Movie characters and their younger selves on screen…

When movie timelines span decades and lifetimes, it’s crucial for casting directors to pick actors and actresses that look the same. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be believable as “younger” and “older” versions of the same person.

Sometimes the casting is a no brainer – like actors have younger siblings who totally look like them.

But it’s not just about nailing the look – it’s also about perfecting the mannerisms of the actor you’re portraying. Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Bruce Willis were actors in the same role at different ages in the movie Looper. As Gordon-Levitt explained during the press tour for the movie, he took a careful study of Willis to ensure that audiences felt as if they were actually the same person.

River Phoenix actually made it a point to study Harrison Ford (the person) instead of Indiana Jones (the character) in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.

Take a look underneath and see if these actors pulled off the younger and older versions of themselves…

Indiana Jones in ‘Indiana Jones’ franchise; Played by River Phoenix and Harrison Ford

Professor Charles Xavier in ‘X-Men’ series: Played by James McAvoy and Patrick Stewart

Magneto in ‘X-Men’ series: Played by Michael Fassbender and Ian McKellen

Spock in ‘Star Trek’ series: Played by Zachary Quinto and Leonard Nimoy

Obi-Wan Kenobi in ‘Star Wars’ series: Played by Ewan McGregor and Alec Guinness

Joe in ‘Looper’: Played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Bruce Willis

Agent K in ‘Men in Black’ series: Played by Josh Brolin and Tommy Lee Jones

Anakin Skywalker in ‘Star Wars’ series: Played by Jake Lloyd and Hayden Christensen