The Actors Who Play Your Fave TV Characters Are Actually Way Older
There are few things more reliable in this world than Hollywood's enduring-yet-confusing commitment to casting full-blown adults as high school teenagers. Like, truly, no matter how many times Twitter tries to gently suggest that perhaps a 30-year-old man isn't the best choice to play a 16-year-old in any given CW show, they just keep going. Bless!
And while some of the most notorious examples of actors being way the hell older than their on-screen counterparts are from shows that have long since been off the air (Glee, anyone?), the trend is still going strong. So clearly the time has come for an amateur investigation into this phenomenon. Just out here trying to make our assigned FBI agent proud, ya know?
We're taking a look at cast members from some of the biggest shows on TV right now to see how they compare age-wise to their characters—including, but not limited to, Never Have I Ever, Outer Banks, Bridgerton (you're not going to be okay when you find out how old the actor who plays Eloise is), House of the Dragon, Wednesday, Yellowjackets, and Euphoria.
To be clear though, none of these can come close to the absolutely unhinged casting of 36-year-old Shirley Henderson as 14-year-old Moaning Myrtle in Harry Potter. Like, whoever cast her and didn't think a 20-year age discrepancy was weird, contact me. I just wanna talk.
Madison Bailey as Kiara in 'Outer Banks'
Age on show: 16
Age IRL: 24
Madison Bailey is an ageless queen, so no comment on her being eight years older than her character.
Chase Stokes as John B in 'Outer Banks'
Age on show: 16
Age IRL: 30
Everyone wondering why the boys in their 10th grade class don't look like this? Because John B is a 30-year-old man.
Madelyn Cline as Sarah in 'Outer Banks'
Age on show: 16
Age IRL: 25
Just a casual almost-decade older than her character. 🤗
Darren Charles Barnet as Paxton in 'Never Have I Ever'
Age on show: ~16-19
Age IRL: 32
Tag yourself! I'm Paxton's exact facial expression in this photo.
Jaren Lewison as Ben in 'Never Have I Ever'
Age on show: ~15-18
Age IRL: 22
Honestly, I need to take a minute due to the memory of this scene taking me out.
Maitreyi Ramakrishnan as Devi in 'Never Have I Ever'
Age on show: ~15-18
Age IRL: 21
Maitreyi is only a few years older than Devi, and, ya know, a full decade younger than Paxton (never getting over the Paxton thing, sorry).
Percy Hynes White as Xavier in 'Wednesday'
Age on show: ~15-16
Age IRL: 21
Honestly, congrats to whoever cast Wednesday for managing to hire people only *six* years older than their on-screen counterparts!
Georgie Farmer as Ajax in 'Wednesday'
Age on show: ~15-16
Age IRL: 21
To be fair, having snakes for hair keeps you young.
Joy Sunday as Bianca in 'Wednesday'
Age on show: ~15-16
Age IRL: 26
Me in high school: acne and braces. Bianca in high school: no flaws to be found.
Hunter Doohan as Tyler in 'Wednesday'
Age on show: ~late teens
Age IRL: 29
Okay, to be fair, I'd never guess Tyler was almost 30.
Jenna Ortega as Wednesday in 'Wednesday'
Age on show: ~15-16
Age IRL: 20
Jenna was a teenager when Wednesday started filming, so she's definitely the closest in age to her character.
Emma Myers as Enid in 'Wednesday'
Age on show: ~15-16
Age IRL: 21
Much like Edward "This Is the Skin of a Killer, Bella" Cullen, Emma Myers is eternally youthful.
Emily Carey as Alicent in 'House of the Dragon'
Age on show: ~14
Age IRL: 20 (but 18 when she filmed)
We'll allow it.
Matt Smith as Daemon in 'House of the Dragon'
Age on show: ~late 20s
Age IRL: 40
We will not allow it.
Fabien Frankel as Criston in 'House of the Dragon'
Age on show: ~early 20s
Age IRL: 28
Lemme tell you, that five o'clock shadow is NOT the facial hair of any 21-year-old I know.
Milly Alcock as Rhaenyra in 'House of the Dragon'
Age on show: ~14
Age IRL: 23
GIVE HER THE IRON THRONE, YOU COWARDS.
Zendaya as Rue in 'Euphoria'
Age on show: 17
Age IRL: 26
Okay, obviously Zendaya's been playing Rue for a minute and it's not her fault they're aging at different rates!
Alexa Demie as Maddy in 'Euphoria'
Age on show: ~17
Age IRL: 32
If people aren't assuming I can also play a teen in my 30s, you WILL be hearing from me.
Sydney Sweeney as Cassie in 'Euphoria'
Age on show: ~18
Age IRL: 25
Sydney could play literally any age and convince me, so...
Phoebe Dynevor as Daphne in 'Bridgerton'
Age on show: ~21-22
Age IRL: 28
Kay, so she's a little older than her character, but honestly, the casting department was pretty spot on. However...
Nicola Coughlan as Penelope in 'Bridgerton'
Age on show: ~17-18
Age IRL: 36
I AM SCREAMING.
Claudia Jessie as Eloise in 'Bridgerton'
Age on show: ~17-18
Age IRL: 33
I AM SCREAMING SOME MORE.
Simone Ashley as Kate in 'Bridgerton'
Age on show: 26
Age IRL: 28
TBD on how old Kate will be in the upcoming third season, but she and Simone are basically right on track.
Freddy Carter as Kaz in 'Shadow and Bone'
Age on show: ~17
Age IRL: 30
I mean, Kaz being 17 isn't the LEAST believable thing about this show.
Archie Renaux as Mal in 'Shadow and Bone'
Age on show: ~17
Age IRL: 25
Weird how none of the 17-year-olds in my class looked like this.
Jessie Mei Li as Alina in 'Shadow and Bone'
Age on show: ~17
Age IRL: 27
She might be a decade older than her character, but no one could play this part better!
Gavin Casalegno as Jeremiah in 'The Summer I Turned Pretty'
Age on show: ~16
Age IRL: 23
Okay, now HE looks like every high school kid ever thanks to this TikTok bro haircut.
Lola Tung as Belly in 'The Summer I Turned Pretty'
Age on show: ~16
Age IRL: 20
Lola was a teen during production on season one, FYI!
Christopher Briney as Conrad in in 'The Summer I Turned Pretty'
Age on show: ~18
Age IRL: 25
I mean...maybe it'll make more sense when the show reaches the college years?
Sean Kaufman as Steven in 'The Summer I Turned Pretty'
Age on show: 18
Age IRL: 23
The best character on this show, fight me!
Ncuti Gatwa as Eric in 'Sex Education'
Age on show: ~16-18
Age IRL: 30
Does he look like he's in high school? No. Is he perfect for the part? Yes.
Kedar Williams-Stirling as Jackson in 'Sex Education'
Age on show: ~16-18
Age IRL: 28
Nothing but respect for MY head boy.
Emma Mackey as Maeve in 'Sex Education'
Age on show: ~16-18
Age IRL: 27
TEN FULL YEARS, FOLKS!
Asa Butterfield as Otis in 'Sex Education'
Age on show: ~16-17
Age IRL: 26
If you told me Asa Butterfield were 15, I'd believe you.
Connor Swindells as Adam in 'Sex Education'
Age on show: ~16-18
Age IRL: 26
Connor, you will always be famous!
India Ria Amarteifio as Queen Charlotte in 'Queen Charlotte'
Age on show: ~17
Age IRL: 21
Perfect casting is perfect.
Corey Mylchreest as King George III in 'Queen Charlotte'
Age on show: 22
Age IRL: 25
Ditto to the slide before.
Ella Purnell as Jackie in 'Yellowjackets'
Age on show: ~17-18
Age IRL: 26
Welcome to the Yellowjackets portion of our programming, where literally no one is the same age as their character.
Sammi Hanratty as Misty in 'Yellowjackets'
Age on show: ~17-18
Age IRL: 27
Okay, but Sammi pulls off the whole high school thing WELL.
Courtney Eaton as Lottie in 'Yellowjackets'
Age on show: ~17-18
Age IRL: 27
I mean, at least they were consistent about casting a buncha people the same age?
Sophie Thatcher as Natalie in 'Yellowjackets'
Age on show: ~17-18
Age IRL: 22
Ding ding ding, we (almost) have a winner!
Sophie Nélisse as Shauna in 'Yellowjackets'
Age on show: ~17-18
Age IRL: 23
Maybe cannibalism keeps you young.
Jasmin Savoy Brown as Taissa in 'Yellowjackets'
Age on show: ~17-18
Age IRL: 29
Stop gatekeeping the Fountain of Youth, Jasmin!
Liv Hewson as Van in 'Yellowjackets'
Age on show: ~17-18
Age IRL: 27
Apropos to nothing: Team Van forever.
Olivia Holt as Kate in 'Cruel Summer'
Age on show: ~17
Age IRL: 25
I buy it!
Chiara Aurelia as Jeanette in 'Cruel Summer'
Age on show: ~17
Age IRL: 20
Amazing job, Cruel Summer casting people.
Froy Gutierrez as Jamie in 'Cruel Summer'
Age on show: ~17
Age IRL: 25
Honestly, at this point, just relieved to find out someone isn't in their 30s.
Anna Cathcart as Kitty in 'XO, Kitty'
Age on show: ~16
Age IRL: 20
But she was fully a teen when the show filmed its first season, okay??
Choi Min-young as Dae-heon in 'XO, Kitty'
Age on show: ~16
Age IRL: 20
Side note: If you haven't watched this show, get on it.
Anthony Keyvan as Q in 'XO, Kitty'
Age on show: ~16-17
Age IRL: 22
Genuinely impressed by this show's ability to cast people who are within ~five years of their characters' age!
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