Actors In Their 20s And 30s Often Play Teens And Here Are 18 Roles With The Largest Age Difference
We learned a long time ago that many of the actors who played teenagers in the teen films and TV shows we all know and love were actually much older than the characters they represented during filming. It's also a good thing, because "teen" movies and shows may be quite racy. Consider American Pie, Pretty Little Liars, and the upcoming Fear Street series.
We don't want to think of real-life teenagers doing any of these things. We aren't naive, and we understand that kids get into trouble, but picture being the parent of a teen actor in a graphic sex scene.
No, no, no. We imagine it's tough for casting directors to locate real teenagers whose parents will allow them to do some of the things we see in so many teen films and shows, such as imitate sex, use drugs, or drink.
It must be considerably easier to hire performers who are of legal age, so we shouldn't be surprised if many of the "teens" we see in movies are actually adults. What's startling is that some of them are much older than they appear.
We understand it if the actor is between the ages of 21 and 23, but other actors are playing teenagers far into their 30s — which may seem strange, but it's true. Continue reading to learn about some of the most senior actors who have portrayed teenagers on screen.
1. Stacey Dash
In the Clueless TV series, Stacey Dash played a high school "it" girl, yet she was far from a high schooler at the time. In fact, Stacey appeared on the show (which aired for three seasons) when she was 28 to 32 years old.
So, by the end of the movie, she was playing a character who was nearly half her age.
Paramount Pictures2. Rachel McAdams
Rachel McAdams' character in Mean Girls is the definition of a high school queen bee, yet she graduated from high school years before landing the role. Rachel was over 30 years old when she took on the role of Regina.
Paramount Pictures3. Gabrielle Union
Gabrielle Union is almost 50 years old now and looks amazing, so it's no wonder that she was able to play an adolescent at the age of nearly 30. She was 27 when she starred alongside Larisa Oleynik, Julia Stiles, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt in the teen film 10 Things I Hate About You, all of whom were teenagers at the time.
Splash News4. Tobey Maguire
We'd never believe actor Tobey Maguire wasn't a teen when he starred in the Spider-Man movies based on his baby looks. By the time he directed the first live-action Spider-Man film, he was already 26 years old.
Splash News5. Cole Sprouse
When Riverdale premiered in 2017, Cole was already 24-years-old. By 2022, with the show still running strong, Cole is 29-years-old and his character is still supposed to be a teenager.
The CW Network6. Andrew Garfield
When he starred in The Amazing Spider-Man all the way back in 2012, he was 28
Splash News7. Keiko Agena
When she started on Gilmore Girls, she was already in her late 20s, and by the time the series came to a close in 2007, she was 34.
Warner Bros. Television Ent.8. Charisma Carpenter
Charisma Carpenter was 27 when she first debuted on TV as Cordelia Chase, and she had already passed her 30th birthday by the time the series ended in 2003.
Hulton Archive/Getty Images
9. Gabrielle Carteris
Gabrielle Carteris portrayed Andrea Zuckerman, a smart, slightly quirky character on Beverly Hills, 90210 in the 1990s, and her advanced age was an advantage to the role. She started the show at the age of 29 and was 33 when it terminated a few seasons later.
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10. Nicola Coughlan
We never would have thought Nicola Coughlan isn't a teenager. She's 33 years old, believe it or not.
Liam Daniel/Netflix
11. Cory Monteith
When Cory Monteith played Finn Hudson on Glee, he was a full-fledged adult, and it was a breakout role for him. He began playing the high school football star at the age of 27, and he was 31 when the series finished a few years later.
Gus Ruelas/Corbis
12. Bianca Lawson
Maya from Pretty Little Liars was played by Bianca Lawson, who wasn't even close to the age of her high school character. When she initially debuted in the first season, she was 31 years old.
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13. Stockard Channing
Stockard Channing, who played Rizzo In Greace, was actually a full decade older than John Travolta at the time. She may have played a high school senior, but Stockard was 34 when Grease premiered.
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14. Henry Winkler
Henry Winkler was over 30 years old when he played the legendary character "The Fonz" on the sitcom Happy Days. He was almost middle-aged by the end of the show, which lasted ten years.
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15. Michael J. Fox
When Michael J. Fox played Marty McFly in the original Back to the Future film, he was in his mid-twenties. He was 29 years old when the franchise's third edition was released.
Paramount Pictures
16. Sean Patrick Thomas
Back when we were teenagers and tweens watching Save the Last Dance on repeat, Sean Patrick Thomas was a 30-year-old man. Julia Stiles, his co-star, is ten years his junior.
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17. Paul Rudd
Paul Rudd was in his 20s when he played a teenager in Wet Hot American Summer in 2001.
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18. Jordan Alexander
Jordan Alexander's 28th birthday was just a few days before the premiere of the 2021 Gossip Girl reboot.
Jordan Alexander
Casting directors frequently choose legal adults to play teenagers on screen for a variety of reasons. The first item on the agenda is labor law.
Adult actors can work longer, more productive days on set than minors, who can only work certain hours and require additional accommodations for schooling and break time. Another reason is that adolescence, with its unforeseen mood changes, is a challenge in and of itself.
That's why directors prefer to work with adults.
