse than his son and fellow actor, Wyatt Russell. The actors play older and younger versions of the same character, Lee Shaw, in the Apple TV series Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, which is part of Legendary’s big-screen Monsterverse. Not only do they look alike, but father and son also have similar approaches to the job.

“I’m old school. And Wyatt is old school. That’s what’s interesting here,” Kurt told EWabout working together on the series.

Wyatt has even adopted his dad’s approach when it comes to scripts. “It’s so funny, I walked into my dad’s apartment, and he had all of these scripts laid out,” Wyatt said. “I remember, when I was working on The Falcon and Winter Soldier, I had a table which was not quite as big, but the scripts were laid out.”

15 of 17

Uma Thurman and Maya Hawke

Uma Thurman in 1998; Maya Hawke in 2026

There’s a little resemblance to her father, Ethan Hawke, but Maya Hawke looks like a carbon copy of her mom, Uma Thurman. They even have similar voices — it’s truly uncanny.

The younger Hawke, who got her start on the 2017 BBC adaptation of Little Women, playing Jo, has been candid about the nepotism discourse. When the Times of London asked whether she felt she “deserved” her success, Hawke replied, “‘Deserves’ is a complicated word… there are so many people who deserve to have this kind of life who don’t, but I think I’m comfortable with not deserving it and doing it anyway.”

“It’s OK to be made fun of when you’re in rarefied air,” Hawke continued. “It’s a lucky place to be. My relationships with my parents are really honest and positive, and that supersedes anything anyone can say about it.”

16 of 17

Meryl Streep and Mamie Gummer

Meryl Streep in 1999; Mamie Gummer in 2025

Legendary actress Meryl Streep had four kids with her estranged husband, Don Gummer, and all of them have found success in their creative fields. That includes Mamie Gummer, who uses her father’s surname but looks just like her mom — so much so that Gummer played the younger version of Streep in the 2007 drama Evening.

In 2015, Streep and Gummer went toe-to-toe as a washed-up rocker mom and her estranged daughter in Ricki and the Flash, directed by the late Jonathan Demme. Casting Gummer was actually Streep’s idea.

“I was over at her house, and she handed me the script to read, just like, ‘This is what I’m doing next, let me know what you think of it,’” Gummer told IndieWire, noting that she was somewhat oblivious to what her mom was trying to suggest. “I was like, ‘I’m really busy! Good for you, that you’ve got this great job, it’s really exciting, can’t wait to see it, but I myself am trying to get a job.’”

“It’s really good, Diablo Cody wrote it,” Gummer recalled her mother saying. “I’m like, ‘F---, that’s amazing. But, again, I’ll read it later,’ and she’s like, ‘I really think that you should read it now.’”

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17 of 17

Bill Pullman and Lewis Pullman

Bill Pullman in 2002; Lewis Pullman in 2026

Lewis Pullman was initially resistant to the idea of working with his dad, the great Bill Pullman— especially when it meant playing his son in a sequel to one of the greatest movies of all time, Mel Brooks’ 1987 comedy Spaceballs. But Lewis bears a striking resemblance to his father and has proven himself to be a talented actor in his own right, making him perfect casting for Spaceballs: The New One. He plays Prince Starburst, the son of Lone Starr (Bill) and Princess Vespa (Daphne Zuniga).

“When this came along, I was like, ‘No, no way… I can’t,’” Lewis recalled during the film’s 2026 San Diego Comic-Con panel. “And then Pop was like, ‘Why don’t we read [the script]?’ And then I read it and was like, ‘Damn it. This is so good.’”

Lewis added, “I looked at the team, and I was like, ‘I would be a fool. It would be weird if I didn’t do it.’ And I would be on my deathbed and be like, ‘That was a weird choice.’”

on Entertainment Weekly

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