Have you ever started watching a show about high school or college and noticed the actors look so much older than their characters? Well I have, so here are nine TV shows and movies that cast actors whose age did not match the character.
1. The Vampire Diaries
Stephen
Paul Wesley was 27 when he was cast to play eternally 17 year old Stephen Salvatore, and while his character may not have aged, 35 does not look the same as 17.
Damon
Ok, Vampire Diaries casting department, while you chose great (and attractive) actors, Ian Somerhalder does not look 25, especially when he is almost 40.
2. Riverdale
Archie
We all wished boys our age looked like KJ Apa when we were 15.
Veronica
While not the worst example, Camila Mendes certainly does not look 15.
3. The Amazing Spider-Man
Peter Parker
Spider-Man is supposed to be 15… not 29!
4. Smallville
Clark Kent
A 14 year old Clark Kent (otherwise known as Superman) is played by Tom Welling, who was 24 when the show began.
5. Pretty Little Liars
The entire group
Lucy Hale is 27, Shay Mitchell is 30, Ashley Benson is 27, and Troian Bellasario is 31. All of them play 16 year olds, and they sure don’t look like it.
6. Glee
Finn
Cory Montieth was 27 when the show first begins and plays a sophomore in high school.
Puck
Mark Salling was 12 years older than his character and the age difference certainly showed.
7. Grease
Rizzo
Stockard Channing is almost twice the age of her 17 year old character.
Sandy
Olivia Newton John is 28 when she plays clueless Sandy Dumbrowski.
Danny Zuko
John Travolta was 24 years old when he was cast to play 17 year old T-Bird Danny Zuko.
Sonny
Michael Tucci was 32 when he portrayed T-Bird Sonny in Grease.
8. Any movie made before the 1970s
Audrey Hepburn is 34 when she plays an 18 year old in Breakfast at Tiffany’s, James Dean was 24 when he played a high schooler in Rebel Without a Cause, and Vivian Leigh was 26 when she played 18 year old Scarlett o’Hara.
9. Sabrina The Teenage Witch
This extra
No explanation needed…
Casting actors and actresses much older than their characters can be detrimental to young girls’ and boys’ self image because they do not look like the people in high school or middle school on TV. At the same time, seeing someone trying to play the part of a younger generation can be very funny.