14 Actors Whose Real Age Is Nowhere Near That of the Characters They Have Embodied

Jessica Wilson
Nov 23, 2022
Nov 23, 2022

An inevitable fact is that almost actors and actresses portraying some of the most recognized roles aren’t always the same age as their characters. When it comes to casting, whether it’s a factor of experience or appearance, the age gap seems to be widely ignored. And only when the secrets about actors’ actual ages are revealed, a large number of unaware fans gasp in huge shock.
For example, a 24-year-old Troian Bellisario embodied a high school junior on “Pretty Little Liars”, or Barbra Streisand’s character in the 1983 movie “Yentl” is just 16 years old while the actress was 41 – almost a quarter century older than her role. No matter how the age gap is, it is a great challenge.
We've gathered some actors whose real age goes as far as their characters' age. You can see more here, here, and here.

#1 Leonardo DiCaprio, Catch Me If You Can

Actors Whose Real Age Source: © EAST NEWS, © Mary Evans/Allstar/Graham Whitby Boot / East News

DiCaprio has always looked younger than he is, which comes in handy sometimes. in the famous movie "Catch Me If You Can", the actor was 28 playing a 16-year-old.

#2 Nicola Coughlan, Bridgerton

Actors Whose Real Age Source: © Bridgerton / Netflix, © Joe Maher / Getty Images Entertainment / Getty Images

At the age of 35, Nicola Coughlan played Penelope, said to be 18 years old when she enters society alongside her sister Philippa and Prudence in the film "Bridgerton".

#3 Florence Pugh, Little Women

Actors Whose Real Age Source: © Little Women / Sony Pictures Releasing, © Invision/Invision/East News

The 24-year-old British actress Florence Pugh starred as Amy March in Greta Gerwig's Little Women adaptation.

#4 John Cho, Star Trek

Actors Whose Real Age Source: © Star Trek / Paramount Pictures, © MICHAEL GERMANA / STAR MAX / East News

John Cho is an American actor known for his role as Hikaru Sulu in the Star Trek rebooted film series.

#5 Jennifer Lawrence, Joy

Source: © Joy / 20th Century Fox, © Stars Image Bank/KCS/East News

The 2015 American biographical comedy-drama film "Joy" starred Jennifer Lawrence as Joy Mangano, a self-made millionaire who created her own business empire.

#6 Emma Thompson, Sense and Sensibility

Actors Whose Real Age Source: © COLUMBIA TRI STAR / COOTE, CLIVE / Album / East News, © Mary Evans/AF Archive/Graham Whitby Boot / East News

At 35, Dame Emma Thompson was considerably older than the character of Elinor Dashwood in the novel, who is generally thought to be around nineteen.

#7 Ashleigh Murray, Riverdale

Actors Whose Real Age Source: © Riverdale / Netflix, © Priscilla Grant/Everett Collection / East News

The actress portrayed Josie McCoy, the lead singer of the band Josie and the Pussycats, on the CW television series Riverdale. At that time, she was 31 years old