Top 10 On-Screen Parents & Kids With Surprisingly Small Age Gaps

Admittedly, dark curses are partly involved in explaining why Emma and her parents are about the same age. And in reality, Jennifer Morrison is just one year younger than her on-screen parents, too. After sending their baby to a land without magic, the Charmings, along with the other Enchanted Forest residents, are whisked off to Storybrooke where they’ve been frozen in time for 28 years. Before discovering their true relationship, Emma and Mary Margaret become friends and even roommates. So when the curse breaks and they’re reunited as mother and daughter, it makes for an interesting shift in dynamics.

Mrs. Gump is a loving and doting mother, who’s always full of great advice to impart to her son. After all, it was mama who said that [“Life was like a box of chocolates”.] Sally Field undergoes physical transformations as Forrest’s beloved mother throughout the movie to reflect the progressing timeline. However, not only is Field just about 10 years older than Hanks, but also a few years earlier, the pair starred together in the movie “Punchline” - where she played his love interest! Despite the implausible age-gap between them, Hanks apparently still calls her“Mama” to this very day.

You know two actors are probably of a similar age when they audition for the same role. This was the case for Constance Marie, who read for the part of Selena, alongside JLo. But when the role ultimately went to Lopez, the director Gregory Nava asked her if she would be interested in playing Selena’s mother, Marcela instead. After going and reading the script, she decided to go for it, despite the less than four-year age gap between her and Lopez. Thankfully, with a skillful hair and make-up team, Marie was given a makeover that helped her transform into an older woman.

Since Aunt Viv doesn’t turn 40 until season two, we can deduce that she and Philip were quite young when they started their family. And when we first meet the Banks, their eldest daughter Hilary, played by Karyn Parsons is in college. This means that Viv would have had to be around 18 when she had her first child. Even so, the OG Aunt Viv, played by Janet Hubert, is actually only nine years older than her on-screen daughter. After the third season, Hubert was contentiously replaced by Daphne Maxwell Reid, though she’s a more realistic 18 years older than Parsons.

This biographical movie tells the story of Beverly Donofrio, a teen mom who faces many obstacles as she strives to achieve her dream of becoming a writer. We follow Bev’s journey over the years as she juggles motherhood, completing her education, and pursuing her dream job. This is another movie where the same actress plays the mother throughout, while the kid is played by several actors to show the passing of time. So, when Jason reaches college-age, he’s played by Adam Garcia. Not only was the actor a 28-year-old playing an 18-year-old, but in real life he’s almost two years older than his on-screen mom!

Sophia and Dorothy were amongst the most iconic mother-daughter-duos of their time. But did you know that Estelle Getty, who plays the dry-humored matriarch was actually a year younger than Bea Arthur? Sophia is meant to be in her 80s, so every day Getty reportedly underwent a three-hour transformation to get into character. Maurice Stein, the artist behind her look. said, “When she first sits down in the chair, she’s just Estelle, a nice, lovely lady. But as the makeup goes on, she becomes this snappy old lady, wise-cracking and crusty.” Now that’s what we call being committed to a role!

Despite being just 26 when this movie was released, Heath Ledger was already a big Hollywood name. Whereas when Kate Mara got the gig playing his daughter, Alma Jr., the actress hadn’t had much on-set experience, and was only about four years his junior. Ledger’s character Ennis, is meant to be about 40 when the two characters interact on-screen, so the actor made small alterations to his body language in order to appear older. Speaking on “Watch What Happens Live,” Mara said about working with Ledger: [“And even though he was only a couple years older, he really took me under his wing.”]

Cher and Meryl Streep go way back, having played best friends and roommates in the 1983 biographical-drama movie, “Silkwood”. The singer was even offered the part of Tanya in the first “Mamma Mia!” movie, but decided to pass. Considering the three-year age gap between the actresses, we can certainly see more logic in Cher playing Donna’s friend/bandmate rather than her mother. But Ol Parker wrote the part of Ruby specifically for Cher and this time, he wasn’t taking no for an answer. The casting ended up dividing audiences, while her role in the movie seemed to raise more questions than it answered.

She’s not a regular mom, she’s a cool mom. Played by Amy Poehler, Mrs. George gives us some of the funniest quotes from this cult teen comedy. Regina’s mom so desperately wants to be “down with the kids.” Given the real-life age gap between her and her on-screen daughter, she isn’t as far off as you might think. Although Rachel McAdams plays a junior in high school, she was actually in her mid-20s at the time. Meanwhile, Poehler was in her early 30s when “Mean Girls” was released. It’s no wonder Mrs. George feels like one of the girls, as she very well could be!

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

Kelly Rowan & Ben McKenzie, “The O.C.” (2003-07)
There’s Just a 13-Year Age Gap Between This On-Screen Adoptive Mother & Son

Jeffrey Dean Morgan & Jensen Ackles, “Supernatural” (2005-20)
Ackles Is Only 12 years Younger Than His TV Dad

Holly Marie Combs & Lucy Hale, “Pretty Little Liars” (2010-17)
Combs Would Have Been 15 in Real Life When She Had Her On-Screen Daughter

Nell Hudson & Lauren Lyle, “Outlander” (2014-)
Incredibly, There Are Just Less Than 3 Years Between These Actresses

Winona Ryder & Zachary Quinto, “Star Trek” (2009)
Ryder Is Less Than 6 Years Older Than Quinto

Rather than cast an age-appropriate woman as Alexander's mom, Olympias, the role of the Queen in the 2004 Oliver Stone epic went to Angelina Jolie, who was then in her late 20s. Meanwhile, the title role was played by Colin Farrell, who’s barely a year younger than she is. This movie was such a flop that it’s completely understandable if it fell off your radar - after all, these two don’t exactly make a very convincing mother and son duo. To make matters even weirder, dating rumors surrounded these actors at the time, although they never confirmed a romantic relationship. It’s almost as if Hollywood isn’t aware that there are plenty of talented older women who could totally rock these roles...