49 Actors With Shocking Age Gaps To Their TV Roles
by Hannah MarderBuzzFeedBuzzFeed StaffI'm a Senior Staff Writer based in New York City, where I've been covering classic BuzzFeed-style content since 2020.
1.
Jason Earles was 29 when he began playing Hannah's teenage brother, Jackson, on Hannah Montana. Miley Cyrus was 13, 16 years younger, despite the two characters only being a few years apart in age.
Vivian Zink / DISNEY CHANNEL / courtesy everett collection
2.
Keiko Agena was 27 when the first episode of Gilmore Girls aired. Her character, Lane, was 15 or 16. This is in comparison to Alexis Bledel, who started playing Rory at age 19. The two were classmates and best friends despite the actors having an eight-year age gap.
The WB/Courtesy Everett Collection
3.
Estelle Getty was only 62 when she began portraying Sophia in The Golden Girls, despite being a year YOUNGER than Bea Arthur, who played her daughter. Sophia is supposed to be around 79 when the show starts, but spends most of it in her eighties.
Touchstone / Courtesy: Everett Collection
4.
Gabrielle Carteris was 29 when she played 16-year-old Andrea in Beverly Hills, 90210. By the time her character graduated high school, she was 32.
Aaron Spelling Prod. / Courtesy: Everett Collection
5.
Sara Canning was only 22 when she started playing Aunt Jenna in The Vampire Diaries pilot, while Nina Dobrev (who played her niece Elena) was only 20 at the time. While her age isn't stated, and it's possible she was much younger than Elena's mom, it still feels odd considering that several of Sara's costars, who played teenagers, were older than her.
The CW
6.
Ashleigh Murray was 28 when she began shooting Riverdale as teenager Josie. She left the show in 2019 to star on the spinoff (which took place in the future); in her last episode, Murray was 31, still playing a high schooler.
The CW
7.
Julianna Rose Mauriello was 16 in 2007, when she finished playing the 8-year-old Stephanie in LazyTown. She was actually replaced by Chloe Lang when the third and fourth series began production a few years later, as she'd gotten too old.
Nickelodeon
8.
Never Have I Ever star Darren Barnet was 28 when he first began filming as high school junior Paxton (so around age 16 or 17). The final episode aired in June 2023, with the characters around 18; Barnet was 32.
Netflix
9.
Harry Shum Jr. was 27 when his first episode of Glee aired. His character was a sophomore, so likely around 16. The episode where his character graduates (when he was presumably 18) aired when Shum Jr. was 30.
Miranda Penn Turin / Fox Television / Courtesy: Everett Collection
10.
Cory Monteith was 27 when the first episode of Glee aired. He was playing 16-year-old Finn. He was 30 by the time his character graduated.
Adam Rose / © Fox / Courtesy: Everett Collection
11.
Timothy Granaderos Jr. was 29 when he filmed Season 1 of 13 Reasons Why. His character, Montgomery, was around 17 or 18. He was 32 by the third-season finale (in which his character died, while still high school-aged).
David Moir / Netflix / Courtesy Everett Collection
12.
Bre-Z was 31 when she began playing a teenager on All American, and 34 when her character graduated high school.
The CW / Via youtube.com
13.
Greta Onieogou was 27 when she played Layla on the same show, with her character graduating when Onieogou was 30.
The CW / Via youtube.com
14.
Tanya Reynolds, who plays Lily on Sex Education, was around 27 during filming for the first season. Her character was around 16. She was 29 in her character's last appearance.
Netflix
15.
Peyton List is currently playing Maddie in School Spirits, a show set in high school. She's 28.
Paramount+
16.
Spencer MacPherson, who plays her classmate Xavier, is also 28.
Paramount+ / Via youtube.com
17.
Jess Gabor, who plays Janet, is 29, as is Nick Pugliese, who plays Charley. Both characters are ghosts who died as high schoolers...
Paramount+ / Via youtube.com, Paramount+ / Via youtube.com
18.
...As are Rhonda and Quinn, played by 32-year-olds Sarah Yarkin and Cihang Ma.
Paramount+ / Via youtube.com
19.
Speaking of shows still airing, Chase Stokes is still playing the now 18-year-old John B on Outer Banks. He's 33.
Jackson Lee Davis / Netflix / Courtesy Everett Collection
20.
Derek Luh is 33; he's currently portraying a college student on Gen V.
Jasper Savage / Amazon/MGM Studios / Courtesy Everett Collection
21.
Maddie Phillips and Jaz Sinclair are both 31.
Amazon/MGM Studios / Courtesy Everett Collection
22.
Tom Welling was 24 when Smallville began airing; this may not seem as bad as some others on the list, but it's worse when you consider that Clark was only a high school freshman, so 14 or 15 years old. There is a BIG difference between a 14 and a 24-year-old.
Warner Bros/Courtesy Everett Collection
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23.
In the same show, Lex Luthor should be 20 or 21 in Season 1. The actor, Michael Rosenbaum, was 29.
Warner Bros/Courtesy Everett Collection
24.
Crystal Reed was 29 when her high s