51 Times Hollywood Cast Actors To Play Characters Nowhere Near Their Age — In Some Cases, Literal Decades

Look, I get that there's immoderate wiggle country successful casting. The histrion doesn't request to beryllium the nonstop aforesaid property arsenic the quality they're playing. But sometimes it's truthful bad, it virtually takes you retired of the movie oregon TV show, leaving you thinking, "Were determination truly nary appropriate-aged actors?"

Hollywood does this for a fig of reasons. There's plentifulness of sexism and ageism successful Hollywood, peculiarly geared towards women. Instead of casting an existent 40-year-old, for example, they'll formed a 25-year-old that amended fits existent quality standards. And erstwhile it comes to teenage characters, owed to kid labour laws, it tin beryllium hard to movie with actors nether the property of 18 (unless they're emancipated)...though this doesn't springiness them an excuse to formed idiosyncratic who's 18 oregon 19, alternatively than 30, arsenic a teenager.

Don't judge maine that it tin really beryllium that bad? Check retired these shocking examples.

NOTE: Some of these ages whitethorn beryllium somewhat disconnected (but wrong the year), arsenic we're relying connected filming dates from Wikipedia and IMDB. If we utilized movie merchandise dates, astir of these gaps would beryllium adjacent much severe! 

1. Angelina Jolie played a afloat big Colin Farrell's parent successful Alexander astatine property 29. Colin is little than a twelvemonth younger than her IRL.

3. Lawrence really has a spot of a bequest of playing roles older than her existent age, arsenic Vogue notes — she was only 23 portion filming American Hustle. Her quality was meant to beryllium successful her early-to-mid thirties.

4. And erstwhile she played Joy Mangano, a housewife-turned-inventor, successful Joy, she was lone 24. She portrayed Mangano astatine ages 34 and up, including into her forties.

5. Scarlett Johansson was only 17 portion filming Lost successful Translation. While, yes, her quality was meant to beryllium young (a caller assemblage grad) — and the property spread betwixt her and costar Bill Murray was meant to beryllium ample — her being virtually underage made it transverse implicit into unbelievable and uncomfortable.

6. Barbra Streisand was 40 portion playing Yentl arsenic a pupil successful Yentl. Yentl's nonstop property is unclear, but she should beryllium determination successful her twenties — immoderate sources assertion Streisand changed the property to 26, which is inactive 14 years younger than Streisand was astatine the time.

7. Gabrielle Union played teenage Isis successful Bring It On erstwhile she was 27. In contrast, Kirsten Dunst was 17, astir the close property for her quality — putting a ten-year quality betwixt the two, who were expected to beryllium the aforesaid age.

8. Alan Ruck was 29 erstwhile helium played 17 oregon 18-year-old Cameron successful Ferris Bueller's Day Off. His costars, Mathew Broderick and Mia Sara, were 23 and 18, respectively, making Ruck the quality with the biggest property quality by far.

9. Stacey Dash was 27 erstwhile she filmed her relation arsenic Dionne successful Clueless. Her quality was astir 16. She really continued playing the relation successful the TV show, which ended successful 1999, erstwhile Dash was 32.

10. This lone added to the comedy, but Paul Rudd played a teenage campy counsellor successful Wet Hot American Summer — erstwhile helium was 30 oregon 31.*

11. Twenty- (or adjacent thirty-) somethings playing teenagers is atrocious enough, but it gets adjacent worse erstwhile determination are sequels. For example, Andrew Garfield was already 27 during The Amazing Spider-Man, playing 17-year-old Peter Parker. But it got adjacent worse for the sequel, which began with his quality graduating from precocious schoolhouse (so presumably 18). Garfield was 30 during filming. Emma Stone wasn't rather arsenic atrocious astatine 24, but was besides older than she should've been.

13. Not arsenic bad, but portion Tom Holland wasn't excessively acold disconnected from his character's property successful Captain America: Civil War, the spread got worse arsenic the movies went on. He portrayed 15-year-old Peter Parker astatine property 20, past ~17-year-old Parker astatine property 24. Following a clip leap for the upcoming Brand New Day, Peter should beryllium ~21. Holland is present 29, which is an eight-year property gap. Costars Zendaya and Jacob Batalon are astir the aforesaid age.

14. In 1 of the worst examples connected this list, Shirley Henderson, who played Moaning Myrtle successful the Harry Potter films, was really 37 erstwhile she appeared successful the 2nd film. That would've made her astir 40 erstwhile she reprised her relation successful the 4th movie 3 years later...playing a 14-year-old.

15. Amy Poehler was lone 33 erstwhile she played the ma of a precocious schoolhouse inferior successful Mean Girls.

16. Rachel McAdams was 26 erstwhile she played Regina successful the aforesaid film, meaning she was lone 7 years younger than Poehler, who played her character's mother.

17. Laurence Fishburne was lone 14 erstwhile helium played a worker — so, astatine slightest 18 — successful Apocalypse Now. He really lied astir his property to get the part.

18. Keira Knightley was lone 18 successful Love Actually, playing a newlywed.

This is particularly shocking fixed that Thomas Brodie-Sangster, who played Sam successful the aforesaid film, was 13. There was lone a five-year property quality betwixt the two.

19. Gwyneth Paltrow was lone 22 erstwhile she played 32-year-old Brad Pitt's woman successful Se7en. The characters were expected to beryllium precocious schoolhouse sweethearts...so the aforesaid age.

20. Sally Field was 64 erstwhile she got the relation of Mary Todd Lincoln successful Lincoln. The movie takes spot successful 1865, erstwhile Mary Todd was 46. "I'm 10 years older than Daniel [Day-Lewis], and Mary Todd was 10 years younger than Lincoln. I'm 20 years older than what Mary was," Field pointed out, saying that she astir mislaid the relation owed to the discrepancy. However, her audition with Daniel Day-Lewis won her the relation contempt this fact.

21. Similarly, Gloria Stuart was 86 erstwhile she filmed her relation arsenic 100-year-old Rose successful Titanic — a 14-year property difference.

22. Ser'Darius Blain was 29 erstwhile helium played Fridge successful Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle. As a precocious schooler, Fridge would've been, astatine oldest, 18.

23. Ross Butler was 28 erstwhile helium filmed To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You. His character, Trevor, was apt astir 17. (Trevor grew up with Peter, who was around 16 oregon 17 successful the 2nd film, truthful Trevor's property was astir apt similar.)

24. Ben Platt was 26 erstwhile filming for Dear Evan Hansen began; the movie came retired connected his 28th birthday. The quality is 17. He faced a ton of backlash for starring successful the film, reprising his Tony-winning relation from Broadway, particularly arsenic his begetter produced the film. His "too aged for precocious school" quality successful peculiar was wide mocked.

25. Justin Chon was 27 playing a 17-year-old Eric successful Twilight. Not overmuch clip passes betwixt Twilight and Breaking Dawn Part I, successful which Chon past appears — Bella is inactive lone 18 erstwhile she marries Edward, truthful we tin presume Eric is the aforesaid age. At that time, Chon was 29.

26. Michael J. Fox wasn't that overmuch older than his character, Marty McFly, erstwhile helium starred successful Back to the Future, but by the extremity of filming for the 3rd film, helium was WAY older than his still-teenage quality astatine 28.

27. Amanda Seyfried was 27 erstwhile she played Cosette successful Les Misérables. While Cosette's property is not confirmed successful the film, it's understood to beryllium successful her teens successful the book, and determination is simply a clip leap of lone 9 years aft we spot Cosette arsenic a young miss (played by the 10-year-old Isabelle Allen).

28. Florence Pugh played Amy crossed her adolescence and young adulthood successful Little Women, including playing her arsenic young arsenic 12. Pugh was 23 erstwhile the movie was released...and TBH, I deliberation they should've formed a younger histrion to beryllium believable arsenic a 12-year-old.

29. This one's a small convoluted, arsenic the timelines of Mamma Mia! make nary sense...but Donna had her flings successful 1979, close retired of college, truthful we tin presume she's astir 22. She would've had Sophie by 23. Sophie is 20 successful Mamma Mia!, truthful Donna has to beryllium astir 43. Meanwhile, Meryl Streep was 58 during filming.

30. It's not needfully chaotic that 72-year-old Cher played Sophie's grandma successful Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, but it is unusual considering she was playing the parent of then-69-year-old Meryl Streep.

31. Similarly, K Callan was 82 erstwhile she played Great Nana Wanetta successful Knives Out. Seems fine, right? Except her onscreen son, played by Christopher Plummer, turned 89 during filming.

32. While the Percy Jackson films chose to property the main characters to 16, the actors' ages (outside of Logan Lerman) are VERY off, particularly successful the sequel. Alexandra Daddario was 26 during filming for the 2nd film, wherever the characters would've been 17.

33. Brandon T. Jackson is simply a spot trickier due to the fact that Grover technically is older than Annabeth and Percy, but owed to Sartyrs' aging process, helium should look their aforesaid age. He was 28 during filming for the 2nd film.

34. In Dune, astatine slightest successful the novel, Paul is lone 15 astatine the commencement of the book. The movie doesn't authorities his age, but helium inactive seems to beryllium a teenager. Then, 23-year-old Timothee Chalamet played the role. He should lone beryllium a twelvemonth oregon 2 older successful the adjacent film, but Chalamet was 26.

35. Justin Long was 28 erstwhile Accepted was released. In the film, helium plays a precocious schoolhouse elder who creates his ain fake college, truthful an 18-year-old.

36. His classmate Rory (with whom helium went to precocious school) was played by Maria Thayer, who was 30.

37. Margot Robbie was recently 22 erstwhile she played Naomi successful The Wolf of Wall Street. The quality she was based connected was successful her mid-twenties to mid-thirties implicit the people of the events successful the film.

38. Leonardo DiCaprio was 37 erstwhile helium played Jordan Belfort successful The Wolf of Wall Street — which began with Jordan astatine property 25.

39. And DiCaprio was 27 erstwhile helium played a teen successful Catch Me If You Can – Frank was meant to beryllium betwixt 16 and 20 for astir of the film.

40. Whoopi Goldberg played Celie successful The Color Purple from her twenties until her mid-forties, contempt being lone 30. Golberg has said earlier that she lied astir her age astatine the opening of her career, saying she was 5 years older, truthful it's imaginable that was the lawsuit here. Plus, possibly I'm being a *bit* unfair fixed however galore years the communicative takes spot over. But they could've gotten a 3rd actor! (They bash person a 2nd histrion for kid Celie.)

41. In a akin example, Tom Hanks was 37 portion filming Forrest Gump, successful which helium played precocious school-aged Forrest. Of course, he'd besides play Forrest into his big years, and the film's surrealist quality astir apt excuses this one, TBH.

42. Samuel L. Jackson was 57 erstwhile Coach Carter came out. He played 40-year-old Ken Carter successful the film. (I don't judge they accidental Ken's property successful the film, but the existent Ken Carter was 40 during the events of the film.)

43. Maggie Smith was only 56 erstwhile she played 92-year-old Wendy Darling successful Hook. Though possibly this 1 is cheating, arsenic they did usage constitution to marque her older. Still — that's a 36-year property gap.

44. Max von Sydow had a akin property gap. He was lone 43 erstwhile helium played an aging clergyman successful The Exorcist; the character's property isn't explicitly stated, but it tin beryllium assumed he's successful his seventies oregon eighties. Again, constitution was utilized to marque him look older.

45. Accounts of Achilles's property during the Trojan War alteration from 12 to his twenties...but surely younger than then-39-year-old Brad Pitt, who played the relation successful Troy.

46. The Harry Potter films seemed to hide that Lily and James were lone 21 erstwhile they died. The actors were surely older, but we'll springiness the films the payment of the uncertainty and accidental that their ghosts are however aged they'd beryllium successful the existent clip (same with the Mirror of Erised). We can't marque specified an excuse for Snape, who should beryllium 32 erstwhile Harry archetypal arrives astatine Hogwarts, considering helium was James and Lily's classmate. Alan Rickman was 54 erstwhile filming began and 64 erstwhile it ended, astatine which clip Snape would've been 38.

47. And David Thewliss, who played Lupin, turned 40 soon into filming for the 3rd film. Lupin would've been 34, and was 38 by the past film; Thewliss turned 47 soon into filming.

48. Gary Oldman, who played Sirius, turned 45 during filming. Sirius, likewise, would've been 34 erstwhile helium was introduced, and 36 erstwhile helium died. Oldman was 48 erstwhile filming for the 5th film, which features his character's death.

49. And finally, we person to extremity with Grease, due to the fact that the property discrepancies are infamous. Honestly, they're akin to others connected this database — but it's much evident due to the fact that they conscionable really, truly cannot walk for teenagers. First off, Olivia Newton-John was 29 erstwhile she played teenage Sandy.

50. Michael Tucci was 31 erstwhile helium played 18-year-old Sonny.

51. And Stockard Channing, who played 17-year-old Rizzo, was a whopping 33.

What miscasting owed to property ever bothers you? Let america cognize successful the comments!