When watching a comedy, horror, action or any genre movie, many have one thing in common: the teens look like adults. Students enjoying online media are constantly exposed to inaccurate portrayal of teens; the actors are either too old or the characters are too stereotypical.
Young actors have to follow strict labor laws that limit the number of hours they can work and require on-set tutors. These rules can slow down production and add extra costs. By casting older actors to play young characters, many concerns and complaints arise from the lack of accurate representation of teens in the media.
The hit Netflix show, Stranger Things, has gained lots of criticism and backlash for their lengthy filming process. Initially published in 2016, only four seasons have been released, and a waiting period of about three years for season five since the initial release of season four. Due to this, the abundant amount of child actors, considering they were a vital part to the franchise, grew up too quickly to align with the plot of the show. They will continue to attempt to play the teens they once were, yet many became adults throughout the filming process; consequently, they outgrew their characters.
Similar to the classic musical, Grease, many viewers comment on the cast being too old for the plot of teens in a high school experience, including actress Stockard Channing, who played high-schooler Betty Rizzo, who was 33 during the time of filming.
According to Joel Thurm, the casting director of Grease, “It is a non-PC fairytale that is better for the cast not being teens.”
Some are still concerned that if the movie is non-PC, or not politically accurate, it should not be a story originally written about teens. The plot of Grease, as an example, creates a level of inaccuracy about teens in real life, created through oversexualizing and inappropriate fictional content that real-life teens are not even capable of recreating.
Tyler Noecker, junior, shares a similar sentiment: “Rebellious characters” is often how teens are portrayed, which doesn’t reflect real-life experiences.
So, one solution could be to either cast age-congruent actors or initially create stories with a more age-appropriate setting.
Other than age, many teen characters themselves have a specific stereotype that producers of movies and shows follow.
“[Teens in entertainment media] are often jacked and have the perfect body type, so it’s an unrealistic body issue,” commented junior Michael Delmonte.
Many teens enjoy online media as a way to distract themselves and connect with other teens. When viewing teen portrayals in popular shows, stereotypes most commonly shown as teens being rebellious, unrealistically attractive and self centered, can affect high-schoolers mentally.
Also, hiring adults with adult bodies to play teen characters can contribute to the lack of accuracy of bodies in the media. Students like Delmonte can be negatively affected from this representation, as many viewers try to relate themselves in the position of the characters. Setting unrealistic body standards and inaccurate behaviors can create a toxic environment that can be dangerous for students to view and relate to.
While it may be easier and more practical for filmmakers to hire adults to play teen roles due to child labor laws such as limiting the number of hours they can work and requiring on-set tutors, this convenience does not outweigh the drawbacks of inauthentic teen portrayal in shows and movies. Casting older actors allows for smoother production processes but leads to characters that do not always reflect the true experiences or physical realities of real teenagers. As demonstrated in movies and shows like Grease and Stranger Things, older actors playing teens often result in characters that outgrow their roles, thus creating a disconnection with the audience and a mentally challenging social environment.