Top 10 Oldest Actors to Play Teenagers on Teen Dramas
Top 10 Oldest Actors to Play Teenagers on Teen Dramas
Top 10 Oldest Actors to Play Teenagers on TV
Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the Top 10 Oldest Actors to Play Teenagers on Teen Dramas. For this list, we’ll be looking at teen drama actors who weren’t quite as young as audiences were led to believe. Who are some other adult actors who passed for teenagers? Let us know in the comments.
#10: Ashleigh Murray in “Riverdale” (2017-) Born January 18, 1988
Although Cole Sprouse was 24 when he was cast as Jughead Jones, Ashleigh Murray actually had four years on him. Giving Josie McCoy a fresh voice, Murray booked the role at age 28, making her the oldest of the main crew. To provide context, KJ Apa and Lili Reinhart were both 19 when they were cast as Archie and Betty, respectively. Nevertheless, Murray fit right in with the other Riverdale High students, not to mention her fellow Pussycats. While she may’ve been a fully grown cat, we had no problem believing Murray as a kitten.
#9: Charisma Carpenter in “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” (1997-2003) Born July 23, 1970
Although she auditioned for the titular role of Buffy, Charisma Carpenter’s sophisticated beauty and comedic timing made her the ideal choice to play Cordelia Chase on this revolutionary series. Carpenter was 26 when the world was introduced to the conceited “Queen C” of Sunnydale High. While Carpenter maintained her youthful appearance throughout, Cordy would significantly grow as a character during her three seasons on “Buffy.” By the time Cordy graduated, she had matured from a self-centered valley girl to a resilient team player. Carpenter was almost 30 when the spinoff “Angel” premiered, but she still looked fresh out of high school. It’s fitting that Carpenter got her big break on a show full of vampires, as this actress seemingly never ages.
#8: Paul Wesley in “The Vampire Diaries” (2009-17) Born July 23, 1982
Speaking of vampires, Paul Wesley is best known for playing Stefan Salvatore on this supernatural series. Granted, it’s debatable if Stefan really counts as a teenager, seeing how he turned 162 years old in the first season. Then again, Stefan became a vampire at the ripe age of 17, keeping him eternally youthful. In any case, Wesley was definitely playing outside of his actual age range. Obviously, Wesley isn’t over a century and a half old. When “The Vampire Diaries” hit the airwaves, however, Wesley was 27, well beyond his teenage years. By the time the series wrapped after eight seasons, Wesley was almost 35. Wesley may’ve looked a little more mature than the average 17-year-old, but then again, Stefan was anything but average.
#7: Keiko Agena in “Gilmore Girls” (2000-07) Born October 3, 1973
Modern viewers might recognize Keiko Agena as Mrs. Bradley from “13 Reasons Why.” Before she was a teacher at Liberty High, though, Agena played Rory Gilmore’s best friend, Lane Kim. Rory and Lane are both roughly around the same age, which we have no trouble buying. What we do have trouble wrapping our brains around is that Agena is actually eight years older than her co-star, Alexis Bledel. Believe it or not, Agena had just turned 27 when the “Gilmore Girls” pilot aired. Yet, Agena couldn’t have been more authentic as a rock and roll lover desperate to get out from under his strict mother’s authority. Even when Agena returned for “A Year in a Life” nearly a decade later, Lane remained young at heart.
#6: Cory Monteith in “Glee” (2009-15) Born May 11, 1982
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In this musical dramedy, Cory Monteith won our hearts as a quarterback who loves to sing. While Finn Hudson was only in his sophomore year in the first season, Monteith had just turned 27. Given his athletic background, though, it makes sense that Finn would be taller and have a stronger build than some of his fellow Glee Club members. Monteith couldn’t have been more perfectly cast in the role, playing Finn as a naive yet passionate leader who strives to do what’s right. Finn was a beacon of inspiration, but the flame went out on Monteith’s life all too soon. Monteith had been struggling with substance abuse since age 13 and two months after he turned 31, the sky was missing a bright star.
#5: Darren Barnet in “Never Have I Ever” (2020-) Born April 27, 1991
One of the freshest faces on this list, Darren Barnet made his TV debut as a young Jack on “This Is Us.” Following a couple of other guest spots on shows like “Criminal Minds” and “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.,” he played Hot Seth in the short-lived Facebook Watch series, “Turnt.” Barnet’s most prominent role to date, however, would have to be Paxton Hall-Yoshida, Devi’s crush on “Never Have I Ever.” A 16-year-old junior, Paxton is one year and one grade ahead of Devi. In reality, Barnet is almost a decade older than star Maitreyi Ramakrishnan. Barnet turned 29 the exact same day that the show landed on Netflix. Nevertheless, everything about Barnet, from his face to his voice, screams teen heartthrob.
#4: Gabrielle Carteris in “Beverly Hills, 90210” (1990-2000) Born January 2, 1961
This teen drama franchise has a tradition of casting actors who are older than their characters. We considered giving this spot to Trevor Donovan, who was almost 31 when he first appeared as new kid Teddy Montgomery on the “90210” spinoff. Yet, we were compelled to go back to the series that started it all and single out Gabrielle Carteris. The intelligent and political editor of the school newspaper, Andrea Zuckerman could come off as more mature than her classmates. That might be partially because Carteris was 29 when the first season aired. Carteris actually lied about her age to get the job and feared she might get fired after a magazine published the truth. Fortunately, Carteris kept the gig, playing Andrea for 145 episodes.
#3: Jessica Marie Garcia in “On My Block” (2018-) Born March 23, 1987
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Jessica Marie Garcia has made guest appearances on shows like “How to Get Away with Murder,” “The Middle,” and “Diary of a Future President.” Garcia booked another recurring gig as Jasmine Flores in the first season of “On My Block.” After this teen dramedy got picked up for a second season, she was upgraded to a series regular. Less than a week before Season 2 hit Netflix, Garcia celebrated her 32nd birthday. One of the reasons Garcia is so convincing as a teenager is because we all knew somebody like Jasmine in high school who wasn’t always easy to be around due to their extra personality. Once you get to know Jasmine, however, you’ll find that there’s more to her than meets the eye.
#2: Amanda Foreman in “Felicity” (1998-2002) Born July 15, 1966
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Unlike some other teen dramas on this list, “Felicity” commences just as the main character is graduating from high school. So, we can understand why the casting would skew a little older. Even with that in mind, a few actors were several years ahead of their characters. Tangi Miller, for example, was 28 when she started playing the 18-year-old Elena Tyler. Miller wasn’t even the oldest teenager in the show’s run. That distinction goes to Amanda Foreman, who played Felicity’s college roommate, Meghan Rotundi. While she wouldn’t become a main cast member until Season 2, Rotundi was 32 when she appeared in the pilot. Considering her character’s background as a Wiccan, we wouldn’t be surprised if Foreman had a de-aging spell up her sleeve. Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions. Chase Stokes in “Outer Banks” (2020-) Born September 16, 1992 Minka Kelly in “Friday Night Lights” (2006-11) Born June 24, 1980 Christian Navarro in “13 Reasons Why” (2017-20) Born August 21, 1991 Ben McKenzie in “The O.C.” (2003-07) Born September 12, 1978 Meredith Monroe in “Dawson’s Creek” (1998-2003) Born December 30, 1969
#1: Bianca Lawson in “Pretty Little Liars” (2010-17) Born March 20, 1979
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At the age of 14, Bianca Lawson made her television debut on “Saved by the Bell: The New Class.” Over the following seventeen years, Lawson would continue to play teenagers in shows like “Sister, Sister,” “Buffy,” and “Dawson’s Creek,” just to name a few. Lawson most notably played Maya St. Germain throughout the first three seasons of “Pretty Little Liars.” Lawson was 31 when the mystery drama premiered, but she honestly didn’t look much older than her “Saved by the Bell” character. Although it’s something of an inside joke that Lawson has been a teenager for almost two decades, she officially graduated in “Teen Wolf” where she played high school teacher Marin Morrell.
