Do Actors Have To Act Their Age?

Do You Have To Act Your Age?

Acting

By: Kristina Anderson, Barbizon International

When you peek behind the curtain of Hollywood, you may find that things are not always as they appear. For actors, it is especially important to have a critical and unbiased view of your capabilities in believably portraying a role. Did you know that Sandra Bullock’s character in the movie Our Brand Is Crisis was originally written to be a played by a man? In reading the screenplay, she felt that despite this it was a role that she could shine in and bring to life and luckily the producers agreed.

When it comes to the age of a character, it’s also important to remember that every actor has an age range that they can believably play. If you are 12 years old, that doesn’t necessarily mean you should only audition for 12-year-old characters. Maybe your range is 10 to 15. Your range can be higher than your actual age or lower. Don’t limit yourself but be realistic for what you can believably portray.

Here are a few examples of actors who have played younger or older characters:

Actress Bianca Lawson was 14 years old when she was cast in Saved by the Bell: The New Class in 1993. More than 15 years later, Bianca was cast on the TV show Pretty Little Liars where she plays a 17-year-old at the age of 30.
Actress Shirley Henderson was 37 years old when she was cast in Harry Potter And The Chamber of Secrets landing the role of the teenage ghost Moaning Myrtle.
Amy Poehler is only 7 years older than Rachel McAdams but was cast in Mean Girls to play her mother.
Joy, which is set to release later this year, stars 24-year-old Jennifer Lawrence who plays a character who ages from 20 years old to 40 years old during the movie.
Brad Pitt was 45 years old when The Curious Case of Benjamin Button was released. With the help of prosthetics and makeup he plays a 70-year-old man who ages in reverse, a character that Pitt portrays until he nearly reaches the teen years.