If there is one thing that distinguishes director and producer Shawn Levy, it is his ability to brilliantly dabble across a variety of film genres. Major family film blockbusters are due to his directorial excellence, among them the Night at the Museum, The Pink Panther, and the much-loved Cheaper by the Dozen franchises. This last franchise, released in 2003, is a remake of the 1950 film of the same name, and is inspired, as was the original film, by the book by Frank Bunker Gilbreth Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey.
Cheaper by the Dozen features a very big family: Tom and Kate Baker have no less than 12 children! Despite there being too many people at home, they manage to organize day-to-day life as well as possible, though sometimes the youngsters orchestrate chaos, which results in a film packed with laugh-out-loud funny moments. The cast is headed by Steve Martin alongside Bonnie Hunt, Hilary Duff, Tom Welling, and Piper Perabo, among many others. The film’s overwhelming success amongst families, garnering $190 million worldwide, was followed by Cheaper by the Dozen 2, the 2005 sequel that introduced the Murtaughs, a brand new family led by Jimmy Murtaugh (Eugene Levy) rivaling the Bakers in the Annual Labor Day Family Cup. In addition, Disney+ released a remake of Steve Martin’s film in 2022, this time starring Gabrielle Union and Zack Braff.
With such a large ensemble cast, it is not uncommon to find some stars of this film in other projects. Some artists went on to have very successful careers, continuing to star in films and series. Others, on the contrary, have chosen to step out of the film industry, as is the case of Jacob Smith and Forrest Landis, although the latter once won a Young Artist Award for Best Young Actor Age Ten or Younger. This article will review some of the Cheaper by the Dozen actors’ careers and their latest projects.
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8 Ashton Kutcher
20th Century Studios
Ashton Kutcher’s part in Cheaper by the Dozen is fairly minor, but the actor managed to make the audience crack more than once. In the movie, Kutcher is Hank, Nora Baker’s boyfriend, an extremely self-centered and lazy young man who hates children. After that role, Kutcher’s already huge career continued to grow. A year later, he starred in The Butterfly Effect, and after that he gave the romantic comedy genre a try, starring in A Lot Like Love, What Happens in Vegas, and No Strings Attached. His latest projects so far are the films Vengeance, which, according to Movie Insider, is expected to be released on July 29, The Long Home, and Your Place or Mine, films which still have no scheduled release date.
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7 Liliana Mumy
Among Tom and Kate Baker’s 12 children in Cheaper by the Dozen, there are two sets of twins: Kyle and Nigel, and Kim and Jessica. The latter daughter was portrayed by actress Liliana Mumy, who was only eight years old when she took the role. Since her appearance in the film, Mumy has worked extensively in animated productions, lending her voice to characters such as Mertle Edmonds in Lilo & Stitch, Roxy in Winx Club and Leni Loud in The Loud House. Her most recent project to date was, precisely, voicing Leni in the 2021 film The Loud House.
6 Alyson Stoner
Alyson Stoner played Sarah Baker, the family’s fifth daughter, and since her involvement in the Cheaper by the Dozen films, Stoner has gone on to work on several projects including the Step Up franchise, the Disney shows The Suite Life of Zack & Cody and Phineas and Ferb and the Camp Rock films. Stoner is also an excellent dancer, and throughout her career she has also worked on stage with artists such as Eminem, Kumbia Kings, and Will Smith, among others. Her latest project so far is Hamster & Gretel, a Disney series that, per IGN, will premiere on August 12 this year.
5 Hilary Duff
20th Century Fox
By the time Hilary Duff played Lorraine Baker, she was already famous for her role in the series Lizzie McGuire. Following Cheaper by the Dozen, Duff went on with her acting career, taking on projects a little further away from the children’s genre, such as War, Inc. and According to Greta, while also working hard on her singing career, with five albums to her name. Her most recent projects to date are the 2019 film The Haunting of Sharon Tate and the Hulu show How I Met Your Father, a spin-off to How I Met Your Mother.
4 Tom Welling
Tom Welling is Charlie Baker, the second child of Tom and Kate. However, this actor, director, producer and model was already well-known for his role as Clark Kent in Smallville, a part that earned him several nominations and awards. After Cheaper by the Dozen, Welling appeared in a few film and television productions, such as The Fog and Draft Day, and the series Lucifer and Professionals. However, Welling is best known for his work as a director and producer, something he was able to demonstrate over the years in Smallville.
3 Piper Perabo
In Cheaper by the Dozen, Piper Perabo is Nora, the firstborn of the Baker family, but her breakthrough role occurred three years earlier in the film Coyote Ugly. After playing Nora, Perabo worked in films such as George and the Dragon, Imagine Me & You, and The Prestige, as well as in series such as Covert Affairs and Billions, more precisely in the sixth season of the show. In 2020, Piper appeared in Spontaneous, a romantic black comedy horror film starring Katherine Langford and Charlie Plummer.
2 Bonnie Hunt
Bonnie Hunt is Kate, the matriarch and the one responsible for making the Baker’s daily routine go smoothly. The actress, who is also a comedian, director, producer, writer, and television host, was already well known before Cheaper by the Dozen, partially thanks to her work in movies such as Jumanji, Rain Man and The Green Mile. Following her role in the film, Hunt lent her voice to popular children’s movies such as Toy Story 3 & 4, Monsters University, Zootopia, and Cars. From 2008 to 2010, the actress also hosted The Bonnie Hunt Show. Her most recent project to date is the upcoming comedy television series Amber Brown, which she created and produced.
1 Steve Martin
Steve Martin was well established as an actor and comedian long before he headlined this family-friendly comedy, starting in the 1960s, as a writer for The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour. To name a few of the most important films of his career after playing Tom Baker, we can highlight The Pink Panther, It’s Complicated, and The Big Year. Although Martin slightly sidelined his career as a comedian and actor in order to enhance his skills as a musician, he made a comeback to the industry in the last few years. His latest project so far is the hit Hulu series Only Murders in the Building, starring alongside Martin Short and Selena Gomez. In addition to acting, Martin created the show along with John Hoffman and serves as writer and executive producer. The series, which already boasts two seasons, was renewed for a third season this month.
