Age in the realm of celebrities is a weird thing. There is no doubt that ageism exists and that youth is frequently praised (and pursued), yet the world also admires legends, or those who have excelled for a very long period. It's amazing to assume that the celebrities paired below are the same age because they come from such different backgrounds and have had such distinct careers.
So continue reading to have your mind blown, and visit How Old These Iconic Stars Would Be If They Were Alive Today for a look back at some icons we've lost.
1. Paul Giamatti and Vin Diesel: 55
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Even if the characters that Paul Giamatti and
Vin Diesel portray greatly differ from one another, their 1967 birth years may surprise you. While the latter is one of our greatest action stars, the former frequently portrays neurotic everyman roles.
2. Gwen Stefani and Cate Blanchett: 53
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Gwen Stefani was wearing crop tops and playing to sold-out crowds with her band No Doubt not too long ago, it seems. And for that reason, it undoubtedly seems unusual that Stefani was born in 1969, the same year as Cate Blanchett, who has played several matriarchal roles, including Cinderella's nasty (but magnificent) stepmother.
3. Jay-Z and Matthew Perry: 53
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Both Matthew Perry, one of your greatest friends since the 1990s, and Jay-Z, a businessman and rap game king, were born in 1969.
4. Shaquille O'Neal and Eminem: 50
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It's hard to think that rapper
Eminem, whose album 8 Mile is barely in the rearview mirror, is the same age as former basketball star and businessman Shaquille O'Neal, who was also born in 1972.
5. Brad Pitt and Dean Norris: 59
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Brad Pitt appears to mature slower than his character did in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Despite the fact that he was born in 1963, it is difficult to foresee a day when he won't be viewed as a sex symbol. It's strange that Breaking Bad actor Dean Norris was 45 when we first saw him as DEA Agent Hank Shrader on the AMC series, but that's the year he was born.
6. Adele and Vanessa Hudgens: 34
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Adele is a talented singer and songwriter who is much older than her years. It's hard to think Vanessa Hudgens, who became famous 15 years ago as the star of the
Disney Channel series High School Musical, was also born in 1988.
7. Jim Parsons and Andrew Lincoln: 49
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On The Big Bang Theory, Jim Parsons portrayed the young Sheldon Cooper for more than ten years. On The Walking Dead, Andrew Lincoln's weathered Rick Grimes was dodging zombies. Both performers were born in 1973, despite the drastically disparate ages we associate with their roles.
8. Chris Rock and Mads Mikkelsen: 57
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Chris Rock is a capable producer and has taken on some major acting jobs, but we'll always remember him with his early work in stand-up and on Saturday Night Live. Mads Mikkelsen, a Danish actor, didn't become popular with American viewers until he started portraying the lead character in the acclaimed horror series Hannibal at the age of 48. In 1965, both males entered the world.
9. Kate Upton and Selena Gomez: 30
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Both
Selena Gomez, a music sensation, and model Kate Upton were born in 1992. But since we still picture Gomez as a Disney Channel star and Upton as the cover star of the Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition, that's difficult for us to comprehend.
10. Thomas Brodie-Sangster and Liam Hemsworth: 32
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Thomas Brodie-Sangster is a 30-year-old actor best recognized for his early work in Love Actually and subsequent roles in Game of Thrones and The Queen's Gambit. Who else was born in 1990 and recently transitioned out of his 20s? Liam Hemsworth, star of the Hunger Games. Ageing is insane!
11. Jamie Lee Curtis and Ellen DeGeneres: 64
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It's amazing to think that Jamie Lee Curtis, the first scream queen, and Ellen DeGeneres, who regularly broadcasts into millions of homes, are the same age. Everybody was born in 1958.
12. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and John Cho: 50
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Both Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, a former wrestler turned action actor, and John Cho, the most recent Hikaru Sulu on Star Trek, perished in fires in 1972. That seems implausible given Cho's early roles as stoned teenagers in American Pie and Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle.
13. Sarah Hyland and Jennifer Lawrence: 32
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Sarah Hyland from Modern Family and
Jennifer Lawrence from
Movies were both born in 1990. However, Lawrence was maturing for film parts while Hyland was still portraying a teen and early 20-something on the comedy.
14. Paul Rudd and Rory McCann: 54
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In Hollywood, there has long been a joke about Paul Rudd's youth. It's difficult to believe he's 52 because of his childlike charm; Rory McCann, who famously played The Hound on Game of Thrones, was 52.
15. Nicolas Cage and Keanu Reeves: 58
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With Peggy Sue Got Married and Raising Arizona, Nicolas Cage attained his greatest level of stardom in Hollywood during the 1980s, while
Keanu Reeves didn't find his voice until a decade later with Point Break and Speed. It is undoubtedly difficult to believe that both performers were born in 1964 because of this.
16. Tom Cruise and Andre Braugher: 60
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While Andre Braugher, who was born in the same year as Tom Cruise, plays Captain Holt on Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Tom Cruise is still daringly leaping from building to building in the Mission Impossible films. They were both born in 1962.
17. Marion Cotillard and Tobey Maguire: 47
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Since she first appeared on television, French actor Marion Cotillard has displayed sophistication. Tobey Maguire, who plays Spider-Man, still has a baby face. They were both born in 1975.