Who are the Oldest Actors Playing High-Schoolers on TV?
It's a time-honored tradition for high school dramas to be populated with actors well out of their teens. Here, then, is a tribute of sorts, assembled by examining each big teen show on the air, then isolating its oldest cast member. Their characters may flirt at parties to the sounds of Lady Gaga and dance at the high school prom to Taylor Swift, but in real life, some of these actors haven't been in school since Kurt Cobain was alive. Who are they?
90210
Oldest Cast Member: Trevor Donovan, 30
Until this season, the oldest high schooler on 90210 was the 29-year-old Michael Steger (Navid), who's actually several years older than the cast member playing his teacher, Ryan Eggold (25 in real life). Then 90210 had to go and add Trevor Donovan, who'll be turning 31 next month. Gabrielle Carteris would be proud!
Gossip Girl
Oldest Cast Member: Jessica Szohr, 24
On most teen dramas, it's usually a male cast member who's the elder statesman. Not so Gossip Girl, where Jessica Szohr holds that title, outranking next-oldest actor Chace Crawford by almost 16 months.
Glee
Oldest Cast Member: Cory Monteith, 27
For a high school show, Glee has an unusually young cast -- 18-year-old actor Chris Colfer (Kurt) could even be a senior in real life. And then there's Cory Monteith, who plays the school's male lead, Finn, and turned 27 before Glee's spring premiere.
The Vampire Diaries
Oldest Cast Member: Paul Wesley, 27
There's always been something unsettling about hundred-year-old vampires entering into romantic relationships with teenage girls, but at least it makes the real age of Paul Wesley (as Vampire Diaries' high-school-enrolled bloodsucker) seem like small potatoes.
The Secret Life of the American Teenager
Oldest Cast Member: Greg Finley, 24
ABC Family hit The Secret Life of the American Teenager has a provocative title, and it's one that may prove educational for Greg Finley (Jack); when he turns 25 next month, it'll have been six years since he was a teenager.
Friday Night Lights
Oldest Cast Member: Zach Gilford, 27
It's a good thing Zach Gilford is wrapping up his stint on Friday Night Lights this season, since the actor's way past graduation age at 27. Still, he wasn't always the wise old man of the group -- until 2008, that was an honor held by actor Scott Porter, who turned the big 3-0 this year.
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Comments
I'd like to point out a mistake. Paul Wesley isn't the oldest cast member of Vampire Diaries. Ian Somerhalder is almost 31 and the brothers are right around the same age if you're counting actual high school.
Also a fun fact, Tom Welling was in his mid to late 20s when he was playing high school age Clark Kent. He's now 32.
Right, but is Somerhalder's character actually in high school?
Thank You so much
stooopid funny !
HA
To be fair, I went to the High School the original "Friday Night Lights" was based on and I seem to remember there being 30 year old seniors(Slow learners). Or maybe they were just 18 with receding hairlines. . .
i hope you've escaped from Odessa
I suppose it's not really similar to the shows mentioned here, but my friend told me that Jason Earles - Jackson Stewart in Hannah Montana - is a lot older than his character, who, if I'm right, is about 16 or 17. It is in fact true; Jason Earles is actually thirty-two, and is also married!
"Escaped" would definitely be the word for it.
When I was watching the 90210 premier with Trevor Donnovan, I was like SERIOUSLY COOOOOOME ON! The dude looks like he's 31-35, without question. Attractive, yes, but what the hell grade are these kids supposed to be in? 11? 12? That would place them in the 16-18 mark. Degrassi seems to be the only show on televison which portrays kids at an age which they actually look!!!!
You missed one...Jason Earles, who plays Miley Cyrus' older brother on Hannah Montana. Earles, who's character Jackson just went off to college, is 32.
How about Jason Behr in Roswell? 26 at the start, 29 at the end, Charisma Carpenter in Buffy?
And all the 15 year old girls playing 12 year olds look 21 .... and they are even desperately trying to look like that.
They are conveniently forgetting that the guy who plays Jackson Stewart on Hannah Montana, Jason Earles, is 32 - and I don't think his character has QUITE gone to college yet. Then again, I haven't really watched that show much. I just know he's 30ish.
Kyle/'They',
Just to let you know you missed the dude from Hannah Montana.
In case you didn't know? Yep, you didn't. It hasn't been pointed out yet. Ruined the whole tone of the article for me really.
What about Stacey Dash who played Dionne "Dee" Davenport(last name appears only in the show) from Clueless(95) (both the movie & the series). She was born in 1966 which for the movie she would have been 16 yrs old my age at the time; but in real life she was 29 when the movie came out & throughout the series(96-99) run 30-33 yrs old. And believe you me when people found out how old she was & playing a teenager, people were really angry.
Pay attention, people. Clueless, Roswell, and Buffy aren't on the air anymore. This post is about current shows.
And I'm a quite a bit surprised at how much overlap there seems to be between the demographics of Movieline's readership and people who admit to watching Hannah Montana.
Getting angry after finding out how old Stacey Dash was .... I can't imagine a sillier, more useless emotion.
Why not get angry over the series of highly unlikely event in the Dukes of Hazard? (And no, it's not even a funny show.) Why not get angry over all the non-southerner faking southern accents? I'm Canadian, but I feel their pain.
And the dude from Hannah Montana easily breaks every record.
unless it's Stefanie Powers in "Mistral's Daughter" playing and 18 year old at 42....
Still, these days, even 15 year olds look WAY too old to be playing 15 year olds. Taylor Momsen is the only teen actress EVER to play her own 14 year old age, but even she looks 18-19 years old.
Only one that convinced me was Alison LOHman in Matchstick Men and somewhat Ellen Page in Hard Candy
I can second the Taylor Momsen thing. I saw her in a bodega in Tribeca and was shocked at how much older/mature she looked in person (this was while GG season one was airing) because at that time on the show, they dressed her like a normal, everyday 14 year old. Got home, looked up how old she actually was (assuming like most actors portraying high schoolers that she was much older) and instantly felt dirty.
What about Benjamin McKenzie from "The O.C" he was 25 in high school? I know the show is over, so maybe that disqualifies him? idk
Taylor Momsen never looked 18, you must be kidding yourself!!
I laugh at stupid high school shows since it many students obviously look too old. I guess high school students are so immature that no one wants them on tv.
How about Gabrielle Union? She was 27 playing a 15 year old in 10 Things I Hate About You.
I actually had no idea til I saw her play older in other roles.
That has to be a pretty big age difference.
I wasn't sure exactly how they were doing the age bit in the TV series (I'm faithful to the book series), but I just found this little snippit on MSN's "2009 Fall TV Guide"
"In the CW's newfangled vampire vehicle designed to suck the neck of "Twilight" and "True Blood," Ian Somerhalder ("Lost") and Paul Wesley ("Everwood") play brothers who have been 16 years old since 1864. (And you thought Morris Chestnut looked good for his age!)"
Strangers with Candy - Amy Sedaris was a highschooler, in her late 30s, but playing a woman in her 50s. Her co-star, however, Maria Thayer was supposed to be highschool age and was 25, by the time they did the movie prequel, she was 30.
I have dreams where I'm back in High School as I am now. All the people in my dreams are still teenagers as I remember them from 20 years ago.
I hate that stupid dream.
The record has to be Rusty Van Reddick in "Oh that Rusty!"
True, but his character is not actually in high school as of the premiere.
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