15 Actors Who Were Too Old or Young for Their Onscreen Roles

Thanks to make-up, styling, and computer-generated imagery (CGI), it’s not difficult to make people look younger or older onscreen. And the actors on this list were either aged up or down in their movie roles. But most of the audiences probably didn’t even notice it, because they were talented enough to portray their characters effectively.

1. Shirley Henderson was 37 when she played the 14-year-old, muggle-born witch, Myrtle Warren, a.k.a Moaning Myrtle, in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.

2. Angelina Jolie, was 29 when she played the matriarchal figure for Colin Farrell’s Alexander the Great, who was 28 years old.

3. Even during his late twenties, Leo DiCaprio still looked fresh with his baby face, passing as the 18-year-old Frank Abagnale, in Catch Me If You Can.

4. Natalie Dormer was 32 years old when she was playing the role of 18-year-old Margaery Tyrell (Game of Thrones).

5. 27-year-old Carey Mulligan easily transformed into 18-year-old Daisy Buchanan (The Great Gatsby, 2013).

6. Tobey Maguire was already 26 when he became the friendly neighborhood superhero, and 17-year-old Spider-Man.

7. Stockard Channing played a high school student at the age of 34 (Grease, 1978).

8. Dear Evan Hansen is about a 17-year-old high schooler’s experience, but the actor who played the role, Ben Platt, was aged 27.

9. Emma Thompson was 36 years old when she starred as 19-year-old Elinor Dashwood in Sense and Sensibility.

10. Robert Pattinson was 26 years old in the last film of the famous saga, while his character, Edward Cullen, was still only 17 (The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn — Part 2, 2012).

11. Winona Ryder was cast as 18-year-old Susanna Kaysen in Girl, Interrupted, while the actress was actually 28 years of age.

12. 32-year-old Eric Christian Olsen played a high-schooler (Fired Up!, 2009).

13. The 29-year-old Ashleigh Murray was the oldest actress out of the main cast of Riverdale, and she played 16-year old teenager Josie McCoy.

14. 40-year-old Peter Dinklage played the iconic role of Tyrion Lannister who was only 23 years old in the book and 32 years old in the TV series (Game of Thrones).

15. In Silver Linings Playbook, 21-year-old Jennifer Lawrence played the character of Tiffany, who was pegged at 39 years old in the book.

Which actor’s age came as a surprise to you? Do you know any other actors who could be in our article?