12 Actors Who Nailed Their Roles Despite Being Too Old For Them

Margot Nolan
May 24, 2022
May 24, 2022

Hollywood doesn't often hire actors whose age matches the characters they are playing. And most of the time, the actors are older than their roles. For example, in TV shows or movies set in high school, most of, if not all of the cast aren't actual teenagers. This is because while the characters are supposed to be teenagers, actual teenagers often do not have the necessary acting experience required for the role.
Sometimes, a particular actor is just so good at acting, that being a few decades ahead of their character won't be seen as a problem for the casting directors.
Of course, since they still have to embody the character, they still have to look somewhat younger than their true age.
Here are 12 actors and actresses whose age was years ahead of their characters.

#1 Tyrion Lannister, who was just 23 years old in the book and 32 years old in the TV series, was played by 40-year-old Peter Hayden Dinklage (Game of Thrones).

Source: © Game Of Thrones / HBO, © LF I /Photoshot / REPORTER / East News

#2 Eric Christian Olsen, 32, played a high schooler (Fired Up!, 2009).

Source: © Fired Up! / Gross Entertainment, © NJO / starmaxinc.com / East News

#3 Alison Lohman played the role of a 16-year-old teen when she was 27 years old (Flicka, 2006).

Source: © East News, © ASSOCIATED PRESS / East News

#4 27-year-old Winona Ryder played 18-year-old Susanna Kaysen (Girl, Interrupted, 1999).

Source: © Girl, Interrupted / Columbia Pictures, © EVERETT COLLECTION / East News

#5 Minka Kelly seamlessly morphed into a 16-year-old girl (Friday Night Lights, 2006).

Source: © Friday Night Lights / Universal Television, © East News

#6 Taylor Kitsch, 25, played the role of a 15-year-old teen (Friday Night Lights, 2006).

Source: © Friday Night Lights / Universal Television, © EVERETT COLLECTION / East News

#7 Felicity Jones, 28, convincingly turned into Sophie, 18 years old (Breathe In, 2013).

Source: © Breathe In / Indian Paintbrush, © 0000106 / Reporter / East News

#8 In the final installment of the trilogy, Robert Pattinson was 26 years old, but his character, Edward Cullen, was just 17 (The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn — Part 2, 2012).

Source: © Twilight / Summit Entertainment, © AXELLE / BAUER-GRIFFIN / East News

#9 At the age of 34, Stockard Channing played a high school student (Grease, 1978).

#10 Carey Mulligan, 27, effortlessly converted into Daisy Buchanan, 18 (The Great Gatsby, 2013).

#11 Charisma Carpenter, 27, was ideal for the character of a high school student (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Season One, 1997).

#12 Natalie Dormer was 32 years old when she played Margaery Tyrell, an 18-year-old (Game of Thrones).

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