Join the Fun!

Laurence Fishburne Was Only 14 When He Played A Soldier In Apocalypse Now

Final score:

170points

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Adam C 4 years ago

Haha 14 years old play soldier, 30 years old play high school kid. Only in Hollywood

87points

Shirley Henderson, Who Played Moaning Myrtle In The Harry Potter Films, Was Actually 37 When She Appeared In The Second Film

Final score:

168points

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kurisutofu 4 years ago

When you know it, you can kind of see it.

57points

If you wonder why so many teenage roles are actually played by adult actors, there may be a good reason or two for this. First of all, according to child labor laws, kids can only work for up to a few hours at a time. Meanwhile, movie sets and TV productions will normally spend 10-12 hours a day working on a set.

There is also the issue of schooling that most minors are still required to complete. Plus, minors are more expensive to get insured if their job requires them to do stunts and physical work. Casting slightly older actors may be a workaround for not paying extra costs.

Moreover, the child actor can outgrow the age of their characters as their aging is more noticeable. Think of the ages 13 and 18 and how vast the difference is. And lastly, the great majority of professional actors are twenty and up, so they always already have greater experience and acting skills to compare with teenage and child actors.

Audrey Hepburn 32 In Breakfast At Tiffany’s As 18 Year Old

Final score:

166points

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Tabitha L 4 years ago

She is perfection personified.

87points

John Franklin, Children Of The Corn. The Role Of The 12-Year-Old Prophet In The Horror Movie Children Of The Corn Became A Debut For John Franklin. By That Time The Actor Had Already Turned 25

Final score:

137points

POST

Janine B. 4 years ago

He was 25?! Looking so extremly young must be hard.

66points

TrashPandaru 4 years ago

It is.

1point

Tracey Hirt 4 years ago

According to his biography, he was born with a medical condition that made him appear much smaller and younger than his age.

14points

Mama Panda 4 years ago

That kid...err man scared the c**p out of me when that movie came out in the theaters!!!

8points

Bill phillips 4 years ago

Lol. John is th s SWEETEST most gentle person in the world in real life. My brother used to be roommates with him years ago in L.A.

8points

Tabitha L 4 years ago

Much easier to cast a 25 year old than a 12 year old. Labor laws and such.

8points

earringnut 4 years ago

I wonder if he has that condition where you don't go through puberty.

3points

Bill Pecos 4 years ago

Well, probably it really eats you to be the prophet of The One Who Walks Behind the Rows...

1point

Lia Hamilton 4 years ago

Woah

1point

Simon Smith 4 years ago

Some of this must be incorrect, unless make up department is doing something

0points

Cathy Carey 4 years ago

He looks so unhappy :'^(

0points

Jo Choto 4 years ago

Can’t be much fun looking like a little kid when you are 25.

0points

Nicky OldfieldDesciple 4 years ago

He must have a really hard time buying alcohol .

0points

Solrac 4 years ago

Wikipedia says as a child he had a growth hormone deficiency, maybe that influences his appearance.

0points

Leo H 4 years ago

Young looking and tiny

0points

columbokateUK 4 years ago

His voice is irritating !

0points

CatWoman312 4 years ago

Poor guy he doesn’t look 25 or when 18

0points

Winona Ryder Was 28 When She Played An 18-Year-Old In "Girl, Interrupted" As Susanna Kaysen

Final score:

122points

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Rowlie 4 years ago

Love the movie and the book

25points

For many child actors who start out at a very early age, the sudden fame and intense work load may be debilitating. Macaulay Culkin, who started acting at the age of 4 and got famous for his role as Kevin McCallister in the Home Alone films, has said multiple times how truly hard it all was.

“It started feeling like a chore. I started vocalizing that and not being heard: I was saying, ‘I wanna go to school—I haven’t done a full year of school since first grade,'” he told Esquire in a recent interview.

Culkin’s lifelong struggle with psychological problems also serves as an example that casting a very young actor for a leading role which requires a lot of responsibility may be, in some way, harmful.

Amanda Seyfried Was 27 When She Played The Teenage Cosette In Les Misérables

Final score:

120points

POST

Doggi 4 years ago

She is very beautiful.

28points

Keiko Agena Played A 17-Year-Old Lane In Gilmore Girls While Being 27-Years-Old

Final score:

117points

POST

Doggi 4 years ago

She seems so young in the show tho!

42points

Olivia Newton-John - 28 In Grease As Sandy Dumbrowski - 17

Final score:

112points

POST

WilvanderHeijden 4 years ago

there wasn't a teenager in Grease younger than 28 and some of them even looked 40.

153points

#10

Jack Gleeson, 25, As King Joffrey In Got, 17. In The Books He Was Only 13-Years-Old

Final score:

112points

POST

B 4 years ago

The most hated character in a TV show ever, IMO. Brilliantly acted though.

56points

#11

Alan Ruck - 30 In Ferris Bueller's Day Off As Cameron Frye - 18

Final score:

108points

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tuzdayschild 4 years ago

He truly looks 17.

40points

#12

Keanu Reeves, Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure. He Played A 17-Year-Old Schoolboy At The Age Of 25 In The Sci-Fi Comedy Of 1989

Final score:

107points

POST

JuJu 4 years ago

Let's be honest. We all know Keanu has a hidden picture of him that ages. Or he's a vampire. And one of the loveliest and kindest people in show biz

78points

#13

Sophie Mcshera Plays The Young Kitchen Maid Daisy In "Downton Abbey" While Being 35-Years-Old

Final score:

103points

POST

Rabbit Carrot 4 years ago

She looks like Elijah Wood.

51points

#14

Michael J. Fox - 29 In Back To The Future As Marty Mcfly - 17

Final score:

96points

POST

Doggi 4 years ago

I always thought he looked younger than 17.

27points

#15

Cole Sprouse Is 27 Years Old, But His "Riverdale" Character Jughead Is Meant To Be Just 16

Final score:

94points

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Kjorn 4 years ago

every teenagers are much older in tv. in that 70's show the only one who was actually a realistic age was mila kunis. all the other were past their 20's

32points

#16

Jon Heder - 25, Napoleon Dynamite - 16. He Certainly Knew How To Act Like A Teenager

Final score:

93points

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Lia Hamilton 4 years ago

I love this movie

37points

#17

Jennifer Grey - 27 In Dirty Dancing As Frances “Baby” Houseman - 17

Final score:

91points

POST

tuzdayschild 4 years ago

And we all bought it at the time.

24points

#18

Leonardo Dicaprio - 28 In Catch Me If You Can As Frank Abignale Jr. - 16

Final score:

90points

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K Witmer 4 years ago

Love this movie even better it's a true story

34points

#19

Ian Somerhalder Started Playing Damon Salvatore, A Vampire Turned-At-25 When The Actor Was 30-Years-Old And Finished The Show When He Was 38-Years-Old Still Playing A 25-Year-Old

Final score:

90points

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Mama Panda 4 years ago

And he was sexy as hell through the whole show!!!

50points

#20

Kit Harington Was 30-Years-Old While Jon Snow Is Supposed To Be 17. In The Books He Was 14

Final score:

80points

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wandile dludlu 4 years ago

Actually didn't feel that disconnected with the character. I think maybe it's because GOT didn't really concentrate on age. The only person we paid attention to was Ayra

48points

#21

Bianca Lawson, Who Played High Schooler Maya, Was 31 When The Pilot For Pretty Little Liars Was Shot

Final score:

79points

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Lia Hamilton 4 years ago

I havent watched the show but she looks convincing. And super sweet

32points

#22

Rachel Mcadams - 25 In Mean Girls As Regina George - 17

Final score:

79points

POST

Shelp 4 years ago

And it's pretty obvious on this picture

67points

#23

Paul Wesley, The Vampire Diaries. His Character Stefan Salvatore Was 17, Actor 35

Final score:

79points

POST

Diana Warburton 4 years ago

sorry but noone never looked 17 on that show

60points

#24

Stockard Channing Was 33 When She Played High Schooler Rizzo In Grease

Final score:

76points

POST

Alex K 4 years ago

it was kinda obvious

114points

#25

Gabriel Union - 27 In Bring It On As Isis - 17

Final score:

74points

POST

Kwj 4 years ago

She is sooo beautifull :D love her in that movie

22points

#26

Stacey Dash - 29 In Clueless As Dionne “Dee” Davenport - 17

Final score:

69points

POST

Doria 4 years ago

Clueless - what a gem

31points

#27

Jason Earles Was 29 When He Began Playing Hannah's Teenage Brother, Jackson, On Hannah Montana

Final score:

65points

POST

Jennifer .S 4 years ago

I was gonna say, he played like a 30 year old on Kickin' It but looks the same as he did in Hannah Montana

19points

#28

Emma Thompson Starred As 19-Year-Old Elinor Dashwood In "Sense And Sensibility" When She Was 35

Final score:

61points

POST

Tabitha L 4 years ago

And she did it brilliantly. I can't imagine a better Elinor.

39points

Denise Richards, Wild Thingsplaying A 16-Year-Old Schoolgirl, At The Age Of 27

Final score:

57points

POST

boredkoala 4 years ago

Very glad she wasn't actually 16 in that movie...

21points

#30

Ashleigh Murray Was 28 When She Began Shooting Riverdale As Teenager Josie

Final score:

54points

POST

Bettye McKee 4 years ago

She is beautiful. She looks like a teenager.

34points

#31

Joe Keery, Stranger Things. The Actor Who Played The Role Of High School Student, Steve Harrington, Had Already Turned 24 When He Started His Work On The Sci-Fi TV Series

Final score:

22points

POST

Marlowe Fitzpatrik 4 years ago

Doesn't matter - he's Steve!

2points

#32

Emilia Clark - 28 In Game Of Thrones As Daenerys Targaryen - 16

Final score:

21points

POST

Francis 4 years ago

i like this photo in this context :D

17points

#33

Scarlett Johansson Starred In "Lost In Translation" When She Was Just 18 Years Old, Though Her Character Was Meant To Be A College Graduate

Final score:

20points

POST

Tabitha L 4 years ago

I graduated college at 20, I'm sure plenty of people are even younger when they graduate. So she was a whole 1-2 years off? That isn't really a stretch.

15points

#34

Andrew Garfield Was 31 When The Second Amazing Spider-Man Came Out, Featuring His Character Graduating High School

Final score:

19points

POST

Alan Green 4 years ago

Sorry but if Emma Stone is in a movie I won't be spending much time looking at anyone else to even notice their age. She's luuuurvly!

5points

#35

Kristen Connolly, The Cabin In The Woods. She Played A 18 Year Old Friend Of The Main Character, Was 31 Years Old At The Time Of Filming

Final score:

19points

POST

#36

Roberto Benigni, Pinocchio. The Movie Pinocchio That Was Released In 2002 Starred 49-Year-Old Benigni Playing The Role Of The Young Wooden Boy

Final score:

18points

POST

Marcellus the Third 4 years ago

And THAT'S what's wrong with that movie?! You've clearly not seen that overheated pile.

12points

Gwyneth Paltrow Was Only 22 When She Played 32-Year-Old Brad Pitt's Wife In Se7en

Final score:

16points

POST

earringnut 4 years ago

Sometimes it be like that. My dad married my mom while she was still in college. He was in his 30s.

2points

#38

Julianna Rose Mauriello Was 16 In 2007, When She Finished Playing The 8-Year-Old Stephanie In Lazytown

Final score:

16points

POST

ThreeOfAKind 4 years ago

This one is a little weird

15points

#39

Christian Navarro In "13 Reasons Why". While His Character Is Supposed To Be 18, Navarro Is 28

Final score:

16points

POST

JuJu 4 years ago

I thought he was well casted, because the character had to be a grown up at a very young age. Kind of an old soul.

9points

#40

Sasha Pieterse, Who Played 15-Year-Old Alison, Was 12 When The Pilot For Pretty Little Liars Began Shooting

Final score:

15points

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Adam C 4 years ago

How did this one made the list?

9points

#41

Amy Poehler Was Only 33 When She Played The Mom Of A High School Junior In Mean Girls

Final score:

14points

POST

Tabitha L 4 years ago

High School junior, so 17? Mom had her at 16. Seems perfect for the mom's character. Explains why she was trying to be the cool mom.

30points

#42

Nicole Kidman, Flirting. The Actress Was Pretty Far From School Aged. At The Time Of Filming, In 1991, She Had Just Turned 24 Years Old

Final score:

12points

POST

Little Wonder 4 years ago

Ooh, I'd forgotten all about that movie. It's a good one.

0points

Liucija Adomaite is a creative mind with years of experience in copywriting. She has a dynamic set of experiences from advertising, academia, and journalism. This time, she has set out on a journey to investigate the ways in which we communicate ideas on a large scale. Her current mission is to find a magic formula for how to make ideas, news, and other such things spread like a virus.

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I'm a visual editor at Bored Panda. I kickstart my day with a mug of coffee bigger than my head, ready to tackle Photoshop. I navigate through the digital jungle with finesse, fueled by bamboo breaks and caffeine kicks. When the workday winds down, you might catch me devouring bamboo snacks while binging on the latest TV show, gaming or I could be out in nature, soaking up the tranquility and communing with my inner panda.

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What do you think ?

POST

Tiari 4 years ago (edited)

And to be fair - in most of the cases you SEE that the actor is way too old.

32points

CbusResident 4 years ago

Also I think for some of the adaptations involved they are leaving the age ambiguous/staying silent on it, even though in the source material it was specified as some age younger than the actor or actress. In Romeo & Juliet, the text says that Juliet is 'in her 13th year.' In A Clockwork Orange, when Alex (the protagonist) has sex w/ the two girls (and they play the superfast William Tell Overture), in the book he's 16, the girls are middle schoolers, and he gets them really drunk and rapes them. In American Psycho, when Bateman picks up a prostitute in his limo (and then tortures her to death), it's supposed to be a 15 year old prostitute. The woman in the movie version playing that prostitute was clearly at least in her 20s. But yeah, you can see why Hollywood has to change some of this stuff.

9points

Tracey Hirt 4 years ago

It makes sense for studios to cast adults as kids. Minors are very restricted when it comes to the amount of hours per day they are allowed to work, whereas adults are not.,

11points

StormWolf 4 years ago

It took reaching my mid-thirties (many years ago) to fully appreciate looking younger than my age. Loathed it prior to that! Doesn't help being only 5'1 either...

8points

Tabitha L 4 years ago

I still get carded, and it baffles me. I laugh it off, but it gets annoying.

3points

Kisses4Katie 4 years ago

Don't worry, when we're 40, we'll look 30 :)

2points

Cristina S. 4 years ago

I’m also only 5 foot nothing, not anywhere near my teens and I’m still carded for rated R movies. Lol. I think a lot of it is the height. I’m shorter than half my daughter’s middle school class.

2points

Marek Yanchurak 4 years ago

Same. Nobody believed is I was over twenty one till I was well into my thirties.

1point

Pseudo Puppy 4 years ago

where were all of you guys when I was going out!!??!! The amount of times my underage friends got into clubs, when I was being refused when showing my ID that said I was in my late 20's - early 30's. It makes dating a pain though - cos those that are age appropriate ignore me / are condescending, and those that think I"m the right age, totally freak out when they have to add 10+ years to my age..... Supposedly it's meant to be 'great' but the reality can be annoying.

0points

Martha Meyer 4 years ago

Most people simply look about the same between their late teens and early 30ies. A bit more baby fat in the face and brighter looking eyes for the younger age range is often the only noticeable difference. And makeup can do a lot to compensate that.

5points

Mark 4 years ago (edited)

I didn't read any of the article but I though this was pretty much a given? All the cast of Friends being a prime example.

4points

Francis 4 years ago

well. in most "highschool" dramas the actors are waaay older then the roles they play. Do you really want all the girls/women have a crush on a 16 y.o. actor or a crush on a 20+/30+ actor? and it's never good to compare books and films! Harry Potters Parents were around 21 when they died, but in the movies they look like almost 40

4points

earringnut 4 years ago (edited)

Um, you're like "16 year old girls crushing on 16 year old boys is gross." Dude I'd ask what's wrong with you but I think I get the gist.

1point

Annabeth Chase 4 years ago

Is no one going to mention the ...Percy Jackson movies?

2points

Electric Ed 4 years ago

"... And No One Seemed To Care". Just so. We still don't.

2points

Miklós Nagy 4 years ago

Every high-school movie ever.

2points

Rasmus Herold 4 years ago

No mention of Ralph Macchio in the Karate Kid? Where he manages to pull off an obnoxious early teenager at the tender age of 22.

2points

Bunzilla 4 years ago

None of these are actually THAT surprising. Except Keiko Agena, I think. And maybe Laurence Fishburne and Thomas Brodie-Sangster.

1point

Jo Choto 4 years ago

What makes me mad is how Hollywood has a cutoff age for women. Like in one movie Sally Field is playing Tom Hank’s’ wife but then she’s his mother in Forrest Gump. They both aged the same amount but men can play whatever they want. Women have to be sex kittens or they are consigned to the old lady trash heap.

1point

Claes Gustavsson 4 years ago

Max Von Sydow was only 44 when he starred as Father Merrin in "The Exorcist". Good acting and Make Up (D**k Smith).

1point

mm78 4 years ago

Claes Gustavsson what

0points

Lisa Liel 4 years ago

Eliza Dushku was 12 when she played Dana in True Lies, a 14-15 year old character.

0points

Something 4 years ago

When high school movies or TV cast actual teenagers, people think they look too young.

0points

Ronel du Plessis 4 years ago

My husband was 25 when he was still asked for his ID when he bought alcohol.

0points

Dorothy Parker 4 years ago (edited)

This has always been the way it was done. Vivien Leigh was 26 playing 16 year old Scarlett O'Hara. Judy Garland was 16 when she played 11 year old Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz. Don't get me started on Diana Ross in The Wiz.

0points

Lisa 4 years ago

Also Walking Dead, Emily was 25 playing a 15-16 teenager. Man I remember being so invested and excited for the new seasons. After double death I checked out, it just went downhill. Even spoiling dead disbanded.

0points

Jessica 4 years ago

When you have a baby face you have a baby face

0points

D. Pitbull 4 years ago

Surprised more East-Asians aren't on this li---... oh wait... that's right... there aren't that many roles for them... but yeah... we tend to look the same age from 18 to around 50... it's just a matter of hairstyle - then we age about 200 years between 51 to 65... all at once...

0points

Martha Meyer 4 years ago

Gotta get that “wise old grandma/grandpa“ look going at SOME point. Lol

1point

Sara Diogo 4 years ago

No one from 13 reasons why?

-2points

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Tiari 4 years ago (edited)

And to be fair - in most of the cases you SEE that the actor is way too old.

32points

CbusResident 4 years ago

9points

Tracey Hirt 4 years ago

It makes sense for studios to cast adults as kids. Minors are very restricted when it comes to the amount of hours per day they are allowed to work, whereas adults are not.,

11points

StormWolf 4 years ago

It took reaching my mid-thirties (many years ago) to fully appreciate looking younger than my age. Loathed it prior to that! Doesn't help being only 5'1 either...

8points

Tabitha L 4 years ago

I still get carded, and it baffles me. I laugh it off, but it gets annoying.

3points

Kisses4Katie 4 years ago

Don't worry, when we're 40, we'll look 30 :)

2points

Cristina S. 4 years ago

2points

Marek Yanchurak 4 years ago

Same. Nobody believed is I was over twenty one till I was well into my thirties.

1point

Pseudo Puppy 4 years ago

0points

Martha Meyer 4 years ago

5points

Mark 4 years ago (edited)

I didn't read any of the article but I though this was pretty much a given? All the cast of Friends being a prime example.

4points

Francis 4 years ago

4points

earringnut 4 years ago (edited)

Um, you're like "16 year old girls crushing on 16 year old boys is gross." Dude I'd ask what's wrong with you but I think I get the gist.

1point

Annabeth Chase 4 years ago

Is no one going to mention the ...Percy Jackson movies?

2points

Electric Ed 4 years ago

"... And No One Seemed To Care". Just so. We still don't.

2points

Miklós Nagy 4 years ago

Every high-school movie ever.

2points

Rasmus Herold 4 years ago

No mention of Ralph Macchio in the Karate Kid? Where he manages to pull off an obnoxious early teenager at the tender age of 22.

2points

Bunzilla 4 years ago

None of these are actually THAT surprising. Except Keiko Agena, I think. And maybe Laurence Fishburne and Thomas Brodie-Sangster.

1point

Jo Choto 4 years ago

1point

Claes Gustavsson 4 years ago

Max Von Sydow was only 44 when he starred as Father Merrin in "The Exorcist". Good acting and Make Up (D**k Smith).

1point

mm78 4 years ago

Claes Gustavsson what

0points

Lisa Liel 4 years ago

Eliza Dushku was 12 when she played Dana in True Lies, a 14-15 year old character.

0points

Something 4 years ago

When high school movies or TV cast actual teenagers, people think they look too young.

0points

Ronel du Plessis 4 years ago

My husband was 25 when he was still asked for his ID when he bought alcohol.

0points

Dorothy Parker 4 years ago (edited)

0points

Lisa 4 years ago

0points

Jessica 4 years ago

When you have a baby face you have a baby face

0points

D. Pitbull 4 years ago

0points

Martha Meyer 4 years ago

Gotta get that “wise old grandma/grandpa“ look going at SOME point. Lol

1point