Fantastic Actors Who Played Characters Much Younger Than Themselves

Usually, Hollywood movies and TV shows use older, more experienced actors to portray younger characters, but on very rare occasions, they do the opposite.

Here are 8 actors who were much younger than their on-screen characters.

1. Brad Pitt — Curious Case of Benjamin Button

According to the plot of the movie, Pitt’s character Benjamin Button had an unusual condition where he’d grow older much faster than a regular person. This, of course, means that he’d need to play an old man. Thankfully, the VFX and CGI made it possible for a 45-year-old actor to appear as an 80-year-old grandpa.

2. Leonardo DiCaprio — J. Edgar

It’s been scientifically proven that Leo is a god-tier actor and can ace any role he’s given. By the end of the movie, DiCaprio changed so much that even the crew could hardly recognize him in all the makeup. He went from looking 30 to 77 in less than an hour!

3. Jennifer Lawrence — Joy

In the movie Joy, the 24-year-old Jennifer Lawrence plays a 34-year-old character, Joy Mangano. And a couple of years before that, Jenn starred in Silver Linings Playbook, where she played a 30-something-year-old! What’s stunning is that she got Oscar nominations for both of those movies.

4. Lindsay Lohan — Just My Luck

Can a teenager play a 30-year-old? Leave it to Lindsay Lohan, who was only 19 at the time, to portray the luckiest woman ever. And it’s not just the plot of the movie; she got to star side-by-side with Chris Pine and even kissed him. No Oscar, sadly, but who needs those?

5. Keira Knightley — Love Actually

In 2003, when Love actually came out, Keira was only 18. To play Juliet, who’s already married, she had to be aged a little. Sure, people do get married at 18 or even 16, but it’s widely assumed her character was at least in her mid-20s.

6. Scarlett Johansson — Lost in Translation

ScarJo’s big Hollywood debut came out in 2003, similar to Kiera Knightly, with the only difference being that Johansson was 17. Being a minor, she wasn’t allowed to drink any booze at the time, but since her character was supposedly 22 years old, they bent the rules a little bit.

7. Angelina Jolie — Alexander

Even the magnificent soon-to-be Maleficent, Angelina Jolie, couldn’t save this movie, and that’s already saying a lot. At the time the movie was shot, Jolie was 29, and in theory, she was supposed to play Queen Olympias, who’s already given birth to Alexander the Great like 20 years ago. For an actress who can pull off a 20-year-old when she’s 40, it wasn’t a real challenge for Angelina to play a 50-year-old queen.

8. Carice Van Houten — Game of Thrones

It’s hard to say how old Carice’s character in Game of Thrones really was aside from the obvious “really freaking old.” When she changed into her “real” self, Melisandre looked at least 90, and the fans freaked out when they saw that creepy old witch. Carice herself was 40 years old when she did those scenes in season 6.