12 Directors Who Cast Their Family Members In Their Movies

Nepo babies seem to be all the rage in Hollywood right now. You can't swing a stick in this town without hitting someone whose parent is a casting director able to pull some strings to get them a recurring role on a sitcom. Many actors are nepo babies that the general public may be completely unaware of, like Daisy Edgar-Jones having a mother who's a film editor and a father who's an executive for a multimedia company. 

It's unclear how much pull the likes of editors, costumers, and set designers have when it comes to getting their family members work in the industry. However, when you're related to a famous director, things suddenly fall into place much more easily. Directors often collaborate closely with the casting department to ensure actors fulfill their visions, and if they feel like it, they can totally give a loved one a part. It may be a small cameo, or it could be the starring role. Either way, these directors like to make their productions family affairs, perhaps opening a few doors to bigger and better things along the way. 

Judd Apatow is the king of casting his family in his movies. To a degree, this is somewhat understandable, considering he married professional actress Leslie Mann in 1997 and subsequently went on to cast her in many of his comedies. Mann appeared in an episode of his short-lived but beloved TV series "Freaks and Geeks," and she's gone on to star in "The 40-Year-Old Virgin," "Knocked Up," and "Funny People."

While Mann was already an actor before marrying Apatow, the couple quickly got their kids into the family business as well. Their daughters, Maude and Iris Apatow, made their big screen debuts in "Knocked Up," playing the kids of Debbie (Mann) and her husband Pete (Paul Rudd). The Apatow kids would reprise these characters for "This is 40," which makes Debbie and Pete the main characters.

It sounds nice for the Apatow clan to spend a lot of time together, but it wasn't so easy for Rudd to effectively play Judd Apatow in these movies. Rudd admitted it was fun, but he was worried about how the kids would process having someone else fill in for their actual father. By all accounts, the Apatow girls have adjusted just fine and have gone on to act outside of their father's shadow, like Maude Apatow getting a recurring role on "Euphoria." 

Kevin Smith tends to maintain the same stable of actors in his projects, including Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Justin Long, and Harley Quinn Smith. Yes, throughout the 21st century, Smith has put his daughter into most of his films, starting with 2001's "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back." She was only two years old at the time that movie came out, but it worked just fine as she shows up as Baby Silent Bob, the character popularized by Smith himself going back to 1994's "Clerks."

Harley Quinn Smith continued having small roles in her father's movies, like "Jersey Girl," "Clerks II," and "Tusk." She finally went from the sidelines to a starring role when she nabbed one of the lead roles in 2016's "Yoga Hosers." She plays a jaded teenager who works at a convenience store, practices yoga, and fights against Bratzis (foot-tall Nazis made of Bratwurst). The film's honestly a bit of a nepo baby-palooza, as Smith's co-star is Lily-Rose Depp, daughter to Johnny Depp.

Smith clearly understands the importance of proving herself beyond her parentage, as she stated in a Vanity Fair interview, "I grind twice as hard because my dad is a director and I need to show everybody that I can act and that even though I got here through him, I intend on staying put." "Yoga Hosers" may not have been a hit with critics, but Smith has branched out beyond her father's purview while still making time to appear in his movies like "Clerks III" and "The 4:30 Movie."

Francis Ford Coppola has created a filmmaking dynasty within his ranks. His nephews, Nicolas Cage and Jason Schwartzman, may have different last names, but they're his nephews all the same, and have had stellar acting careers. His son, Roman Coppola, has written several Wes Anderson films, including "The Darjeeling Limited" and "Moonrise Kingdom." And Sofia Coppola, his daughter, is an acclaimed director in her own right, but long before "The Virgin Suicides," Sofia Coppola had a prominent acting role in her father's movie, "The Godfather Part III."

The "Lost in Translation" director had acted before, but here, she played Mary Corleone, a prominent role that drew much derision from critics and general audiences for not being very good. She was actually a replacement, as Francis Ford Coppola originally wanted Winona Ryder to play Mary, but she dropped out due to scheduling conflicts. Coppola's performance is one of many reasons people consider "The Godfather Part III" a step down from the previous two installments, and while the recut version is an improvement, it still leaves much to be desired. 

Sofia Coppola has acted in far smaller capacities over the years, but much of her career over the last couple of decades has been behind the camera. And the response to her casting in "The Godfather Part III" didn't stop Francis Ford Coppola from continuing to give his family work, as Schwartzman has a part in his 2024 film, "Megalopolis." 

The concept of an artist having a muse is an idyllic one. The idea that you can meet a person who inspires your art and encourages you to reach for grander heights isn't something that comes along to everyone, but that's what happened with director John Cassavetes and his wife, actress Gena Rowlands. The pair met at New York's American Academy of Dramatic Arts after he had already graduated, but it would take until she graduated for the two to start dating, with them eventually marrying in 1954.

While Cassavetes was an actor too, he got into directing and would become an influential figure in the American New Wave movement. He helped make independent cinema what it is today, and part of that entailed casting Rowlands in the lead of his films, garnering raw, powerful performances from her. Cassavetes' film often put characterizations over straightforward plots, so Rowlands had plenty to chew on and show her range, including the two performances that netted her Academy Award nominations — "A Woman Under the Influence" and "Gloria."

Cassavetes gave Rowlands outstanding roles that frequently pushed her to dive deep into her own psyche. Just look at 1977's "Opening Night," where Rowlands plays Myrtle Gordon, an aging actress struggling with her identity in the industry, which feels like it could hit close to home. But it's safe to say the couple pushed one another to new heights. 

Milla Jovovich has a bit of a tendency to get cast in her husbands' movies. She was briefly married to Luc Besson in the 1990s, and during that time, she played Leeloo in his 1997 film "The Fifth Element." The couple divorced in 1999, and soon, Jovovich would work with Paul W.S. Anderson on the first "Resident Evil" film in 2002. The pair wouldn't marry until 2009, but they've enjoyed a fruitful collaboration within the "Resident Evil" franchise and beyond.

The couple spoke with Us Weekly about getting to work together for so long, and Anderson mentioned what makes having your partner on set such an advantage. "I think my favorite part of the day is the first half an hour when it's just you and me on set with a couple of cups of coffee before the crew turn up where we get to talk about the day, and it's pure creativity without 150 people there, asking questions," he said.

Even after their "Resident Evil" series ended with 2016's "The Final Chapter," Anderson has continued putting Jovovich in his movies. She stars in 2020's "Monster Hunter" as well as 2025's "In the Lost Lands." And Jovovich has remained optimistic that she could return to "Resident Evil" someday, even if her husband isn't the one calling the shots. 

James and Sean Gunn seem as close as brothers can be. Director Gunn has frequently put his brother into his movies, most notably with the "Guardians of the Galaxy" franchise. Sean Gunn does on-set motion-capture work for Rocket Raccoon despite the character ultimately being voiced by Bradley Cooper. But you can still see his face, as he's played Kraglin in all three films, even extending beyond his brother's purview by reprising the character in "Avengers: Infinity War" and "Avengers: Endgame." Kraglin was never intended to have a major role in these superhero films, but Sean Gunn's performance made him integral to the titular team's dynamic.

James Gunn may have jumped ship over to DC, but his brother is following him every step of the way. When Gunn directed 2021's "The Suicide Squad," he once again gave his sibling motion-capture and live-action work. Sean Gunn did mo-cap for Weasel but is seen in the flesh in a blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment playing Calendar Man. And he'll seemingly have an even bigger role to play in the new DC cinematic universe, as he's been cast as Maxwell Lord in "Superman." 

James Gunn is also known to cast his wives in his films. When he was married to Jenna Fischer, she had a role in 2006's "Slither." Now, Gunn is married to Jennifer Holland, who plays Emilia Harcourt in "The Suicide Squad" and Max's "Peacemaker" series. 

M. Night Shyamalan is somewhat notorious for giving himself small cameos in his films. It's a neat little Easter egg, but for "Trap," the filmmaker brought in his daughter to be the focal point of the whole storyline involving a serial killer bringing his daughter to a concert where he's surrounded on all sides by the authorities, which is amazingly based somewhat on a true story. To be fair, she's a natural fit to play the central pop star, Lady Raven, as Saleka Night Shyamalan is a singer-songwriter in her own right and released her first album, "Seance," in 2023. 

Shyamalan insisted to People that he treated his daughter the same as any other actor while filming "Trap." "The same thing goes for, you're my daughter. I just met you for the first time, whatever it is, you're a superstar actor. It's all the same," he said. It's unclear whether more acting gigs will be in Saleka Night Shyamalan's future, as music seems to be the priority for her. 

Another Shyamalan may have more of a footprint in the entertainment industry going forward. The filmmaker's other daughter, Ishana Night Shyamalan, made her feature-length directorial debut with 2024's "The Watchers."

Ron Howard was a child star who largely quit acting to focus on directing for the sake of his mental health, but he still pops in to act every once in a while, as he did with a small role on "The Studio." And he's more than happy to bring his family with him on sets, notably his brother, Clint Howard. The other Howard brother has been acting since the 1960s, so it's safe to say he likely doesn't need assistance getting work. Still, it's nice to see him when he pops up in "Apollo 13" and "How the Grinch Stole Christmas." 

Ron Howard also didn't mind giving his daughter, Bryce Dallas Howard, a boost earlier in her career. She had small parts in the previously mentioned films, as well as having an uncredited role as a college student in "A Beautiful Mind." Even though Bryce Dallas Howard has continued acting, appearing in the "Jurassic World" franchise, among other projects, she's pivoted over to directing more, following the same path her father did. Both Howards even got into the "Star Wars" family, with Ron directing "Solo" and Bryce directing various episodes of "The Mandalorian" and "Skeleton." When it comes to the Howards, this is the way. 

In the early 1980s, Joel Coen was casting for his first feature film, "Blood Simple," when an actress by the name of Frances McDormand came in to audition. McDormand was hesitant to come in for the second audition but came in regardless and ultimately secured a role. During filming, Coen gifted her a bunch of books to keep her mind busy between takes, and as McDormand told The Daily Beast, "That did it. He seduced me with literature. And then we discussed books and drank hot chocolate for several evenings."

It began a fruitful partnership, with McDormand going on to star in many of Coen's movies, ones he often wrote and directed alongside his brother, Ethan Coen. She ended up giving one of the best performances in any Coen Brothers movie ever as Marge Gunderson in "Fargo," bringing unrelenting optimism to an increasingly dark world. McDormand would also appear in "Burn After Reading," and when Joel Coen directed his first solo film, 2021's "The Tragedy of Macbeth," he still had a familiar face on-set by having his wife play Lady Macbeth. 

When George Lucas returned to the "Star Wars" franchise with "The Phantom Menace," he made sure to bring his kids along for the ride. In fact, all of his kids have various roles throughout the prequel trilogy with small roles you sometimes have to squint to see, but they were undoubtedly fun for all involved to be part of. His eldest daughter, Amanda Lucas, has two roles in "Phantom Menace." The first is Diva Funquita, an unspeaking Theelin found in Jabba's viewing area, but she did get a line as the pilot Tyger toward the beginning of the film. She also plays different background characters in "Episode II — Attack of the Clones" as well as "Episode III — Revenge of the Sith." 

Katie Lucas has a far more pronounced role in "Phantom Menace" as Amee, one of Anakin Skywalker's (Jake Lloyd) friends on Tatooine. She then appeared as a Twi'lek in "Attack of the Clones" and then as a patron at the opera house in "Revenge of the Sith." Katie Lucas would stay close to the family business, going on to write several episodes of "Star Wars: The Clone Wars." 

George Lucas' daughters played a hodgepodge of characters, but his son, Jett Lucas, kept things a bit more consistent (slightly). In "Attack of the Clones," he appears as a Jedi Padawan named Warpoc Skamini, but in "Revenge of the Sith," his Padawan character is renamed to Zett Jukassa, who loses his life during Order 66. 

If you came of age in the 1980s, you probably owe a debt of thanks to director Ivan Reitman, who helmed "Stripes," "Twins," and perhaps most importantly, "Ghostbusters." He helped shape comedic sensibilities of the decade, and his directing was a talent he would eventually pass onto his son, Jason Reitman, who became a director in his own right, eventually taking over the "Ghostbusters" franchise by spearheading both "Afterlife" and "Frozen Empire" after his father vowed to never make another "Ghostbusters" film following the second one. 

But before Jason Reitman was calling the shots behind the camera, he was just another actor in his dad's movies. When he was still a kid, Reitman appeared in "Dave and "Father's Day." But his most notable performance likely came with a quick cameo in "Ghostbusters II" as the snarky little kid at the beginning of the film who tells Ray Stantz (Dan Aykroyd), "My dad says you guys are full of crap" after the Ghostbusters fall on hard times since no one believes how they saved New York years prior. 

The term "nepo baby" has entered the lexicon recently, but directors casting their family members in movies has been going on for decades. Even thriller maestro Alfred Hitchcock wasn't above the practice, as he cast his daughter, Patricia Hitchcock, in several of his works, including "Stage Fright," "Strangers on a Train," and "Psycho."

Despite some noteworthy credits, Hitchcock didn't act too often during her life. In a 1984 interview with The Washington Post, she even brought up the "nepo" word and how she wished she could've benefited even more from her prolific father. "I wish he had believed in nepotism," she claimed. "I'd have worked a lot more ... Often I tried to hint to his assistant, but I never got very far. She'd bring my name up, he'd say, 'She isn't right for it,' and that would be the end of that." It's proof positive that a famous family member can only get you so far, and most people would probably rather have a Judd Apatow in their corner rather than an Alfred Hitchcock.