Adult Actors Who Played High Schoolers … and How Old They 'Really' Were

We do not know what we would have done if there were an adult Taylor Kitsch in our high school

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Ben Platt in Dear Evan Hansen

Ben Platt
Theo Wargo/Getty

Character: Evan Hansen, 17

Platt's Actual Age at Filming: 27

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Nina Dobrev in The Vampire Diaries

The Vampire Diaries
Tina Rowden/The CW

Character: Elena Gilbert, 17

Dobrev's Actual Age at Filming: 20

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Zendaya in Euphoria

Euphoria
Zendaya in Euphoria. HBO

Character: Rue, 17

Zendaya's Actual Age at Filming: 22

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Olivia Newton-John in Grease

OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN IN GREASE
Everett

Character: Sandy, 18

Newton-John's Actual Age at Filming: 29

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Rachel McAdams in Mean Girls

RACHEL MCADAMS IN MEAN GIRLS
Paramount/Everett

Character: Regina George, high school junior

McAdams' Actual Age at Filming: 27

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Cole Sprouse on Riverdale

Riverdale
Dean Buscher/The CW

Character: Jughead Jones, 16

Sprouse's Actual Age at Filming: 24

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Stacey Dash in Clueless

STACEY DASH IN CLUELESS
Everett

Character: Dionne, high school junior

Dash's Actual Age at Filming: 27

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Stockard Channing in Grease

STOCKARD CHANNING IN GREASE
Everett

Character: Rizzo, 18

Channing's Actual Age at Filming: 34

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Taylor Kitsch on Friday Night Lights

TAYLOR KITSCH IN FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS
Paul Drinkwater/NBC/Getty

Character: Tim Riggins, high school junior

Kitsch's Actual Age at Filming: 28

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Bianca Lawson in Pretty Little Liars

BIANCA LAWSON IN PRETTY LITTLE LIARS
Randy Holmes/ABC Family/Getty

Character: Maya St. Germain, 16

Lawson's Actual Age at Filming: 31

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Henry Winkler on Happy Days

HENRY WINKLER ON HAPPY DAYS
Everett

Character: The Fonz, high schooler

Winkler's Actual Age at Filming: 29

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Darren Barnet in Never Have I Ever

Never Have I Ever
ISABELLA B. VOSMIKOVA/NETFLIX

Character: Paxton Hall-Yoshida, 17

Barnet's Actual Age at Filming: 29

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Shirley Henderson in Harry Potter

SHIRLEY HENDERSON IN HARRY POTTER
Paul Drinkwater/NBC/Getty

Character: Moaning Myrtle, teenage high school student

Henderson's Actual Age at Filming: 37

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Keiko Agena on Gilmore Girls

KEIKO AGENA IN GILMORE GIRLS
Everett

Character: Lane Kim, 16

Agena's Actual Age at Filming: 27

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Gabrielle Union in Bring It On

GABRIELLE UNION IN BRING IT ON
Everett

Character: Isis, high school senior

Union's Actual Age at Filming: 28

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Charisma Carpenter on Buffy the Vampire Slayer

CHARISMA CARPENTER IN BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER
Everett

Character: Cordelia Chase, 16

Carpenter's Actual Age at Filming: 27

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Chase Stokes in Outer Banks

OUTER BANKS
COURTESY OF NETFLIX

Character: John B., 17

Stokes' Actual Age at Filming: 27

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Alexa Demie in Euphoria

Alexa Demie in Euphoria

Character: Maddy Perez, high school student

Demie's Actual Age at Filming: 29

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Shay Mitchell on Pretty Little Liars

Shay Mitchell
ABC Family

Character: Emily, 16

Lawson's Actual Age at Filming: 30

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Paul Wesley on Vampire Diaries

Paul Wesley
The CW

Character: Stefan Salvatore, 17

Wesley's Actual Age at Filming: 27

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Ian Somerhalder on Vampire Diaries

Ian Somerhalder
The CW

Character: Damon Salvatore, 17

Somerhalder's Actual Age at Filming: 31

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Ashleigh Murray on Riverdale

Shane Harvey
The CW

Character: Josie (of Josie & the Pussycats), high school student

Murray's Actual Age at Filming: 30

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Sean Patrick Thomas in Save the Last Dance

Sean Patrick Thomas
Paramount

Character: Derek Reynolds, senior in high school

Thomas' Actual Age at Filming: 31

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Sissy Spacek in Carrie

Sissy Spacek
Everette Collection

Character: Carrie White, 16

Spacek's Actual Age at Filming: 27

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Jennifer Grey in Dirty Dancing

Patrick Swayze, Jennifer Grey
Courtesy Everett Collection

Character: Baby Houseman, 17

Grey's Actual Age at Filming: 27

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John Heder in Napoleon Dynamite

Efren Ramirez, Jon Heder,
Courtesy Everett Collection

Character: Napoleon, high school student

Heder's Actual Age at Filming: 26

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Winona Ryder in Girl, Interrupted

ANGELINA JOLIE WINONA RYDER
Courtesy Everett Collection

Character: Susanna Kayson, 18

Ryder's Actual Age at Filming: 28

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Alan Ruck in Ferris Bueller's Day Off

Matthew Broderick And Alan Ruck
From left: Matthew Broderick, Mia Sara and Alan Ruck in promo for Ferris Bueller's Day Off, 1986. Courtesy Everett Collection

Character: Cameron, 17

Ruck's Actual Age at Filming: 30

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Selma Blair in Cruel Intentions

Selma Blaire
Courtesy Everett Collection

Character: Cecile Caldwell, 17

Blair's Actual Age at Filming: 27

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Parminder Nagra in Bend It Like Beckham

Parminder Nagra and Jonathan Rhys-Meyers.
Courtesy Everett Collection

Character: Jess Bhamra, 17

Nagra's Actual Age at Filming: 27

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Ross Butler on 13 Reasons Why

ross-butler-13-reasons-why

Character: Zach Dempsey, high school student

Butler's Actual Age at Filming: 27

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Gabrielle Carteris on Beverly Hills, 90210

Actress Gabrielle Carteris
mikel roberts/Getty Images

Character: Andrea Zuckerman, 16

Carteris' Actual Age at Filming: 29

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Matt Damon in Behind the Candelabra

Matt Damon
HBO

Character: Scott Thorson, 17

Damon's Actual Age at Filming: 43

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Meredith Monroe on Dawson's Creek

DAWSON'S CREEK

Character: Andie McPhee, high school sophomore

Monroe's Actual Age at Filming: 29

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Kerr Smith on Dawson's Creek

DAWSON'S CREEK
Columbia TriStar Television/courtesy Everett Collection

Character: Jack McPhee, high school sophomore

Smith's Actual Age at Filming: 26

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Tammin Sursok on Pretty Little Liars

KEEGAN ALLEN, TAMMIN SURSOK
ABC

Character: Jenna Marshall, high school student

Sursok's Actual Age at Filming: 31

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Jason Earles on Hannah Montana

TCDHAMO EC001

Character: Jackson, high school student

Earles' Actual Age at Filming: 29

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Cory Monteith on Glee

CORY MONTEITH
Patrick Ecclesine/FOX

Character: Finn, high schooler

Monteith's Actual Age at Filming: 27-31

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Andrew Garfield in The Amazing Spider-Man

Image
Sony Pictures

Character: Peter Parker, 17

Garfield's Actual Age at Filming: 28

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Ben Platt on The Politician

Ben Platt THE POLITICIAN
Courtesy of NETFLIX

Character: Payton Hobart, high school senior

Platt's Actual Age at Filming: 26

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Lucy Boynton on The Politician

Lucy Boynton
Isabel Infantes/PA Images via Getty

Character: Astrid, high school senior

Boynton's Actual Age at Filming: 25

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