21 Actors Who Played Teenagers Vs. Photos Of What They Actually Looked Like As Teenagers

1.Jenna Ortega was 20 years old when she began playing 16-year-old Wednesday Addams in Wednesday.

Jenna Ortega as Wednesday Addams in a still from the show "Wednesday," wearing a school uniform with braided hair and a disembodied hand on her shoulder
Netflix / Everett Collection

And here's Jenna when she was actually 16 years old:

Jenna Ortega on the red carpet, wearing a sleeveless denim dress, at a charity event for A Place Called Home
Rodin Eckenroth / Getty Images

2.Austin Butler was 22 years old when he began playing 17-year-old Sebastian Kydd on The Carrie Diaries.

Austin Butler stands wearing a grey blazer over a white V-neck shirt. He looks ahead with a neutral expression
Cw Network / ©CW Network/Courtesy Everett Collection

And here's Austin when he was actually 17 years old:

Austin Butler at a red carpet event, wearing a black blazer, light blue shirt, and jeans, posing in front of a banner with various logos including Autism Speaks
Jean Baptiste Lacroix / WireImage

3.Zendaya was 23 years old when she began playing 17-year-old Rue Bennett on Euphoria.

Closeup of Zendaya
Eddy Chen/ HBO Max/ Warner Bros

And here's Zendaya when she was actually 17 years old:

Zendaya on the red carpet at a "Safe Haven" event, wearing a floral dress with black belt and black heels, standing in front of a background featuring the movie title and logos
Jon Kopaloff / FilmMagic

4.Cole Sprouse was 25 years old when he first started playing 16-year-old Jughead Jones on Riverdale.

Closeup of Jughead
KATIE YU/THE CW

And here's Cole when he was actually 16 years old:

Dylan Sprouse at a red carpet event wearing a short-sleeved, button-up, patterned shirt
Jason Merritt / FilmMagic

5.Sydney Sweeney was 22 years old when she began playing 18-year-old Cassie Howard on Euphoria.

Closeup of Sydney Sweeney
HBO / Warner Bros

And here's Sydney when she was actually 18 years old:

Sydney Sweeney stands on a terrace, wearing a patterned short-sleeved dress and ankle boots, with a hand on her hip
Michael Bezjian / WireImage

6.Maya Hawke was 21 years old when she first started playing 17-year-old Robin Buckley on Stranger Things.

Maya Hawke in a sailor-inspired uniform with a "Robin" name tag, short-sleeve striped shirt, and red neckerchief
Netflix / ©Netflix/Courtesy Everett Collection / Everett Collection

And here's Maya when she was actually 17 years old:

Young woman in a floral dress smiles while holding the hem of her long gown on the red carpet, with two men in the background
Ray Tamarra / FilmMagic

7.Francia Raisa was 30 years old when she began playing 18-year-old Ana Torres on Grown-ish.

Francia Raisa stands smiling in a bar, wearing a red leather jacket and patterned dress, while looking at a seated Sarunas J. Jackson
Jessica Brooks / ©Freeform, formerly ©ABC Family/courtesy / Everett Collection

And here's Francia when she was actually 18 years old.

A woman in casual clothing poses for a photo at an event sponsored by Rockstar Energy Drink. The background features the Rockstar Energy Drink logo and other branding
Jesse Grant / WireImage

8.Blake Lively was 20 years old when she began playing 16-year-old Serena van der Woodsen on Gossip Girl.

Closeup of Blake Lively
The CW

And here's Blake when she was actually a teenager:

Blake Lively smiles at a public event, wearing a casual, semi-sheer top with intricate designs. She stands outdoors with people and media in the background
J. Merritt / FilmMagic

9.Asa Butterfield was 22 years old when he began playing 16-year-old Otis Milburn on Sex Education.

Asa Butterfield sitting on a couch, wearing a zipped-up hoodie, resting his head on his hand, with a pensive expression
Netflix / Everett Collection

And here's Asa when he was actually 16 years old:

Asa Butterfield on the red carpet at CinemaCon, wearing a gray suit with a black bow tie. Coca-Cola logos are visible in the background
David M. Benett / Getty Images

10.Nina Dobrev was 20 years old when she began playing 17-year-old Elena Gilbert on The Vampire Diaries.

Nina Dobrev stands in front of a tombstone in a graveyard, looking surprised. She wears a jacket over a top
Alan Markfield / © CW / Courtesy: Everett Collection

And here's Nina when she was actually 17 years old:

  Jeff Vespa / WireImage
Jeff Vespa / WireImage

11.Vanessa Morgan was 26 years old when she began playing 17-year-old Toni Topaz on Riverdale.

Vanessa Morgan wearing a black leather jacket and striped turtleneck with braided hair, looking pensive in an indoor setting
Bettina Strauss / ©The CW / courtesy Everett Collection

And here's Vanessa when she was actually 17 years old:

Vanessa Morgan smiling at the "Princess Protection Program" event, wearing a sleeveless top and a floral skirt with a belt
George Pimentel / WireImage

12.Thomas Brodie-Sangster was 24 years old when he began playing 17-year-old Newt in the Maze Runner movies.

Closeup of Thomas Brodie-Sangster
20th Century Fox / Everett

And here's Thomas when he was actually 17 years old:

Thomas Brodie-Sangster poses on the red carpet, wearing a pinstripe blazer over a patterned shirt, with hands in his pockets
Gareth Cattermole / Getty Images

13.Saoirse Ronan was 23 years old when she played 18-year-old Christine "Lady Bird" McPherson in Lady Bird.

Saoirse Ronan sitting in a doorway, wearing a casual outfit with a green top and blue jeans, looking contemplative
A24 / courtesy Everett Collection

And here's Saoirse when she was actually 18 years old:

Saoirse Ronan stands against a plain background wearing a sleeveless, A-line dress with a boat pattern and black collar
Matt Carr / Getty Images

14.Lana Condor was 21 years old when she began playing 16-year-old Lara Jean Covey in the To All the Boys movies.

Closeup of Lana Condor
Netflix

And here's Lana when she was actually a teenager:

Anna Akana smiles while posing on the Entertainment Weekly red carpet, wearing a sleeveless white dress and black heels, with her hand on her hip
Chelsea Lauren / WireImage

15.Timothée Chalamet was 22 years old when he played 18-year-old Kyle Scheible in Lady Bird.

Timothée Chalamet is sitting outdoors at a table, holding an object and looking upwards. He is wearing a casual jacket
A24 / courtesy Everett Collection

And here's Timothée when he was actually 18 years old:

Timothée Chalamet on the red carpet in a black shirt with a loosely tied, floral-printed tie, attending an event featuring Audi, Entertainment Weekly, and essie branding
Alberto E. Rodriguez / Getty Images for Entertainment Weekly

16.Ella Purnell was 25 years old when she began playing 17-year-old Jackie Taylor on Yellowjackets.

Closeup of Ella Purnell
Paul Sarkis / Paul Sarkis/SHOWTIME

And here's Ella when she was actually 17 years old:

Dakota Johnson in a floral dress and white cardigan at the "Maleficent" premiere
Stuart C. Wilson / Getty Images

17.Penn Badgley was 21 years old when he began playing 16-year-old Dan Humphrey in Gossip Girl.

Closeup of Penn Badgley
The CW / Alamy

And here's Penn when he was actually 16 years old:

Young man standing and smiling, wearing a casual short-sleeved button-down shirt
Ron Galella / Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images

18.Amandla Stenberg was 20 years old when she played 16-year-old Starr Carter in The Hate U Give.

Closeup of Amandla Stenberg
20th Century Fox

And here's Amandla when she was actually 16 years old:

Amandla Stenberg on the red carpet in a white polka-dotted blouse and black pants at a Teen Vogue event
Jb Lacroix / WireImage

19.Evan Peters was 24 years old when he played 17-year-old Tate Langdon on American Horror Story.

Closeup of Tate
FX

And here's Evan when he was actually 17 years old:

Evan Peters, in a striped shirt with long sleeves underneath, gives a thumbs up at a movie premiere
Steve Granitz / WireImage

20.Shailene Woodley was 23 years old when she played 16-year-old Hazel Grace Lancaster in The Fault in Our Stars.

Screenshot from "The Fault in Our Stars"
20th Century Fox

And here's Shailene when she was actually 16 years old:

Leelee Sobieski at a movie premiere, wearing a patterned, oversized cardigan, skinny jeans, and black pointed-toe flats, standing beside a table
Matthew Simmons / WireImage for Freeze Frame Entertainment

21.Finally, China Anne McClain was 20 years old when she began playing 17-year-old Jennifer Pierce in Black Lightning.

A girl (name unknown) stands in front of a door with a mesh window. She wears a striped shirt under a fur-lined denim jacket
Bob Mahoney / ©The CW / courtesy Everett Collection

And here's China when she was actually 17 years old:

China Anne McClain poses in a faux fur-collared jacket and hat, smiling and flashing a peace sign at the "Insidious: Chapter 3" premiere
David Livingston / Getty Images