Here are ten of the most popular non-adolescent actors that unapologetically portrayed teen characters. Some were too old to be referred to as a youth or a teenager.
Asa Butterfield (Sex Education)
Asa’s character Otis Milburn appears well-educated and mature for his age. Maybe it’s because he’s 24 in real life as of 2021, not 17-18 as depicted in season 3.
Emma Mackey (Sex Education)
Emma Mackey fans would have already delved deep enough into her history and bio to learn that she turned 25 in 2021. On the other hand, the gorgeous actress portrays a 17-18-year-old in season three of the edgy teen in Sex Education.
Keir Gilchrist (Atypical)
WHAT? Sam, the endearing protagonist of Atypical, is far from an adolescent. He turned 28 years old in September 2021, and some of us are curious about what he consumes to stay so young. He was an excellent choice because he seemed to be a high school student.
Taylor Zakhar Perez (The Kissing Booth 2 & 3)
Marco, who melts hearts with his radiant presence, cannot be going through puberty. Taylor first appeared in The Kissing Booth as Marco in the second film and returned this summer for the third. While he portrays a high school student, he will be 30 on Christmas Day 2021! As he’s an adult, this stunner has the appearance of a full-grown adult.
Zendaya (Euphoria + Spider-Man franchise)
Zendaya is yet another popular adolescent celebrity among teenagers! Zendaya is now 25 years old and has outgrown her adolescence. She did, however, portray a 17-year-old in Euphoria when she was 23 years old, and she now plays a high schooler in the MCU Spider-Man franchise.
Jacob Elordi (Euphoria + The Kissing Booth franchise)
Jacob Elordi, the most popular choice of director for teenage roles, is 24 years old. In the Euphoria and The Kissing Booth series, he portrays a high schooler.
Cole Sprouse (Riverdale)
Cole is no longer the shy child from The Suite Life of Zack and Cody. And, unlike his character Jughead Jones, he is not 16 years old. Cole, now 29, was 26 years old in Riverdale’s first season.
Christian Navarro (13 Reasons Why)
Christian Navarro was a fan favorite on 13 Reasons Why, and he brought much depth to the character of Tony, who is 17 years old. He performed an excellent job as Tony, but no one expected him to be 17. In actuality, Navarro was 24/25 while filming the first season of the show, and it shows.
Ross Butler (Riverdale)
Reggie Mantle was played by Ross Butler, who was a fun-loving and often dopey character. It’s uncertain how old Reggie is supposed to be (15-17 appears to be the widespread agreement), but Ross, 26 (then), jumps out, especially when paired with a 19-year-old KJ Apa.
Paul Wesley (The Vampire Diaries)
Stefan Salvatore was turned into a vampire when he was 17 years old. That implies Paul Wesley was intended to appear 17 and STAY 17 for the duration of the show. It’s a tall order, especially since Paul was 27 when the program originally aired in 2009. The Vampire Diaries ended in 2017 (Paul is now 39), meaning he was approximately 33 at the time and still portraying a 17-year-old in the final season. The miracles never stop.
