Would actors playing an ancestor of a charachter they played come across?

[scruffziller]

With prequel shows and movies being made these days, we would think that an actor like William Shatner or Leonard Nimoy making a guest appearance on ENTERPRISE playing an ancestor would be cool. But thinking ahead would it really transend to the story as a ancestor or could we not see past the charachter they were known for.

[B'Omarr Monkey]

I never buy it when I see this in a movie. I find it distracting and gimicky and a little too convenient. Maybe if they were given make-up to make the resemblance a little less dead on. My feeling is just cast someone who has a strong resemblence to them, rather than give them a dual role, especially when the actor is using the same mannerisms and speech patterns for both characters.

[scruffziller]

I never buy it when I see this in a movie. I find it distracting and gimicky and a little too convenient. Maybe if they were given make-up to make the resemblance a little less dead on. My feeling is just cast someone who has a strong resemblence to them, rather than give them a dual role, especially when the actor is using the same mannerisms and speech patterns for both characters.

Yea I agree. If Shatner was going to play an ancestor he would have to be old and decripit kind of like the way Brent Spiner played an old Soong. I never knew it was him until I read about it in a magizine. Great makeup and acting that Spiner does. It is a shame he has been typecast. It would be cool as heck though if Shatner could play Tiberius in an Enterprise ep.

[darthvyn]

i think it worked really well in the back to the future trilogy... but in that series, the dead on resemblance was part of the gimmick. it depends on the type of story concerned, and the way it's pulled of...