13 Celebrities' Looks When They Were The Same Age As Their Characters

Margot Nolan
Apr 13, 2022
Apr 13, 2022

It's inevitable that the actors and actresses playing some of the industry's most well-known roles can't always be the same age as their characters. Age differences seem to be widely ignored when it comes to casting. There are many reasons. One of the major is child labor laws. It states that children cannot work more than 8 hours per day, with no more than 3 hours on a school day, or more than 40 hours per week, with no more than 18 hours per week spent in school. Meanwhile, movie sets and TV productions will normally spend 10–12 hours a day working on a set.
As a result, there are not just one or two actors who have played characters far from their real age. Remember Moaning Myrtle from the Harry Potter films? Interestingly, she was 37 years old at the time of filming for the character Shirley, which made her the oldest actor to play a teenage student at Hogwarts.
You may know this information. But have you ever wondered, "What did these famous actors look like when they were as young as their characters?" This post is the answer for you. Scroll down to find out more!

#1 Cole Sprouse was 26 in the first season of "Riverdale", playing the 16-year-old Jughead.

Source: © ABC/Courtesy Everett Collection/East News, © CBS TELEVISION / Album/EAST NEWS

#2 Olivia Newton-John was 29 years old when she played the role of a 17-year-old girl in "Grease".

Source: © Michael Ochs Archives / Michael Ochs Archives / Getty Images, © EAST NEWS

#3 Winona Ryder was 28 years old when her character in "Girl Interrupted" was 18 years old.

Source: © MPI99/MediaPunch Inc/EAST NEWS, © Capital Pictures/East News

#4 In season 5 of "Pretty Little Liars", Lucy Hale was 25 years old, while her character was 18.

Source: © EVERETT COLLECTION/EAST NEWS, © Image supplied by Capital Pictures/EAST NEWS

#5 Logan Lerman was 17 years old when he was cast as a 12-year-old Percy Jackson.

Source: © NEW LINE PRODUCTIONS / WATSON, GLEN / Album / EAST NEWS, © Image supplied by Capital Pictures/EAST NEWS

#6 Anna Kendrick was 32 in "Pitch Perfect 3", playing a 21-year-old role.

Source: © East News, © East News

#7 At the age of 27, Paul Wesley played Stefan Salvatore in "The Vampire Diaries", who had the appearance of an 18-year-old.

Source: © CBS PRODUCTIONS / Album/EAST NEWS, © East News

#8 Barbra Streisand was 41 when she played a 20-year-old in "Yentl".

Source: © barbrastreisand / Instagram, © EAST NEWS

#9 Leonardo DiCaprio was 28 years old in "Catch Me If You Can", while his character was 16.

Source: © Courtesy Everett Collection/East News, © DreamWorks/Courtesy Everett Collection/East News

#10 Kirsten Dunst looked like a 15-year-old Marie Antoinette, but actually, she was 25 at that time.

Source: © AF Archive/Graham Whitby Boot/Mary Evans Picture Library/East News, © COLUMBIA PICTURES CORPORATION/AMERICAN ZOETROPE / Album / EAST NEWS

#11 Surprisingly, Debby Ryan was 26 at the time she portrayed Patty, a 17-year-old girl, in "Insatiable."

#12 Do you know Zendaya was 25 years old when she played a 17-year-old in the film "Euphoria"?

#13 Shelley Hennig was 27 years old at the time she played 17-year-old Malia on "Teen Wolf".

Share this article