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Imagine 15-year-old Tom Holland playing Spider-Man.
We all know Hollywood notoriously casts adults to play teenagers — sometimes, adults that are WAYYY too old. To break the illusion, here are 21 actors playing teens vs. how they actually looked as teenagers!
1. Ben Platt playing 17-year-old Evan Hansen in Dear Evan Hansen at age 27
Universal Pictures /Courtesy Everett Collection
Ben as an 18-year-old filming Pitch Perfect
2. Olivia Newton-John playing 17-year-old Sandy in Grease at age 29
Paramount/Courtesy Everett Collection
Olivia Newton-John as an actual 17-year-old
Michael Ochs Archives / Getty Images
3. Stacey Dash playing a 16/17-year-old in the Clueless series at age 29
Jerry Fitzgerald / ABC / Courtesy Everett Collection
Stacey Dash as an 18-year-old
NBC
4. Andrew Garfield playing a 17/18-year-old in The Amazing Spider-Man at age 27
Jamie Trueblood/Columbia Pictures / courtesy Everett Collection
5. Andrew Garfield as an 18-year-old
6. Naya Rivera playing a 15-year-old on Glee as a 22-year-old
Fox
Naya Rivera as an actual 15-year-old
Fox
7. Tom Holland playing 15-year-old Peter Parker in Spider-Man: Homecoming at 20
Marvel
Tom Holland as an actual 15-year-old
Warner Bros. Pictures
8. Drew Seeley playing a high school senior in Another Cinderella Story at age 26
Warner Premiere / courtesy Everett Collection
Drew Seeley as an actual high schooler
9. Kedar Williams-Stirling playing a 16-year-old in Sex Education at age 24
Jon Hall / Netflix/Courtesy Everett Collection / Everett Collection
Kedar Williams-Stirling as a 15-year-old
John Phillips / UK Press via Getty Images
10. John Travolta playing a 17/18-year-old in Grease at age 24
Paramount Pictures/ Courtesy: Everett Collection.
John Travolta as an 19-year-old
ABC
11. Leonardo DiCaprio playing a 17-year-old in Catch Me If You Can at age 27/28
Dreamworks / courtesy Everett Collection
Leonardo DiCaprio as an actual 17-year-old
Jerry Fitzgerald / ABC / Courtesy Everett Collection
12. Gabrielle Union playing a teenager in Bring it On at age 27
Universal/Courtesy Everett Collection
Gabrielle Union as an actual teenager
Gregg Deguire / WireImage via Getty Images
13. Cole Sprouse playing a 16-year-old on Riverdale at age 24
Dean Buscher / The CW Network/Courtesy Everett Collection
Cole Sprouse as an actual 16-year-old
Kristin Callahan/Everett Collection
14. Timothée Chalamet playing a 17-year-old in Call Me By Your Name at age 22
Sayombhu Mukdeeprom / Sony Pictures Classics / courtesy Everett Collection
Timothée Chalamet as an actual 17-year-old
15. Harry Shum Jr. playing a teenager on Glee at age 27
Miranda Penn Turin / Fox / Courtesy Everett Collection
Harry Shum Jr. as an actual teenager (right)
16. Asa Butterfield playing a 16-year-old on Sex Education as a 21-year-old
Sam Taylor / Netflix / Courtesy Everett Collection /
Asa Butterfield as an actual 16-year-old
Barry King / FilmMagic via Getty Images
17. Darren Criss playing a high schooler on Glee at age 23
Justin Lubin / Fox / courtesy Everett Collection
Darren Criss as an actual high schooler
CBS
18. Greta Onieogou playing a ~16-year-old on All American as a 27-year-old
The CW
Greta Onieogou as a 15-year-old
CTV
19. Thomas Brodie-Sangster playing a ~16-year-old in The Maze Runner as a 23-year-old
20th Century Fox
Thomas Brodie-Sangster as a 15-year-old
Universal /Courtesy Everett Collection
20. Saoirse Ronan playing a 17-year-old in Lady Bird as a 22-year-old
A24 / Everett Collection
Saoirse Ronan as an actual 16-year-old
Focus Features/Courtesy Everett Collection
Hanna came out when Saoirse was days away from turning 17.
21. And finally, Michelle Trachtenberg playing a 16-year-old on Gossip Girl as a 22-year-old
Giovanni Rufino / The CW / Courtesy Everett Collection
Michelle Trachtenberg as an actual 16-year-old
UPN
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