age discrepancy between actor/actress and character they portray

[nwhoopfan]

I'm sure I mention this frequently. Does it bother anybody else? I know it's par for the course, and up to a certain point it's not really a big deal. Someone in their early 20's playing a character in their late teens isn't that much of a stretch. But it goes so far beyond that. I just don't understand why it's so common. I know there are child labor lays that make shooting a movie problematic if the actor is a minor. But I can't wrap my mind around casting someone in their late 20s or early 30s to play a teenager. There are plenty of actors/actresses closer to the actual age of the character. At some point when you know the actor/actress is that much older it ruins my suspension of disbelief for the whole movie. And it's not just Hollywood, the Brits do it too.

I also wonder about the actors/actresses choosing to do this as well. At some point they must want to get adult roles and stop playing high schoolers. I just saw one w/ a 31 year old actress playing probably a 16 year old character. She pulled it off, I had no idea of her real age (she's not well known). But come on, really?

 

[nelsonmuntz]

In Beautiful Girls, which is a great movie, Timothy Hutton and Michael Rappaport play classmates going to their high school reunion even though Hutton is 10 years older than Rappaport in real life.

 

[nwhoopfan]

That's not even the direction I was going, but Laura Dern portrayed Reese Witherspoon's mom in "Wild" and Dern is 9 years older than Witherspoon.

Even better, Angelina Jolie was Colin Farrell's mother in "Alexander." There is 1 freaking year age difference between them. Hollywood is so weird.

 

[CL82]

That's not even the direction I was going, but Laura Dern portrayed Reese Witherspoon's mom in "Wild" and Dern is 9 years older than Witherspoon.

Hmm. It never even occurred to me. I thought they both did a good job in it. It's an under-appreciated movie. Eventually I want to read the book.

 

[Dogdeacon]

I think Robert Redford has to have the record for being nearly 50 when playing young Roy Hobbs (18-ish) in the Natural. Can anyone beat +30?