6 Actors Who Played Characters Beyond Their Age Range, and How They Actually Should’ve Looked

The craft of an actor is to be able to embody characters that may be way different from the actor’s own personality. Sometimes, the difference is in personal traits and characteristics, and sometimes actors and actresses have to bring to life fictional characters that are years and even decades younger.

We at Bright Side found actresses and actors who masterfully captured younger characters, and we want to show our readers how the actors looked at the same age as their on-screen selves.

1. Milly Alcock — Rhaenyra Targaryen, House of the Dragon

The story in House of the Dragon, the brand-new show set in the magical world of Game of Thrones, moves forward quite rapidly. In the first 3 episodes of the show, Milly Alcock’s character, Rhaenyra Targaryen, is between 14 to 16 years old. Milly, in turn, is 22 years old.

2. Jack Gleeson — Joffrey Baratheon, Game of Thrones

Not just the prequel, but the original show has examples of older actors playing younger characters as well. Jack Gleeson, who embodied King Joffrey Baratheon, First of His Name and so on, and so on, was 17 when he played the 12-year-old Joffrey. To be fair, 12-year-old Jack was too sweet to play a cruel and violent king.

3. Paul Wesley — Stefan Salvatore, The Vampire Diaries

Stefan, the youngest of the 2 mysterious Salvatore brothers in The Vampire Diaries TV show, became a vampire when he was 17. Paul Wasley, who played Stefan on screen, was 27 when the show started. He was 34 when the show ended, still playing a 17-year-old teenager.

4. Bianca Lawson — Maya St. Germain, Pretty Little Liars

The iconic Pretty Little Liars depicted the life of the friend group of 4 teenage girls. One of the girls, Maya St. Germain, played by Bianca Lawson, was 16 when the show started. Bianca, in turn, was 31.

5. Cole Sprouse — Jughead Jones, Riverdale

Acting in a popular teenage show, one of the Sprouse twin brothers, Cole, was the oldest cast member. Depicting an 18-year-old, Cole was 27. Though, when Cole himself was 18, he starred in our favorite (and, honestly, quite nostalgic) The Suite Life on Deck.

6. Orlando Bloom — Will Turner, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest

The charismatic Will Turner, played by the no less charismatic Orlando Bloom, was 20 during the second film about the adventures of our favorite pirates. Orlando, in turn, was 28 at the time.

Do you know of any other actors who played younger characters on screen?