We have no idea what goes through actor’s heads when they accept a role. Is it money, fame, recognition or simply passion? We may never find out, but we do know one thing. Some actors do not care about these things, they only wish to make their children happy. Did you know that many reputable actors only accepted to play certain roles because they’re family members insisted? We can only thank them, since the vast majority of these performances were amazing. Here are 5 Roles that Actors accepted after their children insisted. 

1. Viggo Mortensen in Lord of the Rings

Everybody knows that Viggo Mortensen made one hell of an Aragorn. He was so enthralled by his role in the movie that he actually carried his sword around with him on set, all the time. So how is it possible for an actor that is so involved in production to not want to become part of the movie prior to its shooting? Apparently Viggo had no idea what Lord of the Rings was even about, and it was his son who eventually determined him to accept the part. You see, Viggo’s son was a big fan of the books, and he told his father that he should definitely take the part. The next day Viggo flew out to New Zealand.

2. Djimon Hounsou in Guardians of the Galaxy

The story of Djimon Hounsou and the Guardians of the Galaxy is an interesting one. Although the actor is not very known for roles in movies that you can sit down to and watch with your kids, he decided to accept the role in this movie. He wanted to prove to his son that black people can become superheroes. According to him, his son told him one night he wants to be light-skinned so that he can one day become Spider Man. Hounsou wanted to teach that people of color can also be heroes, so he decided to become Korath the Pursuer.

3. Richard Harris in Harry Potter

Richard Harris refused the role of Dumbledore a record number of times. He was also one of the top choices to don the beard, and although his performance was widely applauded, he wasn’t very happy to accept the role. This is mainly because he was already a bit old, and his health was failing, so becoming part of seven sequels, and giving up 10 years of his life wasn’t really an option. It was only when his 11-year old granddaughter threatened to not speak with him for the rest of his life that he took the studio up on their offer.

4. Tommy Lee Jones in Batman Forever

When Tommy Lee Jones was asked to play the role of Harvey Dent, the Two Faced villain for the first time he politely declined and said that he had no frigging idea who that was. His history of movies would also indicate that he was never a comic-book fan. Nevertheless, when his son found out that he was asked to play the part of his favorite villain in the Batman stories, he coached him on the character and his motivations. Tom Lee Jones was so impressed by his son’s enthusiasm that he decided to accept the part.

5. Frank Langella in Master of the Universe

Although Frank Langella has had his fair share of successful movies (with roles like Richard Nixon & Archer from Small Soldiers) he stands his ground when referring to his favorite part. Apparently, the role of Skeletor, from Masters of the Universe was the closest to his heart. The movie was a complete fail, expect for Frank’s part, of course. It was Langella’s son who encouraged him to take the part. The actor also declared that he would enjoy every moment of bringing Skeletor to the big screen, and watching the episodes with his kid.  

These were the 5 roles that actors accepted for their children. What do you think?