Casting directors are the unsung heroes of the filmmaking industry, especially when it comes to characters at different stages of their lives. It’s not just about finding actors of different ages who resemble the character, it also has to feel right.
You’ve probably been thrown midway through a show because the younger version of the character is nothing like the one you know and love. But, on the flipside, there have also been moments when the younger actor is an almost-identical doppelganger!
Here are just some of the stellar casting choices that will make you do a double take.
1. ‘The Adam Project’
Ever wondered what it’d be like to meet your younger self? Ryan Reynolds does.
“Walker Scobell is such a little punk in the best way,” the actor mused about his young co-star. “He watched ‘Deadpool 2’ 600,000 times. He knows every word to both movies. So Walker just came in and didn’t need to do anything. All we needed to do was slap a couple of coloured contact lenses in his eyes and off we went.”
On top of the duo’s amusing yet heartwarming camaraderie, Scobell – in his first-ever professional acting gig – absolutely nails Reynolds’ wide-eyed look and mannerisms. Check it out yourself – “The Adam Project” premiered on Netflix yesterday.
2. ‘Chilling Adventures of Sabrina’
Mckenna Grace has played younger versions of characters for several years now. Her impressive resume includes Carol Danvers in “Captain Marvel”, Theo Crain in “The Haunting of Hill House”, and Tonya Harding in “I, Tonya” – but it’s her brief appearance as li’l Sabrina that will make you question the existence of magic.
Combined with her signature blonde bob and red coat, Grace is a dead ringer for Kiernan Shipka, who plays the titular character in “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina”. They’re not related, but Shipka reportedly handpicked the young actress for the role after noticing how similar they look.
3. ‘Riverdale’
Who better to play a younger version of you than your own son? Micheal Consuelos – who bears a striking resemblance to his dad – made his first but brief appearance as a teenage Hiram Lodge in the “Midnight Club” episode from season three.
The younger Consuelos would later reprise the role in the season-five flashback episode “Citizen Lodge”, which chronicles the character’s rise as Riverdale’s infamous kingpin.
4. ‘Orange is the New Black’
This mother-daughter duo could almost pass off as twins! In yet another instance of strong family resemblance, Dasany Kristal Gonzales was cast as a younger Daya, played by her mother Dascha Polanco, for several flashback sequences in the season-five episode “Tied to the Tracks”.
5. ‘The Haunting of Hill House’
The young cast portraying the Crain siblings as children definitely held their own and complemented their adult counterparts perfectly. But both Lulu Wilson and Elizabeth Reaser were spot on as Shirly, from their similar facial features to the character’s serious and restrained demeanour.
Fun fact: Wilson also played Reaser’s daughter in the 2016 horror film “Ouija: Origin of Evil”.
6. ‘Men in Black 3’
Before he became a mad Titan hellbent on eradicating half the universe, Josh Brolin played an uncanny younger version of Agent K, who is portrayed by Tommy Lee Jones in the film series’ present day.
Not only did Brolin bear a resemblance to Jones at that age, the former also nailed the elder agent’s military-like mannerisms perfectly.
7. ‘Glee’
And that’s what you missed on Glee. Considering it was for a brief montage during Kurt’s rendition of “I Wanna Hold Your Hand” in the season-two episode “Grilled Cheesus”, you have to give props to the casting department for this one.
From his cherubic cheeks to the way he swept his hair to the side, Adam Kolkin – who plays the younger version of Kurt Hummel – is pretty much a carbon copy of Chris Colfer.
He definitely made an impression on his older counterpart, as Kolkin would later play Colfer’s younger version in the 2012 coming-of-age film “Struck by Lightning”.
8. ‘It Chapter Two’
The kids and grown-ups of the “It” films complement each other amazingly, but these two are almost identical in every way.
Similar hairline and facial features aside, James Ransone absolutely kept up with Jack Dylan Grazer’s portrayal of the fast-talking germaphobe Eddie Kaspbrak 27 years in the future. Marvel at how even their eyebrows resemble each other’s! Uncanny.
9. ‘Dark’
The casting department of the German sci-fi series definitely had its hands full, what with all the time-travelling and multiverse shenanigans going on in the show!
Above are just some of the standouts, where both young and old versions of the characters could totally pass off as each other in real life.
All these titles are streaming on Netflix.