Actors who were too young or too old for their roles

Emmy Rossum

Emmy Rossum defended her role in the Apple TV+ miniseries 'The Crowded Room' as Candy, the mother of suspected criminal Danny Sullivan, played by Tom Holland. Rossum was 36, which was only 10 years older than Holland, but she said it makes sense for her character. "It makes sense when I read the script," Rossum told Entertainment Tonight. "Candy's a super young mom, she's almost a child in her own right when she becomes pregnant at age 16. You watch as I age from 25 to 35, which is actually younger than I am now."  

Brooke Shields in 'Blue Lagoon'

A few years later, Shields starred in another heavily sexualized film as a shipwrecked girl who grows up on an island with only one other boy. As she was only 14, the nudity in the film was ill-received.

Dakota Fanning in 'Hounddog'

At 12 years old, Fanning played an Elvis Presley-loving girl in a very broken family who is raped on-screen (though you can only see her face). The scene received a lot of backlash from viewers.

Kirsten Dunst in 'Interview With The Vampire'

Dunst played a vampire who was supposed to have already had adult experiences and who is well-acquainted with violence. At just 10 years old, she had her first kiss on-screen with costar Brad Pitt, who was 29 at the time.

Jodie Foster in 'Taxi Driver'

Martin Scorsese made Foster take a psychological test to ensure she could play the role of a child prostitute at just 12 years old. Luckily her older sister was used as a stand-in for the more sexual scenes.

Jacob Reynolds in 'Gummo'

In this dystopian art film following post-tornado devastation, Reynolds was just 13 years old, but his character killed cats, huffed glue, and paid for sex with a girl with Down's syndrome.

Mariel Hemingway in 'Manhattan'

Hemingway played a 17-year-old girl when she was actually 17, but her on-screen love interest was Woody Allen, who was well into his 40s. In the context of his sexual abuse allegations, everyone cringes a little harder.

The cast of 'Kids'

This film placed several real New York street teenagers in scenes of sex, drug abuse, and illness, ultimately becoming one of the most controversial films of its time.

Claire Danes/Olivia Hussey in 'Romeo & Juliet'

The directors of these Shakespeare remakes raised eyebrows with their choices to cast Hussey at 15, and Danes at 16. The naked scenes, and the fact that DiCaprio was 21 did not help.

Thora Birch in 'American Beauty'

At 16, Birch had to get permission from her parents to play the insecure daughter who undresses by her bedroom window with the knowledge that her love interest is filming from next door.

Linda Blair in 'The Exorcist'

In a film some adults are still too scared to watch, 13-year-old Blair became a demon-possessed Regan MacNeil, who was subjected to some of the most disturbing, vulgar, and disgusting scenes of the 20th century.

Dafne Keen in 'Logan'

At only 12 years old, the pint-sized actress played a character named Laura who has similar powers to Wolverine. In the comics, Laura is supposed to be in her late twenties, and though the age was lowered, the level of violence was not.

And now, the actors who fooled you with their youthful roles

You'll be amazed at the real ages of these actors in some of the most iconic films and television shows!

Olivia Newton-John and Stockard Channing in 'Grease'

Good-girl Sandy is supposed to be 17 years old, but the late Olivia Newton-John was actually 29 at the time. Travolta was only 23, but the actor who played Rizzo was even older, at 34 years old.

Jennifer Grey in 'Dirty Dancing'

Baby was supposed to be an adolescent teen, but Grey was a 27-year-old woman. Her ability to portray that desperate need to be accepted as an adult is suddenly way more impressive.

Winona Ryder in 'Girl, Interrupted'

In this psychological thriller, Ryder plays an 18-year-old woman who is sent to a mental institution after trying to swallow an entire bottle of pills. Ryder was ten years older than that, but you couldn't tell!

Jason Earles in 'Hannah Montana'

Earles (right) was supposed to be Miley's 16-year-old brother in the series that essentially launched her career. He was nearly 30 when they started filming!

Ben Platt in 'Dear Evan Hansen'

Broadway star Ben Platt reprised his famous on-stage role for the film adaptation of 'Dear Evan Hansen' in 2021. The 27-year-old Platt squeezed himself back into a high schooler for the film despite all odds. Platt said of his transformation, "I’d lost about 15 pounds and did a very specific diet, grew my hair out, and was shaving to make sure that I didn’t look like I had five o’clock shadow all the time, you know. I was just stripping myself into being a teenager for the last time. For what is hopefully the last time,” Vanity Fair reports. Both Platt and director Stephen Chbosky wanted to immortalize Platt's award-winning stage performance on film.

Matt Damon in 'Behind the Candelabra'

In this historic drama, Damon played a 17-year-old Scott Thorson. In reality, he was 43!

Jon Heder in 'Napoleon Dynamite'

You must've known those dance moves were way ahead of his time. This supposed high school student was played by a 26-year-old Heder.

Shirley Henderson in 'Harry Potter'

Moaning Myrtle, the 14-year-old Hogwarts ghost, was 36 when she filmed 'Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets,' and she was 40 at the time of the 'Goblet of Fire.'

Gabrielle Union in 'Bring It On'

Union famously played a high school cheerleader in this comedy, which means she was as fit as a high school cheerleader at the age of 27.

Ian Somerhalder in 'The Vampire Diaries'

When he began his role as a vampire teenager, Somerhalder was already 31 years old. When it all ended, his character was still a teenager, but Somerhalder had turned 38.

Alan Ruck in 'Ferris Bueller's Day Off'

This iconic film about youth didn't actually star any youth! Cameron Frye, the supposed 17-year-old, was played by the 30-year-old Ruck. Matthew Broderick, Bueller himself, was 25 at the time.

Ashleigh Murray in 'Riverdale'

In the recently popularized 'Archie' spin-off, this incredibly young-looking actor plays the role of a teenager named Josie. In real life, however, she's somehow 30 years old.

Henry Winkler in 'Happy Days'

When he began playing the teenaged Arthur "The Fonz" Fonzarelli, Winkler was 29. When the show ended, he was ten years older.

Michael J. Fox in 'Back to the Future'

In 'Back to the Future Part III,' a 29-year-old Fox returned to his role as the famed teenager Marty McFly.

Leonardo DiCaprio in 'Catch Me If You Can'

DiCaprio was 28 years old when he took on the role of a 16-year-old Frank Abagnale.

Judd Nelson in 'The Breakfast Club'

The teenage rebel was 26 years old in real life. Will you ever believe on-screen high school students again? Probably not, and for good reason.