THN’s Top Actors Playing The Same Character At Different Ages

In case you hadn’t noticed, LOOPER is one of those sci-fi movies in which two actors – who don’t always actually look like each other – play the same character at different ages with varying degrees of success. Here it’s Bruce Willis and Joseph Gordon-Levitt…

Close, but lacking something. Hence the subtle prosthetics, and contact lenses, to make JGL look a little more like Brucey…

Better.

But how does it stand up against other Hollywood attempts? There’s only one way to find out, but getting everyone in here for a massive punch-up would be a logistical nightmare. So, instead, here we go with THN’s Top Actors-Playing-The-Same-Character-At-Different-Ages(-In-Sci-Fi-Movies).

PROFESSOR X / MAGNETO in X-MEN: FIRST CLASS (2011)

While pretty much every superhero movie going has at least one scene with the to-be-hero as a wee nipper, X-MEN: FIRST CLASS goes one further by devoting an entire franchise to their formative years. And yes, while Beast and Mystique get the younger-actor treatment too, well… under that makeup it makes little odds.

Patrick Stewart                    James McAvoy

5’10                                          5’7*

Likeness Rating: Very good.

*He’s a little short. Not that it really matters in a wheelchair.

Sir Ian McKellen                Michael Fassbender

5’11                                          6’

Likeness Rating: Scary

KYLE REECE in TERMINATOR/ TERMINATOR SALVATION (2009)

While the series’ hero John Connor has been played by at least six different actors, on average they don’t really look like each other. Of course, his dear old dad gets the same treatment in the fourth in the series.

Michael Biehn                      Anton Yelchin

6’                                               5’9

Likeness rating:  Pretty good, actually.

NUMBER 2 in AUSTIN POWERS: THE SPY WHO SHAGGED ME (1999)

Another Time-travel tale, wherein Dr Evil travels back in time to steal Mr Powers’ MoJo, enlisting the help of his 30-years-younger henchmen.

Robert Wagner                   Rob Lowe

5’11                                          5’11

Likeness rating: Uncanny

JEAN-LUC PICARD/SHINZON in STAR TREK: NEMESIS (2002)

Another entry for Sir Patrick here; this time it’s an Evil Clone. Okay, it doesn’t really count, but it’s still the same man at two points in his life.

Patrick Stewart                  Tom Hardy

5’10                                        5’10

Likeness Rating: Uncanny. And an extra point to Tom Hardy for matching Stewart’s speech and mannerisms so spookily.

OBI-WAN KENOBI in STAR WARS

While Anakin may have gone through (a lot) more actors, the fact he had most of his skin burned off might have swayed things a bit. With that in mind, let’s look at Obi-Wan, the only other “human” character to appear in all six movies. (Palpatine doesn’t count and neither do the droids, okay. Nor Chewbacca or Yoda. Just shush, okay?)

Alec Guinness                     Ewan McGregor

[Episodes IV-VI]               [Episodes I-III]

5’10                                         5’10

Likeness Rating: Remarkable. Shame about the moles. Though I guess he could have gotten them removed during his time on Tatooine. Maybe…

AGENT K in MEN IN BLACK 3 (2012)

In which Will Smith jumps (literally) back in time to save his partner in the past…

Tommy Lee Jones            Josh Brolin

6’                                             5’10

Likeness Rating? Freakin Scary.

Though in fairness, good ol’ JGL should lose a few points for needing prosthetics, but hey, who else on the planet looks like Bruce Willis.

Whether the kid can pull off acting like Bruce Willis is subject for another article…

LOOPER IS OUT NOW!