My 10 year old watches reruns of Full House non stop. I’m always caught a bit off guard when Danny/Jesse/Joey talk about how old they’re getting. Jesse talks about being 25, or later ‘almost 30’. Joey IIRC makes similar statements. If I hadn’t been watching it now, and someone asked me how old the characters were, I would have added at least 10 years to that. Also, they actually were that old. John Stamos actually was 24 or 25 when it started. Danny was 30 when the show started. I don’t know if it was his hair or his clothes, but even watching the reruns, this, to me, does not look like a thirty-something. I’d bet if you didn’t know anything about him, you’d guess something closer to 45. He almost looks the same age now as he did then (based on the fact that he doesn’t look 60 now).
My boyfriend’s sister. She was 11.
When Nicholas Smith (Mr. Rumbold of Are You Being Served?) died recently, many people were surprised to realize that he was only 38 years old when that show started–only about six months older than Trevor Bannister, who played “junior” employee Mr. Lucas.
For about ten years, Ralphie’s mom in A Christmas Story seemed to get younger and hotter every year. Now that I’m ten years older than the actress was when the movie was made, the effect has leveled off.
Captain Kangaroo. He was like a surrogate grandpa. He was in his early 30s.
Homer’s age has only fluctuated a bit. In the earliest episodes, he was 34. But fairly early on, he moved up to 38 and that’s where he’s stayed.
Interestingly enough, his weight has also been pretty consistently stated as 239, which seems insane for someone who’s supposedly that massive. 239 is big, but it ain’t that big. Especially for someone who’s 6’ or even 6’1".
Granny Clampett
Fred Mertz
Phyllis Diller
Remember Mr. Waverly (Leo G. Carroll) from The Man/Girl from U.N.C.L.E.? I’m older now than he was then.
In my house it was NBC, and I always thought that Chet Huntley looked about as old as anyone. Turns out he was in his 40-50’s whiel I was watching, which I left behind some time ago.
Huh. I absolutely did not realize that Ed Asner, Redd Foxx, and Nicholas Smith weren’t pretty old back then…
me, too, just recently
Actually, he was 39 for awhile. As for the most recent episodes, he may now be 40 but I’m not sure.
I was never actually a Beatles fan, far less a John Lennon fan but, obviously, I was well aware of them as I grew up. Even in the ‘old’ films which appeared on TV at Christmas and in documentaries showing the ‘early days’ Lennon (and the others) seemed so much older than me. I always think of him as older than me.
Just the other day I saw a clip of one of Lennon’s last public appearances before he was murdered and he was so young! He was murdered in 1980 at the age of just 40. I am now far older than he ever was. Since I am not a Lennon fan it took me by surprise.
TCMF-2L
For added perspective, Tom Cruise right now is the age Redd Foxx was going into the final season of Sanford and Son, Johnny Depp just a year younger.
Following up on the Lennon thing, I remember how circa 1980 the fact that there were suddenly rock stars in their mid-30s (The Rolling Stones, The Who, etc.) who were still touring and making records was considered worthy of comment, frequently derisive comment. They seemed too old for that; the phenomenon seemed vaguely embarrassing. Little did we know.
Abe Vigoda looked old…forever. In the “Godfather” (1972), he looked 70…looks the same today.
This was what I was going to say. I was astonished when I learned his actual age.
Jimmy Carter has looked like he’s about to drop dead for at least a decade now.
For me it was David Janssen. When he died, I thought, “well, it’s starting. All my favorite actors will be dying soon.” And he looked so OLD. He must have been in his mid 60s!
He was 48 when he died. Just a kid!
Teachers.
When I was a kid all teachers seemed super old. Now there are teachers who are in their 20’s - not much older than the students!
I just saw him in an episode of Dark Shadows from 1969; he was convincingly playing an 85-year-old man.