We’ve all heard stories about movie stars going the extra mile or even the entire lunar distance to land their dream roles. But what if their path to stardom necessitates taking the phrase “age is just a number” far too literally?

Adult actors and actresses are frequently required to play much younger characters. Talented actors do it so well that viewers often don’t notice. Do you remember the Harry Potter film, Moaning Myrtle? Shirley, who played the character, was allegedly 37 years old at the time of filming, making her the oldest actor to play a Hogwarts student.

Continue reading to see what famous movie characters would look like if they were played by actors their own age. More interesting articles can be found by clicking here and here.

#1 Elinor Dashwood — Emma Thompson (Sense and Sensibility).

How 19 Famous People Would Look If They Were The Same Age As The Characters They Played
Source: East News

Elinor is portrayed in “Sense and Sensibility” as having calm judgment and strength of understanding. Emma Thompson played a 19-year-old girl convincingly despite her age of 35.

#2 Jane Eyre — Zelah Clarke (Jane Eyre).

How 19 Famous People Would Look If They Were The Same Age As The Characters They Played
Source: Jane Eyre / BBC

Jane Eyre, played by Zelah Clarke, was ten years old at the start of the novel. The actress turned 30 when the character was 18 years old.

#3 Shirley Henderson — Myrtle Moaning (Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets).

How 19 Famous People Would Look If They Were The Same Age As The Characters They Played
Source: © Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets / Warner Bros.

Moaning Myrtle first appeared in “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets” as Moaning Myrtle (the ghost of 14-year-old Myrtle Warren). The actress was 37 years old at the time of filming.

#4 Lily Potter — Geraldine Somerville (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II).

How 19 Famous People Would Look If They Were The Same Age As The Characters They Played
Source: © Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II / Warner Bros.

Geraldine Somerville, who was 44 then, played 21-year-old Lily Potter.

#5 James Potter — Adrian Rawlins (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II).

How 19 Famous People Would Look If They Were The Same Age As The Characters They Played
Source: © Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II / Warner Bros.

Adrian Rawlins, who played James, was even older, 43 at the start of the film and 53 at the end. He is 32 years older than his counterpart.

#6 Will Turner — Orlando Bloom (Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of The Black Pearl).

How 19 Famous People Would Look If They Were The Same Age As The Characters They Played
Source: © Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl / Walt Disney Pictures

Orlando Bloom was twice the age of his character, Will Turner, at the time of filming “Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl” (just 18 years old).

#7 Katniss Everdeen is played by Jennifer Lawrence (The Hunger Games).

How 19 Famous People Would Look If They Were The Same Age As The Characters They Played
Source: © The Hunger Games / Lionsgate

Katniss Everdeen was 16 years old during the 74th Hunger Games. Jennifer Lawrence, 24 years old at the time, played the character.

#8 Sirius Black — Gary Oldman (Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban).

How 19 Famous People Would Look If They Were The Same Age As The Characters They Played
Source: © Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Askaban / Warner Bros.

Sirius Black appears in “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban,” where he is the titular prisoner and Harry Potter’s godfather. Gary Oldman portrayed the character. At the time, the actor was 46, while Black was 34.

#9 Alan Rickman (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone) plays Severus Snape.

How 19 Famous People Would Look If They Were The Same Age As The Characters They Played
Source: © Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone / Warner Bros.

Severus Snape is a popular character in the “Harry Potter” films. Alan Rickman, who played the character in “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone,” turned 55 during filming, while Snape was only 31.

#10 Peter Parker — Tom Holland (Spider-Man: Homecoming).

How 19 Famous People Would Look If They Were The Same Age As The Characters They Played
Source: © Spider-Man: Homecoming / Marvel Studios

In “Spider-Man: Homecoming,” Tom Holland played Peter Parker, a high school student. The boy was only 15 years old, while Tom was actually 21.

#11 Jason Glanton — Dane DeHaan (The Place Beyond the Pines).

How 19 Famous People Would Look If They Were The Same Age As The Characters They Played
Source: © The Place Beyond the Pines / Focus Features

#12 Holly Golightly (Breakfast at Tiffany’s) — Audrey Hepburn

How 19 Famous People Would Look If They Were The Same Age As The Characters They Played
Source: © Breakfast at Tiffany’s / Paramount Pictures

#13 Frank Abagnale — Leonard DiCaprio (Catch Me If You Can).

How 19 Famous People Would Look If They Were The Same Age As The Characters They Played
Source: © Catch Me If You Can / Amblin Entertainment

#14 Daenerys Targaryen is played by Emilia Clarke (Game of Thrones).

How 19 Famous People Would Look If They Were The Same Age As The Characters They Played
Source: © Game of Thrones / HBO

#15 Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) (Back to the Future)

How 19 Famous People Would Look If They Were The Same Age As The Characters They Played
Source: © Back to the Future / Amblin Entertainment

#16 Scarlett O’Hara — Vivien Leigh (Gone With the Wind).

How 19 Famous People Would Look If They Were The Same Age As The Characters They Played
Source: © Gone with the Wind / Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

#17 Danny Zuko — John Travolta (Grease).

How 19 Famous People Would Look If They Were The Same Age As The Characters They Played
Source: © Grease / Paramount Pictures

#18 Hurrem Sultan (Muhteşem Yüzyl) — Meryem Uzerli

How 19 Famous People Would Look If They Were The Same Age As The Characters They Played
Source: imago stock&people / East News

#19 Rosa Garca — Verónica Castro (Rosa salvaje).

How 19 Famous People Would Look If They Were The Same Age As The Characters They Played
Source: © Rosa Salvaje / Televisa
Cindy Westcott is originally from Canada and has a degree in hospitality and management. In the years since her graduation, she has continued to grow in her career and also works in the industry of travel and tourism! she also loved the field of event management and continues to fulfill her duties in the trade so far! In her free time, she enjoys experimenting with new recipes, reading, writing, online gaming, and exploring new destinations!

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