# Teen movies with teen actors? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 16, 2008, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teen-movies-with-teen-actors/445581 "2008-04-16T13:14:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2008, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teen-movies-with-teen-actors/445581/21 "2008-04-17T01:35:12Z")
Ellis Dee writes: \> I suspect most of the best candidates will involve movies where the women are \> in their teens and the men are in their mid-20s. That’s certainly not universally true. Consider the movie _Grease_, with male supposed high schoolers: John Travolta, 24 Jeff Conway, 27 Barry Pearl, 28 Kelly Ward, 21 Michael Tucci, 32 and female supposed high schoolers: Didi Conn, 27 Olivia Newton-John, 29 Stockard Channing, 34 Dinah Manoff, 20 Jamie Donnelly, 31 which means that the females were on average older than the males. (Ages are at the time of the release of the film.) I don’t know what’s true of supposed teenagers in most films. ---
**Author:** ![Crocodiles\_And\_Boulevards](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ee7513/32.png) [@Crocodiles\_And\_Boulevards](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crocodiles_And_Boulevards)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2008, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teen-movies-with-teen-actors/445581/22 "2008-04-17T02:45:04Z")
How young do you have to be for child labor laws to kick in? ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2008, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teen-movies-with-teen-actors/445581/23 "2008-04-17T04:16:12Z")
[QUOTE=Crocodiles And Boulevards] How young do you have to be for child labor laws to kick in? [/QUOTE] Under 18. ---
**Author:** ![kelly5078](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/6f9a4e/32.png) [@kelly5078](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kelly5078)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2008, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teen-movies-with-teen-actors/445581/24 "2008-04-17T04:22:15Z")
Mia Sara was 19 in “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.” The rest of the main characters had left their teens well behind them. ---
**Author:** ![Apollyon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/apollyon/32/4238_2.png) [@Apollyon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apollyon)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2008, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teen-movies-with-teen-actors/445581/25 "2008-04-17T04:42:31Z")
Most of the “teen” cast of [10 things I hate about you](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0147800/) were still teens (or had just hit 20) at the time of its release… with an interesting exception being Gabrielle Union, who while playing one of the younger characters in the movie was 27 or so, considerably older than the actors playing the high school seniors. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2008, 7:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teen-movies-with-teen-actors/445581/26 "2008-04-17T07:34:00Z")
**The Goonies** Sean Astin - 14 Corey Feldman - 14 Jonathan Ke Quan - 14 Jeff Cohen - 11 Josh Brolin - 17 Kerri Green - 18 Martha Plimpton - 15 ---
**Author:** ![Caprese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9a28c/32.png) [@Caprese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caprese)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2008, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teen-movies-with-teen-actors/445581/27 "2008-04-17T12:14:31Z")
In Franco Zefferelli’s [Romeo and Juliet,](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0063518/)shot in 1968, Olivia Hussey was, I believe, 16, and Leonard Whiting 18. I think the two were a bit older than the characters in Shakespeare’s play, but not older by very much. ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2008, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teen-movies-with-teen-actors/445581/28 "2008-04-17T13:59:58Z")
[QUOTE=Wendell Wagner] Ellis Dee writes: \> I suspect most of the best candidates will involve movies where the women are \> in their teens and the men are in their mid-20s. That’s certainly not universally true. Consider the movie _Grease_, with male supposed high schoolers [/QUOTE] Obviously. A much better example of a movie that bucks the trend is the original American Pie. The guys averaged around 20 while the girls averaged around 27. ---
**Author:** ![TWDuke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e495f1/32.png) [@TWDuke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TWDuke)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2008, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teen-movies-with-teen-actors/445581/29 "2008-04-17T17:13:00Z")
[Here](http://www.dir.ca.gov/t8/ch6sb2a1.html) are regulations governing the employment of children in the film industry. These apply to any films made in California AND those for which children are hired in California, even if the production is out of state. The hours of employment restrictions may not seem like any big deal until you consider that film shoots typically last 10 to 16 hours and can go longer. These are legal restrictions and do not take into account any additional regulations the unions may impose. [QUOTE=Caprese] In Franco Zefferelli’s [Romeo and Juliet,](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0063518/)shot in 1968, Olivia Hussey was, I believe, 16, and Leonard Whiting 18. I think the two were a bit older than the characters in Shakespeare’s play, but not older by very much. [/QUOTE] Juliet’s age is spelled out in the text. [QUOTE=The Nurse] Even or odd, of all days in the year, Come Lammas-eve at night shall she be fourteen. Susan and she–God rest all Christian souls!– Were of an age: well, Susan is with God; She was too good for me: but, as I said, On Lammas-eve at night shall she be fourteen. [/QUOTE] I don’t think Romeo’s is spelled out, but the tragedy makes a lot more sense if you think of them both as crazy mixed-up kids. One criticism I frequently see of this play is that the protagonists don’t behave rationally, to which I say, duh. ---
**Author:** ![percussion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/43a26b/32.png) [@percussion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/percussion)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2008, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teen-movies-with-teen-actors/445581/30 "2008-04-17T17:53:01Z")
[QUOTE=E. Thorp] I love that movie! I’ll look them up. When Better Off Dead was released on 11 October 1985: [ul] [li]Diane Franklin (Monique) was 22[/li][li]Amanda Wyss (Beth) was 24[/li][li]Daniel Schneider (Ricky Smith) was 19[/li][li]Curtis Armstrong (Charles DeMar) was 31 (then again, Charles had been going to high school for seven and a half years)[/li][/ul] [/QUOTE] I just wanted to post about how much I love that movie as well ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2008, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teen-movies-with-teen-actors/445581/31 "2008-04-17T18:00:43Z")
[QUOTE=TWDuke] I don’t think Romeo’s is spelled out, but the tragedy makes a lot more sense if you think of them both as crazy mixed-up kids. One criticism I frequently see of this play is that the protagonists don’t behave rationally, to which I say, duh. [/QUOTE] Isaac Asimov, in _Asimov’s Guide to Shakespeare,_ posited a theory I’ve never seen elsewhere: The play is really about the folly of romanticism – **not** the folly of young love, but the folly of young peoples’ romantic ideas. Several clues indicate the Montague-Capulet feud is on its last legs and only a few psychos like Tybalt are keeping it alive. Viz., the scene where Romeo crashes Capulet’s party, Act I, Scene 5: > [@](#): > > TYBALT > This, by his voice, should be a Montague. > Fetch me my rapier, boy. What dares the slave > Come hither, cover’d with an antic face, > To fleer and scorn at our solemnity? > Now, by the stock and honour of my kin, > To strike him dead, I hold it not a sin. > > CAPULET > Why, how now, kinsman! wherefore storm you so? > > TYBALT > Uncle, this is a Montague, our foe, > A villain that is hither come in spite, > To scorn at our solemnity this night. > > CAPULET > Young Romeo is it? > > TYBALT > 'Tis he, that villain Romeo. > > CAPULET > Content thee, gentle coz, let him alone; > He bears him like a portly gentleman; > And, to say truth, Verona brags of him > To be a virtuous and well-govern’d youth: > I would not for the wealth of all the town > Here in my house do him disparagement: > Therefore be patient, take no note of him: > It is my will, the which if thou respect, > Show a fair presence and put off these frowns, > And ill-beseeming semblance for a feast. > > TYBALT > It fits, when such a villain is a guest: > I’ll not endure him. > > CAPULET > He shall be endured: > What, goodman boy! I say, he shall: go to; > Am I the master here, or you? go to. > You’ll not endure him! God shall mend my soul! > You’ll make a mutiny among my guests! > You will set cock-a-hoop! you’ll be the man! > > TYBALT > Why, uncle, 'tis a shame. > > CAPULET > Go to, go to; > You are a saucy boy: is’t so, indeed? > This trick may chance to scathe you, I know what: > You must contrary me! marry, 'tis time. > Well said, my hearts! You are a princox; go: > Be quiet, or–More light, more light! For shame! > I’ll make you quiet. What, cheerly, my hearts! > > TYBALT > Patience perforce with wilful choler meeting > Makes my flesh tremble in their different greeting. > I will withdraw: but this intrusion shall > Now seeming sweet convert to bitter gall. In the next moment, Romeo sees and falls for Juliet. In light of the above, he probably could go to her father and sue openly for her hand. But **she** is all excited about having a secret forbidden romance between star-crossed lovers from two houses at variance, and Romeo foolishly indulges her, with tragic consequences. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2008, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teen-movies-with-teen-actors/445581/32 "2008-04-17T18:17:29Z")
[QUOTE=Caprese] In Franco Zefferelli’s [Romeo and Juliet,](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0063518/)shot in 1968, Olivia Hussey was, I believe, 16, and Leonard Whiting 18. I think the two were a bit older than the characters in Shakespeare’s play, but not older by very much. [/QUOTE] I have read that she did not attend at the premiere, because she wasn’t old enough to view her own nudity. I don’t know if this is true or not. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teen-movies-with-teen-actors/445581.md?page=1)