We all know Hollywood notoriously casts adults to play teenagers — sometimes, adults who are WAYYY too old. To break the illusion, here are 21 actors playing teens versus how they actually looked as teenagers!
1. Ben Platt playing 17-year-old Evan Hansen in Dear Evan Hansen at age 27:
Ben as an 18-year-old filming Pitch Perfect:
2. Olivia Newton-John playing 17-year-old Sandy in Grease at age 29:
Olivia Newton-John as an actual 17-year-old:
3. Stacey Dash playing a 16- or 17-year-old in the Clueless series at age 29:
Stacey Dash as an 18-year-old:
4. Andrew Garfield playing a 17- or 18-year-old in The Amazing Spider-Man at age 27:
5. Andrew Garfield as an 18-year-old:
6. Naya Rivera playing a 15-year-old on Glee as a 22-year-old:
Naya Rivera as an actual 15-year-old:
7. Tom Holland playing 15-year-old Peter Parker in Spider-Man: Homecoming at age 20:
Tom Holland as an actual 15-year-old:
8. Drew Seeley playing a high school senior in Another Cinderella Story at age 26:
Drew Seeley as an actual high schooler:
9. Kedar Williams-Stirling playing a 16-year-old in Sex Education at age 24:
Kedar Williams-Stirling as a 15-year-old:
10. John Travolta playing a 17- or 18-year-old in Grease at age 24:
John Travolta as a 19-year-old:
11. Leonardo DiCaprio playing a 17-year-old in Catch Me if You Can at age 27 or 28:
Leonardo DiCaprio as an actual 17-year-old:
12. Gabrielle Union playing a teenager in Bring It On at age 27:
Gabrielle Union as an actual teenager:
13. Cole Sprouse playing a 16-year-old on Riverdale at age 24:
Cole Sprouse as an actual 16-year-old:
14. Timothée Chalamet playing a 17-year-old in Call Me by Your Name at age 22:
Timothée Chalamet as an actual 17-year-old:
15. Harry Shum Jr. playing a teenager on Glee at age 27:
Harry Shum Jr. as an actual teenager (right):
16. Asa Butterfield playing a 16-year-old on Sex Education as a 21-year-old:
Asa Butterfield as an actual 16-year-old:
17. Darren Criss playing a high schooler on Glee at age 23:
Darren Criss as an actual high schooler:
18. Greta Onieogou playing a ~16-year-old on All American as a 27-year-old:
Greta Onieogou as a 15-year-old:
19. Thomas Brodie-Sangster playing a ~16-year-old in The Maze Runner as a 23-year-old:
Thomas Brodie-Sangster as a 15-year-old:
20. Saoirse Ronan playing a 17-year-old in Lady Bird as a 22-year-old:
Saoirse Ronan as an actual 16-year-old:
21. And finally, Michelle Trachtenberg playing a 16-year-old on Gossip Girl as a 22-year-old:
Michelle Trachtenberg as an actual 16-year-old:
