Entertainment TV 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 By Maria Yagoda and Andrea Wurzburger Updated on August 10, 2022 01:25 PM Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos 01 of 41 Ben Platt in Dear Evan Hansen Theo Wargo/Getty Character: Evan Hansen, 17 Platt's Actual Age at Filming: 27 02 of 41 Nina Dobrev in The Vampire Diaries Tina Rowden/The CW Character: Elena Gilbert, 17 Dobrev's Actual Age at Filming: 20 03 of 41 Zendaya in Euphoria Zendaya in Euphoria. HBO Character: Rue, 17 Zendaya's Actual Age at Filming: 22 04 of 41 Olivia Newton-John in Grease Everett Character: Sandy, 18 Newton-John's Actual Age at Filming: 29 05 of 41 Rachel McAdams in Mean Girls Paramount/Everett Character: Regina George, high school junior McAdams' Actual Age at Filming: 27 06 of 41 Cole Sprouse on Riverdale Dean Buscher/The CW Character: Jughead Jones, 16 Sprouse's Actual Age at Filming: 24 07 of 41 Stacey Dash in Clueless Everett Character: Dionne, high school junior Dash's Actual Age at Filming: 27 08 of 41 Stockard Channing in Grease Everett Character: Rizzo, 18 Channing's Actual Age at Filming: 34 09 of 41 Taylor Kitsch on Friday Night Lights Paul Drinkwater/NBC/Getty Character: Tim Riggins, high school junior Kitsch's Actual Age at Filming: 28 10 of 41 Bianca Lawson in Pretty Little Liars Randy Holmes/ABC Family/Getty Character: Maya St. Germain, 16 Lawson's Actual Age at Filming: 31 11 of 41 Henry Winkler on Happy Days Everett Character: The Fonz, high schooler Winkler's Actual Age at Filming: 29 12 of 41 Darren Barnet in Never Have I Ever ISABELLA B. VOSMIKOVA/NETFLIX Character: Paxton Hall-Yoshida, 17 Barnet's Actual Age at Filming: 29 13 of 41 Shirley Henderson in Harry Potter Paul Drinkwater/NBC/Getty Character: Moaning Myrtle, teenage high school student Henderson's Actual Age at Filming: 37 14 of 41 Keiko Agena on Gilmore Girls Everett Character: Lane Kim, 16 Agena's Actual Age at Filming: 27 15 of 41 Gabrielle Union in Bring It On Everett Character: Isis, high school senior Union's Actual Age at Filming: 28 16 of 41 Charisma Carpenter on Buffy the Vampire Slayer Everett Character: Cordelia Chase, 16 Carpenter's Actual Age at Filming: 27 17 of 41 Chase Stokes in Outer Banks COURTESY OF NETFLIX Character: John B., 17 Stokes' Actual Age at Filming: 27 18 of 41 Alexa Demie in Euphoria Character: Maddy Perez, high school student Demie's Actual Age at Filming: 29 19 of 41 Shay Mitchell on Pretty Little Liars ABC Family Character: Emily, 16 Lawson's Actual Age at Filming: 30 20 of 41 Paul Wesley on Vampire Diaries The CW Character: Stefan Salvatore, 17 Wesley's Actual Age at Filming: 27 21 of 41 Ian Somerhalder on Vampire Diaries The CW Character: Damon Salvatore, 17 Somerhalder's Actual Age at Filming: 31 22 of 41 Ashleigh Murray on Riverdale The CW Character: Josie (of Josie & the Pussycats), high school student Murray's Actual Age at Filming: 30 23 of 41 Sean Patrick Thomas in Save the Last Dance Paramount Character: Derek Reynolds, senior in high school Thomas' Actual Age at Filming: 31 24 of 41 Sissy Spacek in Carrie Everette Collection Character: Carrie White, 16 Spacek's Actual Age at Filming: 27 25 of 41 Jennifer Grey in Dirty Dancing Courtesy Everett Collection Character: Baby Houseman, 17 Grey's Actual Age at Filming: 27 26 of 41 John Heder in Napoleon Dynamite Courtesy Everett Collection Character: Napoleon, high school student Heder's Actual Age at Filming: 26 27 of 41 Winona Ryder in Girl, Interrupted Courtesy Everett Collection Character: Susanna Kayson, 18 Ryder's Actual Age at Filming: 28 28 of 41 Alan Ruck in Ferris Bueller's Day Off 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 29 of 41 Selma Blair in Cruel Intentions Courtesy Everett Collection Character: Cecile Caldwell, 17 Blair's Actual Age at Filming: 27 30 of 41 Parminder Nagra in Bend It Like Beckham Courtesy Everett Collection Character: Jess Bhamra, 17 Nagra's Actual Age at Filming: 27 31 of 41 Ross Butler on 13 Reasons Why Character: Zach Dempsey, high school student Butler's Actual Age at Filming: 27 32 of 41 Gabrielle Carteris on Beverly Hills, 90210 mikel roberts/Getty Images Character: Andrea Zuckerman, 16 Carteris' Actual Age at Filming: 29 33 of 41 Matt Damon in Behind the Candelabra HBO Character: Scott Thorson, 17 Damon's Actual Age at Filming: 43 34 of 41 Meredith Monroe on Dawson's Creek Character: Andie McPhee, high school sophomore Monroe's Actual Age at Filming: 29 35 of 41 Kerr Smith on Dawson's Creek Columbia TriStar Television/courtesy Everett Collection Character: Jack McPhee, high school sophomore Smith's Actual Age at Filming: 26 36 of 41 Tammin Sursok on Pretty Little Liars ABC Character: Jenna Marshall, high school student Sursok's Actual Age at Filming: 31 37 of 41 Jason Earles on Hannah Montana Character: Jackson, high school student Earles' Actual Age at Filming: 29 38 of 41 Cory Monteith on Glee Patrick Ecclesine/FOX Character: Finn, high schooler Monteith's Actual Age at Filming: 27-31 39 of 41 Andrew Garfield in The Amazing Spider-Man Sony Pictures Character: Peter Parker, 17 Garfield's Actual Age at Filming: 28 40 of 41 Ben Platt on The Politician Courtesy of NETFLIX Character: Payton Hobart, high school senior Platt's Actual Age at Filming: 26 41 of 41 Lucy Boynton on The Politician Isabel Infantes/PA Images via Getty Character: Astrid, high school senior Boynton's Actual Age at Filming: 25