The first actor to play one of their own parents in a movie
Nepotism rules over Hollywood, so it’s unsurprising that many actors have used their own children to play younger versions of themselves on the big screen.
When Tina Fey needed a child to play her character in a flashback for 30 Rock, who better to call than her own daughter? Sometimes, it can be a way to honour an actor who has died, too, with James Gandolfini’s son Michael playing a young Tony Soprano in The Many Saints of Newark, although we can’t say it was anywhere near as good as the show.
It must be hard to act under the shadow of an acclaimed and famous parent, because you’re going to be under intense scrutiny from everyone who watches you – all eyes are suddenly on you. But what about when your role is not just to play a character that one of your parents has portrayed, but to actually play the real version of them?
It’s much less common to see the children of famous people playing their parents in a biopic – that would likely be a pretty demanding and emotionally exhausting role to take on – but it has happened – O’Shea Jackson Jr played his own father, Ice Cube, in Straight Outta Compton (you couldn’t get a better lookalike), while Joan Rivers’ daughter Melissa played her in the film Joy alongside Jennifer Lawrence.
Who was the first actor to play their own parent in a movie?
One of the most notorious criminals in American history is, believe it or not, part of this strange feat, because his son, Jesse James Jr, played him in several movies during the silent era – the outlaw, who was killed by Robert Ford in 1882, became a symbol of the Wild West, romanticised by many despite his pro-Confederate stance.
He has been portrayed in countless films over the years, including The Last Days of Frank and Jesse James and The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, with the latter receiving particular acclaim, yet the first depiction of him came in 1921 when his own son brought him to the screen for Jesse James Under the Black Flag and its sequel, Jesse James as the Outlaw.
It hadn’t been all that long since James’ death, and Americans were still interested in this story that was becoming increasingly mythologised now that the Wild West era had come to an end. With copious interpretations of his story published in novels during the late 19th century and early 20th century – many completely removed from his actual life – it wasn’t a surprise that filmmakers were quick to bring Jesse James to the silver screen once narrative filmmaking took hold.
James Jr had an interesting life, experiencing his first brush with the law when he was in his 20s after he robbed a train. Clearly, he had his dad’s devious streak running through his veins, but soon he made a change. Throughout his life, he wrote books, opened a law firm, and ran a restaurant, then made a few on-screen appearances as his father.
A biopic named Jesse James emerged in 1927, but this time, actor Fred Thomson took on the role, with James Jr taking a more behind-the-scenes role as a technical advisor. Clearly interested in keeping his father’s legacy alive, no matter how controversial, James Jr made cinematic history in the process.
