As we grow and mature, our body changes like the seasons, although we never go back to the beautiful spring days of youth. Well, actors need to be able to mold themselves to play multiple roles, with some of them looking like teens when well over their thirties.
The opposite effect does happen to some performers, them looking far older than you’d expect. This lets them get more mature roles at an earlier age, or even play the same character in an ongoing franchise for several years. If you look a certain way at 25, you can count on that look to work for several years to come.
Wilford Brimley
Wilford Brimley became the poster child for looking older than his years. During the filming of Cocoon, he was only in his early fifties, yet many viewers assumed he was already a retiree decades older.
Steve Martin
Even in his twenties, Steve Martin’s prematurely gray hair gave him the appearance of someone much older. It eventually became part of his signature look and helped define his on-screen persona.
