# Actors who become unrecognizable when old **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 26, 2017, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-become-unrecognizable-when-old/783081 "2017-03-26T17:41:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2017, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-become-unrecognizable-when-old/783081/61 "2017-03-27T19:00:17Z")
> [@AK84](#): > > Oh my god, here come the scolds, as per usual. People age differently. Some individuals age well, others don’t. You almost make my point for me. People age differently. What puzzles me is what is it about that that makes it interesting enough to point out specific actors who have not aged well. There is a strong flavor of “tsk, tsk” about this thread. But I don’t want to be a scold, especially not an “as usual” one. Nor do I want to have a cow, man. So I will go back to my calm breathing exercises. ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2017, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-become-unrecognizable-when-old/783081/62 "2017-03-27T20:14:07Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > He’s made an appearance in the new Fox series “Shots Fired”. I honestly didn’t recognize him with that extra hundred pounds hes sporting. Cite? Episode, role? ---
**Author:** ![buddha\_david](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@buddha\_david](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddha_david)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2017, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-become-unrecognizable-when-old/783081/63 "2017-03-27T20:32:35Z")
Lots of rock/metal stars look completely different in their old age. The most shocking to me is Paul Di’anno, the first Iron Maiden vocalist: [1980](http://www.nolifetilmetal.com/killers.htm) | [2015](http://www.metalwani.com/2015/07/news-ex-iron-maiden-singer-paul-dianno.html) ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2017, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-become-unrecognizable-when-old/783081/64 "2017-03-28T00:28:24Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > One that surprised me was Bradley Whitford. He’s 57 years old. I’m assuming his hair has been turning for a while and he’s been dying it. But he looked like [this in 2014](https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.charitybuzz.com/images/107081/original.jpeg_1378929462?1378996227) and [this in 2016](https://m.hrc.onl/cms/original_images/whitford-cover-photo.jpg). The change was so sudden I literally didn’t recognize him until he spoke. Yes! I just saw him in Get Out, and he was unrecognizable. Not ugly. Just different. > [@RickJay](#): > > The only reason Edwards looks more different is he’s bald. If he still had his hair he wouldn’t look any more aged than Cruise does. > > The thing is, Anthony Edwards started losing his hair a long time ago. When he was on “ER” he was balding. So this isn’t a recent change for him - it happened twenty years ago. No, he would look older than Tom Cruise regardless. But Tom Cruise is weirdly impervious to aging. I’m guessing he has benefitted from good genetics and a little bit of well-considered cosmetic surgery. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2017, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-become-unrecognizable-when-old/783081/65 "2017-03-28T04:55:39Z")
In _Top Gun_ Cruise looked like a teenager. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2017, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-become-unrecognizable-when-old/783081/66 "2017-03-28T04:58:05Z")
> [@Roderick\_Femm](#): > > You almost make my point for me. People age differently. What puzzles me is what is it about that that makes it interesting enough to point out specific actors who have not aged well. There is a strong flavor of “tsk, tsk” about this thread. > > But I don’t want to be a scold, especially not an “as usual” one. Nor do I want to have a cow, man. So I will go back to my calm breathing exercises. We are talking about a cohort which a) Regards its appearance as an asset. b) Already selects for looks. We are not talking about your average office worker or housewife. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2017, 11:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-become-unrecognizable-when-old/783081/67 "2017-03-31T11:11:39Z")
Okay, this is somewhat related. I recently heard in the background (but didn’t see the video) of a clip of an upcoming interview between Mischa Barton and “Doctor” Phil. WTF has happened to her voice? Has she been smoking 137 cigarettes a day since she was 12? ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2017, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-become-unrecognizable-when-old/783081/68 "2017-03-31T19:27:12Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > It didn’t happen to Elle MacPherson. [1987](http://i.huffpost.com/gadgets/slideshows/343319/slide_343319_3562052_free.jpg) [2017](http://cdn-img.instyle.com/sites/default/files/styles/684xflex/public/images/2016/03/032416-elle-macpherson-lead.jpg?itok=uH56zAB8) :rolleyes: Elle MacPherson’s only 53. The impact of aging depends not only on the chronological time lapse but also on the start and end points. I guarantee you that 83-year-old Elle MacPherson, if she makes it that far, will look much more different from 53-year-old Elle MacPherson than 53-year-old Elle looks from 23-year-old Elle. ---
**Author:** ![Tapiotar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3be4f8/32.png) [@Tapiotar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapiotar)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2017, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-become-unrecognizable-when-old/783081/69 "2017-03-31T20:45:36Z")
> [@AK84](#): > > We are talking about a cohort which > a) Regards its appearance as an asset. > b) Already selects for looks. > > We are not talking about your average office worker or housewife. Even with your average person, it varies. I recently (temporarily, I hope) moved back to where I grew up. Every so often, I run into someone I last saw 40 years ago. In some of them, I can still see traces of the kid they used to be, enough to recognize or put a name to the face. Others have changed beyond recognition. ---
**Author:** ![Tapiotar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3be4f8/32.png) [@Tapiotar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapiotar)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2017, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-become-unrecognizable-when-old/783081/70 "2017-03-31T20:47:12Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > Danny DeVito: > > [On Taxi.](http://us.cdn281.fansshare.com/photos/dannydevito/danny-devito-celebrity-1308757613.jpg) > > [Today at 72](http://www.emmys.com/sites/default/files/styles/bio_pics_detail/public/2013/10/danny-devito-400x600.jpg?itok=KOpT2gCi&c=dc2927bd3a9447f509825c0b4005e6b1) Still recognizable, though. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-become-unrecognizable-when-old/783081.md?page=3)