10 Movie Duos Whose Age Difference Wasn’t Obvious Even to Their Fans

Talent is a great thing. Otherwise, how do you explain the fact that good actors are able to play any role? Older actors can easily turn into school students, and young actors easily portray wise adults without viewers even noticing this.

We at Bright Side have rewatched our favorite films and found 10+ acting duos whose age difference really surprised us.

Justin Timberlake and Olivia Wilde — In Time (2011)

In this sci-fi film, Olivia Wilde portrayed Justin Timberlake’s mother. In the film, she was 50 years old, and her son is 28. But in reality, Wilde is 3 years younger than Timberlake. When the film was released, Olivia was 27 years old and Justin was 30.

Orlando Bloom, Sean Astin, Elijah Wood — The Lord of the Rings (2001)

In Peter Jackson’s trilogy, the 2,931-year-old Legolas was portrayed by Orlando Bloom who was only 24 years old when the film was released. This role became the start of a career for the young actor. His partners were Sean Astin and Elijah Wood who portrayed the hobbits Samwise Gamgee and Frodo Baggins. Frodo is 50 years old and Sam is 38, but in reality, Astin was 30 years old and Wood was only 20.

Angelina Jolie and Crispin Glover — Beowulf (2007)

Grendel attacks the guests of the Danish King. The King offers half of his gold to the one that defeats the monster. Beowulf kills the monster, but now he has to deal with a grieving mother.

Angelina Jolie is 11 years younger than Crispin Glover. But this didn’t stop her from portraying Grendel’s mother. At the time, she was 32 years old and he was 43.

Leonardo DiCaprio and Margot Robbie — The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)

In Martin Scorsese’s film, Leonardo DiCaprio and Margot Robbie play an intense couple. He was a scammer and she was a model. The actors had their prototypes — Jordan and Nadine Belfort. They said good things about the film — but there’s one small difference. The actual people had a 5-year age difference but DiCaprio is 16 years older than Robbie.

Nina Dobrev and Ian Somerhalder — The Vampire Diaries (2009)

In the series, Dobrev and Somerhalder play a couple. She is a 17-year-old high school student and he is a 145-year-old vampire. But in real life, they also have a big age difference. Nina was 20 years old when the show started and Ian was 31.

Meryl Streep and Cher — Mamma Mia! 2 (2018)

In the sequel of the legendary musical, Cher portrayed Meryl Streep’s mother. She was so convincing that nobody even realized that Cher is only 3 years older than Streep.

Emma Watson, Dan Stevens, Luke Evans — Beauty and the Beast (2017)

The role of Belle was played by the 27-year-old Emma Watson. The Beast was Dan Stevens who is 8 years older than the actress. And Luke Evans was the oldest in this love triangle — he was 38 years old at the time.

Brad Pitt and Gwyneth Paltrow — Seven (1995)

The actors played a couple in Seven. Viewers didn’t even realize that Paltrow is 9 years younger than Pitt and that the actress was only 23 at the time. During the production of the film, Brad and Gwyneth were dating and were going to get married.

Winona Ryder and Angelina Jolie — Girl, Interrupted (1999)

Winona Ryder is 4 years older than Angelina Jolie. But in the movies, time just works differently, and the thriller Girl, Interrupted proves it. 28-year-old Winona portrayed a high school student that went into a psychiatric facility. And 24-year-old Angelina portrayed a 24-year-old girl. Jolie even got an Oscar for this role.

John Travolta and Uma Thurman — Pulp Fiction (1994)

The energetic dance of John Travolta and Uma Thurman is an iconic movie scene. They looked so great that nobody even noticed that they had a huge age difference. Thurman was 24 years old and Travolta was 40 at the time of shooting.

What do you think about the age difference between the character and the actor that portrays them?

Angelina Jolie’s decision to adopt her first child, Maddox, from a Cambodian orphanage was a pivotal moment in her life. Despite initial legal challenges, the adoption marked the beginning of Jolie’s journey as a mother and her ongoing commitment to humanitarian work.

Leonardo DiCaprio’s illustrious career is peppered with intriguing facts. Named after Leonardo da Vinci, he faced early career challenges due to his unique name. Despite battling Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, DiCaprio has made significant environmental contributions, like purchasing an island for an eco-resort. His dating history reveals a pattern of younger partners, and his philanthropic side shone when he assisted the last living Titanic survivor financially.