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We’ve heard about actors going an extra mile or a whole lunar distance to fit the role of their dreams. But what if their way to stardom requires taking “age is just a number” all too literally?

You see, it turns out that there’s not just one or two actors who have played characters far from their real age. From Gwyneth Paltrow to Amanda Seyfried, some of the cases you see below are truly mind-boggling. Remember Moaning Myrtle from the Harry Potter films? Allegedly, the actress Shirley was 37 years old at the time of filming, which made her the oldest actor to play a teenage student at Hogwarts. If you ask me, I see no reason why defying age shouldn’t count as a magic power.

#1

Thomas Brodie-Sangster Was Actually 14 When He Played A 7-Year-Old Kid In Nanny Mcphee

Thomas Brodie-Sangster Was Actually 14 When He Played A 7-Year-Old Kid In Nanny Mcphee

Universal Pictures Report

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Sally Appleton
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

He's a year and a half younger than Thor Bjornsson, who played the Mountain in GoT

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Martha Meyer
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I've know 8 year olds who looked older than this 14 year old. Wonder if he had some sorr of condition growing up.

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Karin Jansen
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

He was 13 when he played in Love Actually, while Keira Knightley was 18 at the time. So weird.

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Marlowe Fitzpatrik
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

He's so darn cute! Sorry, Thomas, but you're just an adorable human being - no matter what age so far.

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SisterSavana
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I know righttttt! He does not age at all, hes 30 and looks like hes 19... I swear im obsessed with him gifytdrzyxucyivuygliuh just look at him <33 CYs-jKdWEA...aef28d.jpg CYs-jKdWEAErU_r-603bc76aef28d.jpg

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WhatEvenIsLife
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3 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Dude could probably play a 7-year-old now. I've never seen another human being who looked so much younger than his age. He's going to look like a kid forever. When he's 70, he'll look like a first grader with wrinkles.

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spirit wolf
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

He is either some sort of a multi dimensional being or Peter Pan.

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Seabeast
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I suspect that child actors who look much younger and smaller than their real age are a hot commodity. They can remember lines and take direction far better than a child who really is that age.

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CatWoman312
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

He doesn’t age. He played a kid in game on thrones and was actually over 20

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phantom buni
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

What kinda water does this kid drink. When I was fourteen, I was insanely tall

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Daniel Mason
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

At 11 I was 6 foot! No chance I would of got mistaken for a 7 year old at 14 lol

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#2

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

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

United Artists Report

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Adam C
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

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

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#3

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

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

Warner Bros. Pictures Report

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.

#4

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

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

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#5

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

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

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#6

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

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

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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.

#7

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

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

Universal Pictures Report

#8

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

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

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#9

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

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

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WilvanderHeijden
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

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

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#10

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

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

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B
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

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

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#11

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

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

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#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

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

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JuJu
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

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

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#13

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

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

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#14

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

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

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#15

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

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

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Kjorn
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

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

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#16

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

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

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#17

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

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

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#18

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

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

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#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

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

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#20

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

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

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wandile dludlu
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

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

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#21

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

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

ABC Family Report

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Lia Hamilton
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

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

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#22

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

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

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#23

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

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

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#24

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

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

Paramount Pictures Report

#25

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

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

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#26

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

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

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#27

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

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

Disney Channel Report

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Jennifer .S
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

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

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#28

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

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

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#29

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

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

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#30

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

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

The CW Report

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