Teen girl cast for adult role: does the part suit her age?

Cinema and TV programs - Could a girl play every role despite her age not fitting the part?

"What's the actual age of the actress portrayed in the recent film?" This question can be tricky to answer sometimes. A character in a TV series who appears to be in their teenage years might not necessarily be that young. In the latest season of "Bridgerton" on Netflix, the 37-year-old Nicola Coughlan plays a character approximately 17 years old, Penelope Featherington. And on the opposite end, back in 2004, the then 29-year-old Angelina Jolie portrayed a mother of a woman around 20 years old in the movie "Alexander."

Is it true that we mostly encounter actresses of a certain age range in films and TV shows? This is what we've heard from them and studies on the subject:

Ursula Karven

As the 59-year-old Ursula Karven, known for the movie "Silent Mail," reflects upon her early career, she feels that some things were a bit foolish back then: "I played a state prosecutor, and I was 28." Personally, she would have preferred to be older to fit the part. "But our media landscape has yet to realize that older women can have a significant impact and that they can be attractive. This notion may still develop a bit more," Karven shared with the German Press Agency (dpa).

German cinema's age bias for female characters

What Karven mentions is not just feelings; studies have proven it. In 2021, the University of Rostock found that female leads in German films become less common as they age. Contrary to that, men start becoming less prominent from the age of 50. This study was supported by the Malisa Foundation, which aims to promote equal opportunities for females. The study indicates that most female characters in German cinema are portrayed in the context of relationships and as young and thin.

Christine Linke, a communications scientist at the University of Wismar, and co-author of the book "Invisible: Women in German Film and Television," explains the importance of not perpetuating a "simple media logic." She said, "It's not just a matter of seeing and believing. But rather, this everyday, more or less avoidable influence shapes how we see women. They are more often portrayed as young and slim in the context of relationships, with less representation as they age." On the other hand, male characters are visible in all age groups in movies and TV shows. And women are not.

Amanda Seyfried

At the 2023 Berlinale, the 38-year-old American actress Amanda Seyfried ("Mamma Mia") mentioned that she's been offered mother roles since she became a mother. Even though these roles may impose certain restrictions, she highlighted the positive side of the change: "Since I became a parent, the roles I receive have become more interesting."

Veronica Ferres

The 58-year-old Veronica Ferres ("The Superwoman") attributes the unequal distribution of roles to some degree of pragmatism. "There's some logic in it: 18-year-olds can play 16-17-years-olds. This has to do with legal age requirements and regulations on working hours for minors in the production process. That makes sense from a practical standpoint." However, she is perplexed by the practice of casting younger actors for older roles: "I don't understand why young folks often get these older roles," said Ferres. In her upcoming movie "Unholy Trinity," she shares the screen with Pierce Brosnan and Samuel L. Jackson, who are both over 70. Her character, initially intended for a woman in her early 40s, turned out to be played by Ferres.

Jella Haase

The Berlin-based Jella Haase, 31, is known for her role as the proletarian Chantal in the "Fack Ju Göhte" series. She herself was 20 when she played the high school student. Last year, she starred in "Chantal im Märchenland," where she reprised her role. "Sometimes, it's understandable - more life experience can help when playing younger characters. But not always," Haase shared with dpa. "Our viewing habits, I'd say, are also altered due to social media, especially with younger girls looking much more mature. That's something worth questioning."

The communications researcher Linke reiterates this point scientifically. "The hypersexualization of female bodies, even those of children, can be observed in both traditional media as well as on the internet."

Teenage series offer a slight exception.

In many famous teenage flicks and TV shows, the actors are usually not that young: Rachel Bilson, who played Summer Roberts in "O.C., California," was already 22 when the first season premiered. Sarah Michelle Gellar, famous for her role as Buffy, was just 20 when she portrayed a 16-year-old vampire slayer. Regina George, a pop culture icon around 16 years old from "Mean Girls," was portrayed by Rachel McAdams, who was about a decade older during filming.

According to Linke, there's a specific reason for this trend. "Teenage series and movies typically cater to the wishes of a young audience," he says. "Teens crave idols and often yearn for more autonomy and freedom. It's totally understandable, since they're in search of their own identity." Consequently, these shows create a distorted view of what teen bodies should look like, according to Linke. He adds, "It's a unique aspect of this genre and raises some interesting questions."