A film actor often resembles the character they are portraying in terms of age, which is one of the main distinctions between cinema acting and theatre acting. In the theatre, there is more leeway because costumes, wigs, and stage makeup may change a young adult into an elderly adult or a teenager into a tiny child (think of Annie as an example) (or older feline, in the case of Cats). Since it’s far simpler to observe someone in a camera closeup than it is hundreds of feet away on a theatre stage, movies and television are typically not given this luxury. Therefore, even though an actor may be a few years older or younger than their on-screen counterpart, they usually fit the character’s age range.
In some cases, though, actors were cast in roles that were far older than their roles. The director can be prepared to overlook the age difference if an actor is perfect for the role. Because of how well the performers below portray their parts, you might be startled to hear that they portrayed people who are a significant age apart from themselves.
The high school setting in movies and television shows frequently depicts this situation. Casting directors frequently search for actors who are 18 years of age or older. The actor will already be three or four years older than their role if the show is set during freshman year. However, you might discover that the person portraying your favourite high schooler is actually in their late 20s or perhaps their 30s.
Andrew Garfield in The Amazing Spider-Man
The age of Peter Parker in The Amazing Spider-Man is 17 years old. But at the time of filming, Andrew Garfield was 29 years old. Garfield was 31 when Peter graduates from high school in The Amazing Spider-Man 2. Garfield successfully recreates the look of a high school senior while dressed to the nines in his cap and gown. Since he is Spider-Man, it is only natural for him to stand out a little from the others.
Corey Monteith in Glee
Nobody in the glee club at my high school had Corey Monteith’s voice or dancing skills, I don’t know about you. Although Monteith’s Finn in the Fox television series Glee is supposed to be 16 years old, he was 27 at the time of production. Monteith and Matthew Morrison, who portrayed the students’ teacher Will Schuester, were actually only a few years apart in age. Finn always had the impression that he was closer to Mr. Schuester than the other students because of this. Eventually, Finn even consented to assist Mr. Schuester in running the glee club.
Darren Barnett in Never Have I Ever
Darren Barnett was 28 years old when the high school comedy Never Have I Ever first began production, putting him roughly 11 years older than his adolescent leading man Paxton Hall-Yoshida. Paxton appears younger despite being intended to be a grade older than the other characters. a much older. To combat this, a running joke in the show makes reference to the fact that Paxton is not your typical high school student. He is attractive, athletic, and devoid of any typical teenage shyness. Did anyone in their high school have a student who resembled that, even if it could be difficult to suspend disbelief? – it’s undeniably pardonable.
Emma Thompson in Sense and Sensibility
Hugh Grant, Alan Rickman, Kate Winslet, and Emma Thompson are among the impressive cast members in the Jane Austen adaptation Sense and Sensibility. Did you realise that when she played Elinor Dashwood, age 19, Thompson was 35 years old? Anyone who hadn’t seen the actor before might have thought that she actually was a teen due to the complete plausibility of her performance.
Florence Pugh in Little Women
Amy March, a determined 13-year-old, is portrayed by Florence Pugh in Greta Gerwig’s endearing Little Women adaption. Being the youngest, Amy has a tendency to be pampered and vain, but she also has the responsibility of keeping the family together. Despite being in her early 20s when the filming took place, Pugh’s performance is flawless. Anyone who also saw that year’s Midsommar might determine for themselves that Pugh wasn’t genuinely a teenager because she was well-known enough at the time.
Gabrielle Carteris in Beverly Hills: 90210
Many actors in their mid- to late-20s were used in the 1990s school drama Beverly Hills: 90210 as teenagers, but Gabrielle Carteris’ choice to play Andrea Zuckerman is possibly the most glaring example. Carteris, who played a role that was around 16 years old, was 29 at the time of filming. Carteris managed to pull it off despite Angela being a high school student with maturity much beyond her years.
Henry Winkler in Happy Days
Henry Winkler was 28 years old when he began starring as the 19-year-old Fonzie in the ABC comedy Happy Days. The characters in classic sitcom comedies don’t mature as realistically as individuals do in real life. Fonzie’s character was still 19 years old by the end of the show’s 11-season run, although Winkler was close to 40. Even while it would have seemed strange for a man close to 40 to play a teenager, Winkler’s long-running success on Happy Days and in that role speaks for itself.
TripleLift
Nicola Coughlan in Derry Girls
There are many memorable characters in the hilarious comedy Derry Girls on Channel 4, but we especially adore Clare Devlin, who is portrayed by Nicola Coughlan. Coughlan was 31 at the time of filming, despite Clare being 16 in the first season of the show. That basically suggests that Coughlan’s character is half her age. Coughlan gives an utterly convincing performance, effortlessly channelling the vigour of an actual adolescent.
It goes without saying that the whole cast of “high schoolers” in the Grease musical film were older than the characters in the script. The oldest actor in the primary cast was Stockard Channing, age 33, who was joined by Olivia Newton-John, age 29, and John Travolta, age 23. They may have graduated from high school years ago, but their charisma and charm more than made up for it. Not to mention, they exuded such coolness while portraying teenagers.
Tom Welling in Smallville
Tom Welling portrayed a high school version of Clark Kent in the DC Comics Superman-based television series Smallville, which aired on The WB and The CW for ten seasons. The problem is that Welling began portraying the character when he was 24 years old. Although Welling puts up a fantastic performance, we can’t get over the reality that this is a fully adult man who we are supposed to think is a young teen. Perhaps his Earth age was different from his Krypton age.
