# Biggest age difference between an actor and the character that they portray **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 22, 2021, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-age-difference-between-an-actor-and-the-character-that-they-portray/938399 "2021-03-22T04:46:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2021, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-age-difference-between-an-actor-and-the-character-that-they-portray/938399/21 "2021-03-22T17:07:39Z")
Ignoring fantasy characters, I’d suggest 33 year old Dustin Hoffman playing 121 year old Jack Crabb in _Little Big Man_. ---
**Author:** ![mtnmatt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a3d4f5/32.png) [@mtnmatt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mtnmatt)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2021, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-age-difference-between-an-actor-and-the-character-that-they-portray/938399/22 "2021-03-22T17:35:00Z")
Just the other day I clicked past Grease, where Stockard Channing, at 34, played 17 year old Rizzo - so not 25 years, but double the age. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2021, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-age-difference-between-an-actor-and-the-character-that-they-portray/938399/23 "2021-03-22T17:42:09Z")
That’s going to be tough to beat for realistic human ages. ---
**Author:** ![Asuka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@Asuka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asuka)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2021, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-age-difference-between-an-actor-and-the-character-that-they-portray/938399/24 "2021-03-22T17:59:27Z")
**The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance** has 50 year old actor O.Z. Whitehead playing a teenager, as he’s introduced with a man scolding him for cutting school to go fishing. ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2021, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-age-difference-between-an-actor-and-the-character-that-they-portray/938399/25 "2021-03-22T18:41:18Z")
Joey playing a teenager? [- YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4d0SWJisdq4) ---
**Author:** ![Guy\_Incognito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guy_incognito/32/3920_2.png) [@Guy\_Incognito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guy_Incognito)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2021, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-age-difference-between-an-actor-and-the-character-that-they-portray/938399/26 "2021-03-22T19:01:23Z")
What about Robin Williams, who was 45 in 1996, playing a 10 year old in **Jack**? A slightly smaller age gap: 44 year old Martin Short playing a 10 year old in the 1994 movie **Clifford**? ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2021, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-age-difference-between-an-actor-and-the-character-that-they-portray/938399/27 "2021-03-22T19:05:04Z")
Brad Pitt in, “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2021, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-age-difference-between-an-actor-and-the-character-that-they-portray/938399/28 "2021-03-22T19:29:54Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > Yeardley Smith and Nancy Cartwright. Yeah, probably lots of good examples if you count animation, which you probably shouldn’t. Lots of examples from sketch comedy, too, like (from SNL) [Amy Poehler’s Kaitlin](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recurring_Saturday_Night_Live_characters_and_sketches_introduced_2003%E2%80%9304#Kaitlin_&_Rick) or [Gilda Radner’s Judy Miller](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recurring_Saturday_Night_Live_characters_and_sketches_introduced_1977%E2%80%9378#Judy_Miller). Probably some good examples of characters who aged over the course of a movie, portrayed by the same actor over the course of the movie (e.g. Tom Hanks would have been in his late 30s when _Forrest Gump_ was filmed). ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2021, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-age-difference-between-an-actor-and-the-character-that-they-portray/938399/29 "2021-03-22T20:05:24Z")
Not a huge age gap, but my favorite example. In **A Hard Day’s Night** Paul’s Grandfather, who apparently is in his mid to late 70’s (?), was portrayed by 52-years old Wilfred Brambell. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2021, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-age-difference-between-an-actor-and-the-character-that-they-portray/938399/30 "2021-03-22T20:19:45Z")
> [@TreacherousCretin](#): > > Paul’s Grandfather, who apparently is in his mid to late 70’s (?), was portrayed by 52-years old Wilfred Brambell. That’s what very clean living will do for you… ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2021, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-age-difference-between-an-actor-and-the-character-that-they-portray/938399/31 "2021-03-22T20:23:50Z")
TV play [Blue Remembered Hills](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Remembered_Hills), by Dennis Potter in which adult actors played 7-year-old children. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2021, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-age-difference-between-an-actor-and-the-character-that-they-portray/938399/32 "2021-03-22T20:26:45Z")
Laurel and Hardy as their sons. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/Zx7UIMOvOJc/maxresdefault.jpg "Laurel and Hardy as kids in Brats 1930") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zx7UIMOvOJc) ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2021, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-age-difference-between-an-actor-and-the-character-that-they-portray/938399/33 "2021-03-22T20:30:20Z")
I don’t think it makes much sense to include supernatural characters. It’s not like there are a lot of age appropriate actors to play a 6500 year old. ---
**Author:** ![BrickBat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac91a4/32.png) [@BrickBat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrickBat)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2021, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-age-difference-between-an-actor-and-the-character-that-they-portray/938399/34 "2021-03-22T20:53:11Z")
The characters in ‘The Munsters’? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2021, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-age-difference-between-an-actor-and-the-character-that-they-portray/938399/35 "2021-03-22T20:54:11Z")
If we do include animation voice actors, then June Foray deserves a mention, having played Granny from age 38 to 97. No matter what age you assume Granny was, there’s a big age difference in there somewhere. ---
**Author:** ![MN\_Maenad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e95f7d/32.png) [@MN\_Maenad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MN_Maenad)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2021, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-age-difference-between-an-actor-and-the-character-that-they-portray/938399/36 "2021-03-22T20:59:25Z")
Richard Chamberlain was 49 when The Thorn Birds premiered, and his character was supposed to be in his mid-20s, I believe. ---
**Author:** ![Dallas\_Jones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dallas_jones/32/3277_2.png) [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2021, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-age-difference-between-an-actor-and-the-character-that-they-portray/938399/37 "2021-03-22T21:01:23Z")
He was very clean. ---
**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 22, 2021, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-age-difference-between-an-actor-and-the-character-that-they-portray/938399/38 "2021-03-22T23:42:55Z")
Okay, how about Jonathan Winters as Merth on _Mork and Mindy_? ---
**Author:** ![FinsToTheLeft](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finstotheleft/32/2930_2.png) [@FinsToTheLeft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinsToTheLeft)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2021, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-age-difference-between-an-actor-and-the-character-that-they-portray/938399/39 "2021-03-22T23:57:32Z")
Wilford Brimley has only 50 when Cocoon was filmed! ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2021, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-age-difference-between-an-actor-and-the-character-that-they-portray/938399/40 "2021-03-23T00:21:27Z")
Kathleen Turner played a 17-year-old in _Peggy Sue Got Married_ when she was 32. It actually worked, sine Turner used her expression to switch between ages. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-age-difference-between-an-actor-and-the-character-that-they-portray/938399.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-age-difference-between-an-actor-and-the-character-that-they-portray/938399.md?page=3)