What prompts an actor to take a role? It could be a compelling storyline, a character arc, or simply tons of money. But at times, the reason could be totally different. Some actors have taken on a role because of their kids. Yes, it’s true! These actors did not think twice before diverging from their usual roles and took on a totally different character. So here’s a list of 10 actors who took on movie roles for their kids.
1. Jaime Foxx: The Amazing Spider-Man 2
Foxx took on the role of Electro in The Amazing Spider-Man 2 all because of her daughter. His kid, at the age of four years old only, is a huge Spider-Man fan. So Jamie couldn’t miss the chance when the opportunity presented itself. He even took his daughter to the set.
2. Garry Oldman: Harry Potter
Oldman did it all to be cool in front of his sons, Gulliver and Charlie. Even though the Oscar-winning actor has done some critically acclaimed roles before Sirius Black in the Harry Potter, he couldn’t pass on the deal. While he was in the movie, he was a single dad. So to be the cool guy at his school was impactful on his children.
3. Ryan Reynolds: Detective Pikachu
Ryan Reynolds is particularly known for roles that little kids cannot watch. I mean, just like Deadpool, the Merch with a Mouth. One of the many reasons why Reynolds agreed to voice the titular character in the movie was so that his three kids could watch one of his movies while they were still young. As for the rest of his work, the trio has to wait for now.
4. Michael Sheen: Twilight
Sheen took on the role of Aro in the Twilight saga all because of his ten-year-old daughter Lily. At first, he was reluctant to take on the role because he wasn’t familiar with the Twilight story. But when he shared the news with his daughter, she couldn’t handle her excitement. So for his daughter’s happiness, he took on the role and performed quite well.
5. Kate Winslet: Divergent
Winslet decided to be a part of the Divergent franchise to look cool in front of her kids and their friends. She had done some really good roles before. Let’s not forget Rose DeWitt Bukater in Titanic. But this franchise is all that she had to do to impress her 130year-old daughter and 10-year-old son.
6. Julianne Moore: Hunger Games
Moore didn’t really have a say in this role because of her children. Her son, Caleb, was a huge fan of the books. And then her daughter Liv insisted her mother read the books. Moore did just that and ended up loving the trilogy. So in the second movie, she became President Coin. Instantly, her popularity within the younger fanbase grew drastically.
7. Viggo Mortensen: Lord Of The Rings
Mortenson once shared in a TV interview that the reason why he got the role of Aragorn was because of a last-minute replacement The Fellowship of the Ring. The actor, at that time, had not read Tolkien’s books. But on the contrary, his 11-year-old convinced him for this role and he went on to take this iconic role.
8. Jodie Foster: Nim’s Island
Foster has done some outstanding roles in movies such as Panic Room and Silence of the Lambs. But she always wanted to do a movie that her kids could easily watch and understand. So she took a de route and did the 2008 adventure/comedy Nim’s Island. In the process, her children got to go to Australia. So it’s a win-win situation overall. The movie had a “back to nature” angle which Foster got really interested in.
9. Jennifer Garner: Yes Day
Jennifer did it all for the kids in this one. She produced and starred in Yes Day because her children grew obsessed with the book. She would even do the book with her kids Violet (15), Seraphina (12), and Samuel (9) for years. The movie is based on a book with the same name by Amy Krouse Rosenthal and Tom Lichtenheld.
10. Cate Blanchett: Thor Ragnarok
Blanchett ended up becoming one of the most loved villains in the MCU because of her kids. The Oscar-winning actress wasn’t into marvel until her kids dragged her into it. She has accepted that the movie let her “speak the same language” as her kids. She took on the role of Hela, Odin’s daughter who is the Goddess of Death in Thor: Ragnarok. Her portrayal of the character was simply outstanding and fans were ticked off when her character was killed off in just one movie.
