When I first saw Pirates of the Caribbean I was surprised to see that Kiera Knightley was not only an attractive and intelligent actress in an adult role, but also that she was younger than me. This is the first time this has happened. I’m used the idea that respectable sexy actresses are always older than me, so it came as a bit of a shock. I’m curious if this is an event that was significant to others as well.
Me too. I looked up Keira Knightly, who looks about the same as me and was totally stunned to learn that she was born in 1985.
[Doc Brown voice]
1985??!!
[/Doc Brown voice]
It happens to us all sooner or later, you whippersnappers, although in my family it’s been musicians. For my dad, it was the Beatles. For me, Alanis Morisette. You may find it difficult to remember a decade+ ago when she was the absolute bee’s knees, but I was a youthful 22 when I read a magazine profile that discussed, in part, her 20th birthday party. Oy.
–Cliffy
The thing that shocked me some time about my mid-40’s was the sudden realization that the world is now being run by people no older or smarter than I am …
When I read the words “adult actress” I get ready to talk about something else.
For me it was baseball players. First, they started being younger than me. Now it’s hard to find any younger than me.
Jamie Moyer and Julio Franco, you rock.
For me it started when I was in the Navy, the year that all the new officers were younger than me.
Yeah - it was athletes for me as well. Probably started in grad school, when I realized college athletes going to the pros and making megabucks were younger than me. I remember really noticing when they were born in a different decade than me.
I remember a summer job in the bindery where they printed Playboys, and was astounded to see centerfold Lisa Welch was younger than me. (Must have made an impression since I still remember her name!) What had been unattainable older women rapidly became unattainable younger women!
For me it was sumo. I started really getting into it when I was in my mid-20’s, and it came as a shock to realize that most of the wrestlers were my age or younger. Very few continue competing past 30.
Something about all that fat just made them look a lot older.
This is a tough question. I’m pretty sure the first adult actress that I noticed and knew to be younger than me was Barbra Streisand. But in checking IMDB’s entries for actresses born after me, I see that there are several that I had noticed before Barbra. People like Carol Lynley and Yvette Mimieux. The thing that’s bugging me is that I can’t say for sure that I knew they were younger than me when I first noticed them, and that they were “adult” by that time, too.
So, I’ll stick with Babs.
Brooke Shields. And then Jodie Foster. And pretty soon ALL the fuckers’re younger than me.
I think it was Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman.
Why are we only talking about actresses? Is this thread for men or women. I’m a woman, hope I didn’t blunder into the wrong place.
I was shocked to learn yesterday that Gina Gershon is older than me by about 35 days. Nowadays it’s much more shocking to find out that a hot actress is older than I am. I guess with the Keira Knightley types I was more shocked to learn she was under 18 when I first took notice of her. Kind of creeped me out – “Hey, she’s hot… ew, she’s a child.”
Thora Birch. I’ve heard the name, and I just finished watching Patriot Games, so I go around to look her up on imdb. So she’s eighteen or so. Fine looking gal. Fine, fine. I click on Patriot Games to find out what she played as I can’t remember seeing her onscreen.
…
:eek: She was the BABY?
This is where I flipped out.
And, dude. Just go look at the WB any day. Their crop of fresh-faced Young Things is getting Younger every year.
Scarlet Johannsen for me.
Sure, why not? I’ll have some too.
I guess it doesn’t have to be just actresses. At the moment I can’t think of any male actors who are younger than me that I don’t think of as child stars. Now I find myself wondering how I define an adult role.
Bold texting is mine. WOW! Mahaloth, got any pics lying around? 
Okay, Tom Cruise is a year or two younger than me.
But I am MUCH cuter. And taller.
I think probably Kate Moss. When she was the big supermodel I wasn’t used to models being younger than me. Naomi Campbell and Christy Turlington and all those models were older even if only by a bit so when they went out of style I said, “oh my era is over!” and lost interest in fashion.