16 High School Students From Movies and Series That Were Actually Played by Adult Actors

Adults are often invited to play teenage characters, and sometimes they look so convincing that even the most attentive viewers believe that they are teenagers. The actors we have included in this article were so incredibly good in their roles that their real age may come as a shock to you.

1. Timothée Chalamet — Laurie in Little Women

Laurie’s age is never clearly stated, but it can be deduced. He was born the same year as Jo, so they are the same age. At the beginning of the story he is 15, but actor Timothée Chalamet was 23. Throughout the film, Laurie catches up with Timothée — he proposes to Jo at 22, but she rejects him, and Laurie goes to Europe. There, he meets Amy and proposes to her. By that time, Laurie is already 23, like Timothée.

2. Mizero Gatwa — Eric Effiong on Sex Education

Actor Mizero Gatwa instantly became a star after the release of Sex Education in January 2019. He portrayed the main character’s best friend. Gatwa was born in October 1992, so when the series premiered, he was 26.

3. Emma Watson — Samantha Button in The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Sam from The Perks of Being a Wallflower was a senior student. The actress we already know as a schoolgirl was cast for this role — Emma Watson from the Harry Potter series. But Emma was no longer a teenager at the time — she was already 21.

4. Casey Cott — Kevin on Riverdale

Not many teenagers were in the teenage drama Riverdale. The role of Kevin was played by Casey Cott, who was 24 when the first season premiered. By the time season 6 was released, he was already 30.

5. Madelaine Petsch — Cheryl on Riverdale

Another Riverdale character, Cheryl, was played Madelaine Petsch. The actress was 22 when the series started, 25 in season 4 and 27 when the series ended.

6. Minka Kelly — Lyla Garrity on Friday Night Lights

Minka Kelly started playing the school cheerleader Lyla Garrity on Friday Night Lights at 26. When her character was admitted to Vanderbilt University, Minka was already 28.

7. Christian Navarro — Tony on 13 Reasons Why

Tony, from 13 Reasons Why, was meant to be in high school. But actor Christian Navarro was 24 when the series started and 28 when it finished.

8. Chad Michael Murray — Lucas on One Tree Hill

On One Tree Hill, Chad Michael Murray played Lucas, a schoolboy and basketball player. He was supposed to be 16 years old in the first season, but Murray was actually 22.

9. Danna Paola — Lucrecia Hendrich on Elite

Danna Paola played the arrogant Lucrecia Hendrich on the Spanish series Elite. Danna was born in 1995. When the series started, she was 23 years old, and she celebrated her 24th and 25th birthday as the series continued.

10. Gabrielle Union — Chastity, Bianca Stratford’s best friend in 10 Things I Hate About You

Gabrielle Union (on the right) played Chastity, a high school student and Biance Stratford’s (on the left) best friend in 10 Things I Hate About You. When the film was released, the actress was 26.

11. Lea Michele — Rachel Berry on Glee

Lea Michele played high-schooler Rachel Berry on Glee. When the first episode was released, the actress was 22.

12. Zach Roerig — Matt Donovan on The Vampire Diaries

On The Vampire Diaries, Matt Donovan always looked a bit older than his classmates. This is not surprising because actor Zach Roerig was 24 when the series aired.

13. Jesse Metcalfe — John Rowland on Desperate Housewives

The hot lover of Gabi on Desperate Housewives is supposed to be a high-school student, working as a gardener. But actor Jesse Metcalfe was just 4 years younger than his on-screen partner, Eva Longoria. When the first season aired, she was 29, and he was 25.

14. Judd Nelson — John Bender in The Breakfast Club

Judd Nelson played one of the teenagers in The Breakfast Club. When the film was shot, the actor was already 24.

15. Alan Ruck — Cameron Frye in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off

In Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Alan Ruck played Cameron, the best friend of the main character. In the film, he is in high school, but the actor was 29 at the time.

16. Tom Cruise — Ron Kovic in Born on the Fourth of July

Tom Cruise was in Born on the Fourth of July, and the played the main character, Ron Kovic. The creators of the movie didn’t cast different characters for each period of Ron’s life, so Tom Cruise played him in scenes where he was still a student. When the film was released in 1989, Tom Cruise was 27.

What other actors do you know of who played characters who were much younger than themselves?