What actors/actresses you were sort of shocked of how young or old they are?

Mine is Gordon Jump. He played Mr Carlson on WKRP who was only 46 when the show started in 1978. Seemed sort of strange that an “old man” would have a living mother, but Jump wasn’t that old, although Carol Bruce was only about 13 years older than Jump. Carol Bruce looked older than 59 and Jump looked older than 46. More like Carlson was about 55 and Mama Carlson was in her 70’s.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carol_Bruce
Bruce as a young woman. One can see Art’s dad buying her flowers.


Beth Hall from “Mom” is 61. She looks to be about 52 of that. If that. I was thinking that in a show that would never get made that she could play the younger version of Edith Bunker in a prequel to “All in the Family”.

Problem is Beth is about 10 years older than Jean Stapleton was when the show began. Speaking of which, Carol O’Connor and Jean Stapleton were only in their early 50’s when All in the Family began in 1971. O’Connor was only 47 when the show began (born in 1924). Jean Stapleton was only 48. About two years ago there was a “retelling” of All in the Family with Woody Harrelson as Archie, but Woody was about ten years older than O’Connor when the show began.

Whitman Mayo who played Grady on Sanford and Son. An elderly old man. Mayo was 42 when the show began in 1972. Redd Foxx himself was only 49 playing a 65 year old man.

On Parks and Recreation, the character of Jerry was married to his wife played by Christy Brinkley, in real life a supermodel. Jerry played by Jim O’Heir is eight years younger than Christy Brinkley. To put in perspective, Jim was leaving the 4th grade when Brinkley graduated high school.

Welcome Back Kotter. The Sweathog” students were all in their 20’s with Ron Palillo who I thought was the only one of the four looked young enough to be in high school was 29 when the show began, so he was in his early 30’s when it ended still playing a high schooler (well, a recent graduate, so a 34 year old playing a 19 year old), but again was the only one (to me) to actually look like a teenager.

I feel old because I am 54 and older now than all of these players, who most all seem older than me even now.

Any other examples?

Grandpa Jones was only 55 (going on 56) when Hee Haw premiered on CBS in 1969.

Vivian Vance was still in her early 40s when she began playing a somewhat elderly character, Ethel Mertz on TV's I Love Lucy...! (If Barbara Pepper had not been rejected for the role, she would've started playing Ethel at age 36 or so...!)

Does it include Nicholas Cage? He's the first I thought because of his space traveler issues. lol But, yeah so he must be xxxxxx years old now xp

Wallace Shawn has always been old looking, way back when he first became famous on The Princess Bride. He looked old for his age on Murphy Brown as well, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine doesn't count with all that makeup. :lol: Wally is currently 77. In this year's appearances on Young Sheldon it looked like aging had really taken a toll on him even from the earlier seasons when he was with Mee Maw. Their producers will almost certainly have her break up with Dale as she said to Amy on TBBT that she ended up marrying someone as smart as Sheldon, which would have to be Dr. Sturgis. I just hope Wally is up to playing it and doesn't suddenly die or health gets worse so he can't act anymore. Odds are Young Sheldon ends with its 7th season when Sheldon gets into Cal Tech and George, Sr. dies. So that is three more seasons Wallace Shawn will hopefully have a major role on Young Sheldon.

I was surprised to learn that there is only 6 years difference in the ages of the actors portraying Frank and Henry Reagan.

Michelle Thomas (Myra from Family Matters) was 24 years old playing a teenager.

Abe Vigoda looked over the hill on Barney Miller, was still going strong decades later. Ray Walston looks old on My Favorite Martian, three decades later won Emmys on Picket Fences.

Aren't most actors playing younger roles? What about on That 70's show?

Abe Vigoda looked over the hill on Barney Miller, was still going strong decades later.

Abe was in his mid-50s when he appeared on Barney Miller. He looked a lot older.

Melody Patterson was 16 when she appeared on F Troop as Wrangler Jane. She obtained the role with the help of a forged birth certificate that indicated her age was 18.

Al Lewis was only 40 when he began playing Grandpa on The Munsters. He lied about his age to get the part and his true age was an issue for the rest of his life.

Not that it was a TV show, but Marlon Brando was only 47 when he played Vito Corleone in The Godfather.

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQFx6J9R9677nhGAJ6Z_lcCmg9sd9a2yFOpHdmi86a_qg&s=36