14 Age Gaps in Movie Couples That Can’t Be Unseen

When Magic in the Moonlight was released in 2014, Emma Stone was 19 years old, and Colin Firth was 53. But, as the movie was shot between July and August 2013, they were actually younger. Anyway, that’s a 34-year age difference. And this isn’t an anomaly. It happens far more often than you can imagine.

Here at Bright Side, we’ve re-watched some top performances by other couples from totally different generations. Mind the age gaps (and possible spoilers) below.

1. The Dressmaker — 2015

“I’m back, you b***ards!” is the first sentence we hear from Myrtle “Tilly” Dunnage, as she appears on the screen. The movie, based on a novel of the same name, was delayed an entire year to accommodate Kate Winslet’s pregnancy. This might have been a special line for Kate when they began filming, just 3 months after she gave birth!

The leading characters, Myrtle and Teddy McSwiney, have an assumed age difference, and this was represented by the choice of the actors. Kate Winslet and Liam Hemsworth have a 15 year age gap, as she was born in 1975, and he, in 1990.

2. Free Guy — 2021

The movie Free Guy takes place in a computer gaming universe. The protagonist, Guy, is an NPC (non-player character) with a very special programming code, and his crush, Millie, is a human player. Guy is played by Ryan Reynolds, born in 1976, and Millie is played by Jodie Comer, born in 1993.

Jodie actually auditioned against 100 actresses for the role and was chosen by Ryan himself, much on her talent for different accents.

3. Jungle Cruise — 2021

This movie is based on the real riverboat amusement ride at Disneyland. In it, characters Dr. Lily Houghton and Frank Wolff have an age difference of about 400 years! But in reality, the actors portraying this couple are “only” 11 years apart. Emily Blunt was born in 1983, and Dwayne Johnson in 1972.

Amazingly enough, Emily turned down the role of Lily twice. Director Jaume Collet-Serra flew to New York to ask her personally, and to show her a video message from Dwayne. That video was the final incentive for her to sign up for the role.

4. The Aftermath — 2019

Based on the novel of the same name, this movie tells the story of Rachael Morgan reuniting with her husband, Lewis Morgan, in post-war Germany. These characters depict 2 fractured realities, and that was emphasized by the actors playing them. Keira Knightley and Jason Clarke have a 16 year age gap — she was born in 1985, and he was born in 1969.

This is also the second collaboration for this couple, as they played a married couple a few years before, in the movie Everest, when she was 30, and he was 46.

5. Sound of Metal — 2019

The story develops around Ruben, a heavy metal drummer who is losing his hearing, and his only motivation to fight it — his singer girlfriend Lou. The movie casting for the part of Ruben took about 13 years, as the screenwriters had a tough time finding someone who they felt would commit to the character.

Which is actually only 2 years more than the age difference between the final chosen actors. Riz Ahmed was born in 1982 and Olivia Cooke in 1993, making them 11 years apart.

6. Aloha — 2015

Brian Gilcrest returns to Honolulu, Hawaii where he meets Captain Allison. This movie caused some controversy as Emma’s character, Allison, was supposed to represent someone who has Hawaiian and Asian heritage. Later on, she publicly addressed the issue, apologizing, and agreeing that it was “whitewashing,” as a way to call more attention to the subject in Hollywood.

In this movie, with an easy-to-engage-in romantic plot, Allison’s appearance might not be the only odd thing. Bradley Cooper and Emma Stone, the main characters, have an age difference of 13 years, being that she was born in 1988 and he, in 1975.

7. Magic in The Moonlight — 2014

Stanley is a successful puffed-up magician that sets off to debunk the claims that Sophie is a clairvoyant. Wei Ling Soo, Stanley’s on-stage persona, is actually a reference to Chung Ling Soo, the stage name of William Ellsworth Robinson (1861-1918), a popular magician in the U.S. and in Europe.

This is also the first movie where Emma Stone falls in love inside an observatory (the second is in La La Land). Sophie and Stanley are played by Emma Stone and Colin Firth, which have a 28 year age difference, as Emma was born in 1988 and Colin in 1960.

8. The Reader — 2008

The Reader is an intense romantic drama, based on a novel of the same name, where Michael Berg remembers a relationship he had at 15 years old with an older woman, Hanna Schmitz. Played by Kate Winslet and David Kross, who was only 18 years old at the time, and 15 years her junior. David was born in 1990, and Kate in 1975.

In fact, to avoid legal consequences, the filming of the most explicit scenes was delayed until after the actor’s 18th birthday.

9. Something’s Gotta Give — 2003

Erica Barry is a mature woman that finds herself in between a relationship with a younger man, and her feelings for an older one. Erica and Julian, respectively Diane Keaton and Keanu Reeves, play a couple in this endearing romance, with an age gap of 18 years between them. Diane Keaton was born in 1946, and Keanu Reeves in 1964.

Sometime after the movie release, there were rumors about an actual romance between the 2. Only in 2019, Diane admitted she has been single for a long time and that she hadn’t been on an actual date in almost 35 years.

10. The Proposal — 2009

Margaret Tate, a harsh executive director-in-chief of a NY book publishing company is about to be deported. Although in real life, her company could have just sponsored her to help her get her Green Card, in the movie she decides to fake-marry her assistant, Andrew Paxton.

The romantic comedy with Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds was a hit, and the actors were praised for their chemistry on-screen. Off-screen, they were friends for 9 years before shooting, and they also have a 12-year age gap — Sandra was born in 1964, and Ryan in 1976.

11. Silver Linings Playbook — 2012

Based on a novel, the movie depicts Patrizio “Pat” Solitano Jr., a former teacher with bipolar disorder who is trying to get back to his life, and Tiffany, a girl with a special personality. Despite being shot in only thirty-three days, Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence spent several weeks practicing a dance with choreographer Mandy Moore.

Jennifer auditioned via Skype and Bradley was chosen specifically on the basis of his ease to work “anger” into acting. Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence have a 15-year-old difference, Bradley was born in 1975, and Jennifer in 1990.

12. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind — 2004

Clementine Kruczynsky, a spontaneous extrovert, and Joel Barish, a bookish introvert, end their relationship and decide to erase their memories. During one of the first scenes, Kate Winslet punches Jim Carrey, and Carrey’s response is one of genuine surprise, as this was not scripted.

To get the desired final effect, the director would tell to Jim “This is a drama, not a comedy.” And to Kate “Go as big as you want! This is a comedy!” Kate Winslet and Jim Carrey have an almost 14-year age gap, as she was born in 1975, and he was born in 1962.

13. Lost in Translation — 2003

This iconic movie depicts the story of Bob Harris, an actor having a mid-life crisis, who meets Charlotte, a recent college graduate, on a trip to Tokyo. The characters have a scripted big age difference, and this was brought to the movie by the choice of the actors. Scarlett Johansson and Bill Murray have a 34-year age difference, as she was born in 1984, and he was born in 1950.

There are some beautiful details that help situate the movie in Tokyo, like the plastic flowers/leaves that Charlotte arranges to hang in her room are commonly used as decorations in shops. The fact that they are pink means it is springtime, speaking of new beginnings.

14. Entrapment — 1999

Virginia “Gin” Baker, an investigator for an insurance company, and Robert “Mac” MacDougal, a professional thief, see their lives cross paths. This was Sean Connery’s last role as a romantic lead in a movie, and their love scene was voted the second-worst of all time.

The actors playing these empathic characters, Sean Connery and Catherine Zeta-Jones, had one of the biggest age gaps known in movies, as he was born in 1930 and she, in 1969, totaling a 39-year age difference between the 2.

Do you watch movies regularly? Or are you more into series? What details do you like paying attention to?

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