“Wait, How Old?” – The Moment You Realise High School TV Was Basically Sponsored by Anti-Ageing Cream
I remember sitting in front of Beverly Hills, 90210, convinced that everyone in high school had five o’clock shadows and a solid credit score. As a kid, I thought that’s just what teenagers looked like – tall, confident and visibly tired from their full-time jobs. It took years (and the realisation that no one in my sixth form looked like a Calvin Klein model) to figure out that many of my favourite teen idols were, in fact, way too old for their teen roles.
This isn’t a new problem. From the ‘70s to last year’s prestige Netflix teen drama, Hollywood’s been sneakily casting adults with crow’s feet as high schoolers with algebra homework. Here are 20 standout examples of actors who were just a bit too believable as teachers… while playing students.
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22. Olivia Newton-John in Grease (1978) – Age 30 Playing 17
Let’s start with the holy grail of suspended disbelief: Grease. Olivia Newton-John was 30 when she played Sandy, the innocent new girl at Rydell High. Thirty. As in “should be complaining about back pain and questionable pension plans” thirty.
Her version of a teenager was less “nervous high schooler” and more “mum attending parent-teacher night in a varsity jacket.” To be fair, she looked amazing, but it’s still wildly disorienting to watch her try to pass as someone who hasn’t yet filed taxes.
21. Ian Ziering in Beverly Hills, 90210 – Age 26 Playing 16
I always thought Steve Sanders looked more like someone’s dad than a high schooler. And rightly so, Ian Ziering was 26, playing a 16-year-old. That’s not “too old for his teen role” that’s just a man who could legally rent a car pretending to do GCSEs.
20. Andrew Garfield in The Amazing Spider-Man – Age 28 Playing 17
I loved Andrew Garfield’s Spidey but I couldn’t ignore the fact that he looked like he was going through a divorce rather than high school. Great actor, but too old for his teen role. The angst felt less “teen heartbreak” and more “midlife crisis over a craft beer.”
19. Gabrielle Carteris in 90210 – Age 29 Playing 16
Almost 30 and playing a teenager. I still remember the moment someone told me Andrea Zuckerman was nearly pushing 30 when filming started. I thought they were joking. No one that age still panics about detention—unless it’s jury detention.
18. Stockard Channing in Grease – Age 33 Playing 17
When I first watched Grease, I didn’t question Rizzo being 17. Then I rewatched it as an adult and thought: hold on, she looks like she’s seen some things. Turns out, she had – 33 years’ worth. Stockard Channing was iconic, yes, but she was definitely too old for her teen role.
17. Shirley Henderson in Harry Potter – Age 37 Playing a Teen Ghost
Even as a ghost, Moaning Myrtle looked like she should be haunting HR, not Hogwarts. Shirley Henderson was 37. That’s not too old for her teen role—that’s a full-blown haunting from a disgruntled former employee of adolescence.
16. Alan Ruck in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off – Age 29 Playing 18
I remember watching this and thinking, “Is Cameron depressed or just going through a custody battle?” Alan Ruck was 29. He wasn’t skipping school, he was dodging adult responsibilities. Classic case of being too old for his teen role.
15. Bianca Lawson in Pretty Little Liars – Age 31 Playing Teens
Bianca Lawson has been a teenager on TV longer than I was in school. She’s ageless, sure, but she’s also the poster child for being too old for her teen roles. I’ve seen her “graduate” more times than I’ve done my tax return.
14. Keiko Agena in Gilmore Girls – Age 27 Playing 16
Lane Kim was one of my favourites, but I couldn’t shake the feeling she seemed a little too… together for a 16-year-old. Probably because Keiko Agena was 27. She wasn’t too old for her teen role emotionally—but biologically, absolutely.
13. Paul Wesley in The Vampire Diaries – Age 27 Playing 17
Yes, he’s a vampire. Yes, he’s technically “ageless.” But I remember watching Paul Wesley as Stefan and thinking, “This guy owns a patio heater.” Too old for his teen role? You bet. This wasn’t high school, this was midlife with fangs.
12. Chad Michael Murray in One Tree Hill – Age 22 Playing 16
I had no idea he was meant to be 16. He looked like he had a side hustle in real estate. Too old for his teen role? 100%. But at least he made brooding seem like an Olympic sport.
11. Stacey Dash in Clueless – Age 28 Playing 17
Watching Clueless now, you can see Stacey Dash is pulling off “17-year-old fashion icon” the same way I pull off pretending I know what TikTok is. She looked amazing—but clearly too old for her teen role. That wasn’t high school, that was haute couture with homework.
10. Ben Platt in Dear Evan Hansen – Age 27 Playing 17
It wasn’t the age, it was the energy. Platt had the look of someone worrying about his pension rather than prom. Too old for his teen role by a clear ten-year stretch—and the internet let him know.
9. Jason Earles in Hannah Montana – Age 29 Playing 16
- 29 Playing 16. Wearing hoodies and talking like he just discovered memes. I remember thinking Jason Earles looked a bit… preserved. Too old for his teen role? He was practically ready for a midlife crisis.
8. Tom Welling in Smallville – Age 24 Playing 14
Superman’s secret power? Skincare. Because 24-year-old Tom Welling playing a 14-year-old freshman? That’s not casting—it’s satire. Far too old for his teen role.
7. Rachel McAdams in Mean Girls – Age 25 Playing 16
Regina George was everything—style, sass, menace, but McAdams looked like she could teach a class on “Intimidating Corporate Email Tone.” Too old for her teen role? Oh yes, but she nailed it anyway.
6. Tobey Maguire in Spider-Man – Age 26 Playing 17
I remember being confused why Peter Parker looked like he had back pain and a Costco membership. Maguire was definitely too old for his teen role—he went from bullied nerd to office dad in a single scene.
5. Jennifer Grey in Dirty Dancing – Age 27 Playing 17
“Baby” was supposed to be 17, but Jennifer Grey had the calm authority of a woman who’d already been through three insurance renewals. Too old for her teen role? You could smell the car payments.
4. Corey Monteith in Glee – Age 27 Playing 16
I hated Glee, Finn Hudson always looked like he should be paying rent, not worrying about glee club. Too old for his teen role? No question. He looked like the janitor’s understudy.
3. Henry Winkler in Happy Days – Age 29 Playing 17
The Fonz was meant to be a high school legend. But Winkler, at 29, looked more like someone who’d funded the jukebox. Too old for his teen role? Absolutely—but cool enough to get away with it.
2. Emilia Clarke in Triassic Attack – Age 24 Playing a Student
Before dragons, Clarke played a college student who seemed like she was already staff. She wasn’t just too old for her teen role—she looked like she marked the homework.
1. Leonardo DiCaprio in Catch Me If You Can (2002) – Age 28 Playing 17
This one almost gets a pass, because DiCaprio is legally classified as “eternally boyish” and still looks 30 today. But still—28? Playing a 17-year-old scam artist? That’s a stretch, even for Hollywood’s golden boy.
It worked because Leo’s just that good, but you have to wonder what the casting sheet said. “Looking for: Man-child with range. Must convincingly dodge the FBI and puberty.”
Honourable Mentions
- Ashley Benson in Pretty Little Liars – 21 playing 16
- Trevor Donovan in 90210 reboot – 30 playing 17
- Daeg Faerch in Halloween (2007) – filmed flashbacks later recast due to looking too old… at 15
- Lacey Chabert in Mean Girls – 22 playing 16
- Michael J. Fox in Back to the Future – 24 playing 17
My Final Thoughts: Just Let Teenagers Be Teenagers
I get it, working with actual teens is difficult. There are labour laws, awkward growth spurts and the fact that most of them are still figuring out which end of a sandwich to bite first. But watching adults play kids is like watching someone cosplay their own nostalgia. It takes you out of the story. These actors weren’t just a bit older – they were clearly too old for their teen roles and no amount of acne makeup or bad locker acting can cover that up.
Seen someone on screen who was clearly old enough to have a teenager, let alone play one? I’d love to hear the ones that made you do a double-take. Drop your favourites (or worst offenders) in the comments – especially if you’ve spotted someone so obviously too old for their teen role it actually became a plot hole. Let’s compare notes and call out the casting directors who thought no one would notice. Spoiler: we noticed.
