14 Roles Famous Actors Accepted To Impress Their Kids

How do you impress kids who are used to yachts and mansions?

Damjan

• Published in Film & TV
• April 26, 2022

There is nothing a good parent would not do for their children. That goes for normal folks and celebrities alike.

But, when you're a Hollywood A-lister, though, the bar is set much higher. We forget that celebs who have kids are parents above all, and they also want to please their kids and impress them.

And how can you impress a child that's used to yachts, mansions, and private pools? Well, the answer is simple - by playing a character in their favorite movie or a show.

And if it is a major role in a book turned into a movie - even better! The majority of the time, actors and actresses choose a role based on the script or for the money.

However, there is a point when actors or actresses pick a specific role in order to impress their children. The following are 14 actors that took on roles simply to please their kids.

When it comes down to it, they recognize that their children are their strongest supporters! Take a look at our list.

You will recognize many famous movies and iconic roles. They would be a lot different if some kids didn't have good instincts.

1. Kate Winslet

She told MTV News that she took on the part of Jeanine Matthews in Divergent because she felt it would make her kids think she was "cool." Her 12-year-old daughter was overjoyed that other students at school were enthusiastic about her mother's new role.

2. Ozzy Osbourne

Ozzy Osbourne, the notoriously foul-mouthed rocker, appeared on the Nick Jr. series Bubble Guppies because he wanted to observe his 2-year-old granddaughter Pearl's response to "hearing my voice emerge through Sid Fishy's mouth," according to Guitar World.

3. David Bowie

Because his 6-year-old daughter adored the show, David Bowie voiced Lord Royal Highness in a SpongeBob SquarePants special called SpongeBob's Atlantis SquarePantis. Bowie stated on his blog that it was the "Holy Grail of animation gigs."

4. Robert Downey Jr

Because his son was a great fan of Family Guy, Robert Downey Jr. contacted the show and asked if he might appear in an episode. In the Season 4 episode "The Fat Guy Strangler," he voiced Patrick Pewterschmidt, Lois' long-lost brother.

5. Richard Harris

Richard Harris refused to play Albus Dumbledore until his granddaughter threatened him, saying, "Papa, if you don't play Dumbledore, I will never talk to you again!" Before his death in 2002, he appeared in the first two films.

6. Will Smith

"As soon as you see one of these casts coming together, you're like, 'Okay, okay, somebody's kid just turned 7...'" Will Smith stated in an interview with Today to promote Shark Tale.

7. Raúl Juliá

Because his children were infatuated with the video game franchise, Raúl Juliá played M. Bison in the 1994 film Street Fighter. They were even able to see some of it being shot, albeit with a heartbreaking reason: Juliá was frail due to complications from stomach cancer and was frequently joined on set by his family. He died just two months before the film's premiere.

8. Michael Sheen

Michael Sheen told the Daily Record that his 10-year-old daughter, who is a major fan of the novels and "squealed with excitement" when he informed her about the job he'd been offered, was the main reason he was delighted to play Aro in the Twilight films.

9. Julianne Moore

"It's been a lovely thing for my kids to have me in these," Julianne Moore told Vulture after being cast as President Alma Coin in the two-part movie adaptation of Mockingjay. 

10. Viggo Mortensen

Viggo Mortensen's teenage kid insisted that his father play Aragorn (which had to be rapidly recast after Peter Jackson realized that Stuart Townsend, then 26, was too youthful for the role). The son was rewarded for his efforts with cameo roles in the film, including "a wicked orc, a brave Gondorian, and a youthful soldier of Rohan."

11. Ben Affleck

Because his kids "didn't see Argo," Ben Affleck put on the batsuit for them. Wearing the suit to his son's birthday celebration was "worth every moment of agony on Justice League," Affleck remarked on the Hollywood Reporter's Awards Chatter podcast.

12. Ryan Reynolds

Because he doesn't "make a lot of films that aren't rated-R," Ryan Reynolds decided to star in Detective Pikachu so that his small children could see one of his films.

13. Larry David

Larry David featured as a guest star on Hannah Montana, and as strange as it may sound, it's because his two kids (who also participated in his cameo) enjoyed the Disney sitcom.

14. Idris Elba

The idea that "my daughter and my son were going to witness a classic with their dad's voice" was the best part of working on the live-action The Jungle Book, according to Idris Elba. In the remake, Elba played the tiger Shere Khan.

David Bowie, Ozzy Osbourne, Kate Winslet, Will Smith… That’s quite a list.

It just goes to show that famous people also have some proving to do. And we are so glad their kids had good instincts.

We hope they will make more smart suggestions. We can’t wait to see what they will think of next.

Damjan