Actors Not 'Acting' Their Age
09/03/08 23:44 Filed in: Personal
In a LIST mood again.
There is something of a tradition for actors to portray people considerably younger than their true age. I suppose part of the problem is control of the actor. Certainly, in the pre-70's movies, it would the case that actors would be part of a studio collective and therefore that usually meant a contract and a responsible age to go with it. The other could be experience. With some very few exceptions.. and lets be fare here, most child actors are crap. The exceptions proving the rule.
But what's the worst affront to age dislocation? Here is my top five.
15-20 years OUT OF AGE
By the time North By Northwest was made, Grant was already 55 years old. Twenty years senior to his onscreen femme fatale Eve Marie Saint. I'm guessing the Grant is meant to be playing somebody in his late thirties or early forties. So that's either twenty or fifteen years out of whack.
To add more amusement to the proceedings, his mother in the film is played by Jessie Royce Landis. The common fact about this is that while she plays his somewhat over bearing mother (does anyone find that a little odd) she's actually only 7 years his senior.
9-14 years OUT OF AGE
Lets get this right out. Michael J. Fox was never going to have a problem playing a teenage boy. Despite being 24/25 at the time. Even by the time the final film in the trilogy (the terrible) part three, he was still only 14 years older than his character. You'll realise the Marty never actually gets much older and all three films take part over about the space of four days for Marty.... although many decades in 'space time'.
You should also note that co-star Lea Thompson was ALSO 24/25 at the time of shooting... which brings me too...
10 - 15 years OUT OF AGE
Who was 10 years older than his character and therefore 15 years older by the time the last film came out. Old git!
But that's nothing..... lets move onto Ferris Beuller's Day Off. But not who you think...
13-15 years OUT OF AGE
At the time of shooting Matthew Broderick was a fresh faced and convincing 15 year old. Despite actually being 25 at the time. So that's quite a jump of ten years. But hey.. I was convinced at the time. It WAS 1987 after all. Mia Sara, by the way, was a fresh faced 20. Making her the babe in the pack... mainly because by the time Ferris Beuller was filmed... Alan Ruck was 31 years old! Lets just say that one more time.
HE WAS THIRTY ONE YEARS OLD! Or put it another way, he was TWICE the age of the person he was portraying. In fact, he was 9 years younger than the woman who played Ferris's mother, Cindy Picket and just ten years younger than Jeffrey Jones who played "Ed Rooney"!!
But most shocking of all... and I mean this sincerely. He was just five years younger than Edie McClurg who played Rooney's somewhat dappy secretary Grace!
12-14 years OUT OF AGE
OK. This is purely down to the "should he really be doing that" factor. Jackson is Hannah's brother in the series. Which would be fine, except that while Hannah (Miley Ray Cyrus) is her correct age of 15.. Mr Earles is a somewhat more senior 30 years old at the start of shooting. Making him at least twelve years older than his character (assuming he's meant to be 17).
Now this wouldn't be quite so bad if Robbie's character wasn't so frequently seen chasing 'babes' who frequently appear to be in Hannah's age group. Including Libby who's actually only 15!
In other words, we have a thirty year old man pretending to be a teenager and chatting up fifteen/sixteen year old girls. NOW do you see why I find this a little odd?!
What's even odder is that Hannah Montana is made by Disney. Can Disney REALLY not find a suitable child actor to play Robbie?
So.. that's my list for today.
There is something of a tradition for actors to portray people considerably younger than their true age. I suppose part of the problem is control of the actor. Certainly, in the pre-70's movies, it would the case that actors would be part of a studio collective and therefore that usually meant a contract and a responsible age to go with it. The other could be experience. With some very few exceptions.. and lets be fare here, most child actors are crap. The exceptions proving the rule.
But what's the worst affront to age dislocation? Here is my top five.
1. Cary Grant in North By Northwest
15-20 years OUT OF AGE
By the time North By Northwest was made, Grant was already 55 years old. Twenty years senior to his onscreen femme fatale Eve Marie Saint. I'm guessing the Grant is meant to be playing somebody in his late thirties or early forties. So that's either twenty or fifteen years out of whack.
To add more amusement to the proceedings, his mother in the film is played by Jessie Royce Landis. The common fact about this is that while she plays his somewhat over bearing mother (does anyone find that a little odd) she's actually only 7 years his senior.
2. Michael J. Fox as Marty McFly in the Back to the Future Trilogy
9-14 years OUT OF AGE
Lets get this right out. Michael J. Fox was never going to have a problem playing a teenage boy. Despite being 24/25 at the time. Even by the time the final film in the trilogy (the terrible) part three, he was still only 14 years older than his character. You'll realise the Marty never actually gets much older and all three films take part over about the space of four days for Marty.... although many decades in 'space time'.
You should also note that co-star Lea Thompson was ALSO 24/25 at the time of shooting... which brings me too...
3. Thomas F. Wilson as Biff/Griff/Whatever Back to the Future
10 - 15 years OUT OF AGE
Who was 10 years older than his character and therefore 15 years older by the time the last film came out. Old git!
But that's nothing..... lets move onto Ferris Beuller's Day Off. But not who you think...
4. Alan Ruck as Cameron in Ferris Beuller's Day Off
13-15 years OUT OF AGE
At the time of shooting Matthew Broderick was a fresh faced and convincing 15 year old. Despite actually being 25 at the time. So that's quite a jump of ten years. But hey.. I was convinced at the time. It WAS 1987 after all. Mia Sara, by the way, was a fresh faced 20. Making her the babe in the pack... mainly because by the time Ferris Beuller was filmed... Alan Ruck was 31 years old! Lets just say that one more time.
HE WAS THIRTY ONE YEARS OLD! Or put it another way, he was TWICE the age of the person he was portraying. In fact, he was 9 years younger than the woman who played Ferris's mother, Cindy Picket and just ten years younger than Jeffrey Jones who played "Ed Rooney"!!
But most shocking of all... and I mean this sincerely. He was just five years younger than Edie McClurg who played Rooney's somewhat dappy secretary Grace!
5. Jason Earles as Robbie Jackson in Hannah Montana (2006 - 2007)
12-14 years OUT OF AGE
OK. This is purely down to the "should he really be doing that" factor. Jackson is Hannah's brother in the series. Which would be fine, except that while Hannah (Miley Ray Cyrus) is her correct age of 15.. Mr Earles is a somewhat more senior 30 years old at the start of shooting. Making him at least twelve years older than his character (assuming he's meant to be 17).
Now this wouldn't be quite so bad if Robbie's character wasn't so frequently seen chasing 'babes' who frequently appear to be in Hannah's age group. Including Libby who's actually only 15!
In other words, we have a thirty year old man pretending to be a teenager and chatting up fifteen/sixteen year old girls. NOW do you see why I find this a little odd?!
What's even odder is that Hannah Montana is made by Disney. Can Disney REALLY not find a suitable child actor to play Robbie?
So.. that's my list for today.