Hollywood Stars Who Admitted Their Age to Land Roles
Mila Kunis, despite appearing in numerous films and TV shows, had to admit her age to secure the role of Jackie Burkhart in the iconic sitcom That ’70s Show. During her appearance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno in 2012, she was asked how old she was when she joined the show. Kunis responded, “Legally, I was 14. However, I told the producers that I was almost 18.”
Sandra Bullock had previously starred in three films before the release of Love Potion No. 9 in 1992, but it was this film that required her to discuss her age. During an interview with Barbara Walters, Bullock shared that she was searching for a 29-year-old actress to portray a character, while she herself was only 27 at the time. However, she insisted that the producers wouldn’t have hired her if they knew she was actually 27.
Apocalypse Now is considered one of the greatest films of all time, so it’s no surprise that Laurence Fishburne had to lie about his age to land a role. During the casting process, although he was only 14, he told the filmmakers he was 18, the minimum age required to play the character Tyrone “Mr. Clean” Miller. In a 2013 interview, Fishburne explained that he had to convince director Francis Ford Coppola that he was indeed 18, despite being only a teenager.
Gabrielle Carteris revealed her age to secure the role of Andrea Zuckerman in the teen drama Beverly Hills, 90210. “I didn’t know, I had said that I was older. I even talked with a lawyer about how I could sign a contract without revealing my age,” she shared.
In the 1989 film Troop Beverly Hills, Carla Gugino had to state her age to land her role. Gugino admitted, “I was 16 but said I was 14 to get the role. I spoke with the director when the film was well underway, and I knew I couldn’t back out. The director later mentioned that he would never have cast me if he knew I was 16.”
The film Fast Times at Ridgemont High, released in 1982, marked the debut of Nicolas Cage, who lied about his age to secure a role. Although the film focuses on high school students, the casting directors were looking for actors aged 18 and older. At 17, Cage claimed he was 18 to audition for the lead role of Brad, but ultimately, he was cast as Brad’s Bud.
Whoopi Goldberg had to address her age early in her career before becoming one of the few entertainers to win an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony. In 1986, she shared with The Washington Post that “the age on my driver’s license in California is not true,” which included her actual age being 30 instead of the widely publicized age of 35 when she was seeking work.
Jessica Chastain has starred in several critically acclaimed films like Zero Dark Thirty and Interstellar, yet she has refrained from disclosing her real age publicly. In an interview with The Independent in 2013, when she was speculated to be 35, she stated, “I will never disclose my age because I am an actress, and I want to play roles at various ages.” This perspective has garnered support from many, as Hollywood’s long-standing practices regarding age representation continue to spark debates even today.
Humphrey Bogart is best known for his leading roles in classic Hollywood films like The Maltese Falcon and Casablanca, but there has always been controversy surrounding his birth date and real age. Industry references have listed Bogart’s birth date as Christmas Day, 1899. However, subsequent documentation asserted that Warner Bros. altered his birth date to December 25 to enhance public interest, stating, “an actor born on Christmas Day cannot truly be considered a star.”
Source: Looper
