15 Actors Who Played Much Younger or Older Than Their Real Age in Iconic Films

Hollywood has a long history of making actors appear far older or younger than they really are. Through makeup, costumes, and powerful performances, stars have convinced audiences that they were decades apart from their actual age during filming. Below are 15 actors who played characters much younger or older than their real age in some of their most iconic movies.

Actors Who Played Younger Than Their Age

• Rachel McAdams — Mean Girls (25 years old)

  Rachel McAdams played the manipulative Regina George in Mean Girls, a role that required her to embody a high school student despite being much older than the character.

• Robert Redford — The Natural (47 years old)

  Robert Redford played a young baseball prodigy in flashbacks from The Natural, making his 47-year-old self believable as a teenager.

• Shirley Henderson — Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (37 years old)

  Shirley Henderson portrayed the teenage ghost Moaning Myrtle in Harry Potter while being nearly 40 years old.

• Stockard Channing — Grease (33 years old)

  Stockard Channing played high school student Rizzo in Grease while already in her early 30s.

• Thomas Brodie-Sangster — Game of Thrones (24 years old)

  Thomas Brodie-Sangster played Jojen Reed in Game of Thrones while still in his early 20s, making him appear much younger than his actual age.

• Alan Ruck — Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (29 years old)

  Alan Ruck portrayed anxious teenager Cameron Frye in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off at nearly 30 years old.

• Jason Earles — Hannah Montana (29 years old)

  Jason Earles spent years playing Miley Stewart’s teenage brother in Hannah Montana while already nearing 30.

• Jennifer Grey — Dirty Dancing (27 years old)

  Jennifer Grey played the teenage Baby Houseman in Dirty Dancing while approaching 30.

• Judd Nelson — The Breakfast Club (25 years old)

  Judd Nelson brought intense energy to the role of Bender in The Breakfast Club, making his 25-year-old self seem far older than a typical high school student.

• Keiko Agena — Gilmore Girls (27 years old)

  Keiko Agena played teenager Lane Kim in Gilmore Girls for years while being significantly older than the character.

• Laurence Fishburne — Boyz n the Hood (29 years old)

  Laurence Fishburne portrayed the wise and mature Furious Styles in Boyz n the Hood while still in his late 20s.

Actors Who Played Older Than Their Age

• Wilford Brimley — Cocoon (50 years old)

  Wilford Brimley looked convincingly like a retiree in Cocoon despite being only 50 during filming.

• Estelle Getty — The Golden Girls (62 years old)

  Estelle Getty played the elderly Sophia in The Golden Girls even though she was younger than some of her co-stars.

• Marlon Brando — The Godfather (47 years old)

  Marlon Brando’s legendary performance and heavy makeup made him appear far older as Don Vito Corleone in The Godfather.

• Max von Sydow — The Exorcist (44 years old)

  Extensive makeup transformed Max von Sydow into the elderly Father Merrin in The Exorcist, despite him still being in his 40s.

Hollywood’s ability to blur the lines between an actor’s real age and their on-screen persona continues to fascinate audiences worldwide.