I don't know how old you are or how familiar you are with movies and TV from the 60s and 70s, but back then, this was way more common than it is today. And the thing is - people bought it. At least I think they did. Or if they didn't actually buy it, they simply accepted it because it was normal to have 20 and 30-somethings playing teens. I was a child in the 70s myself and I bought it totally.

But today, nobody could get away with it.

I don't know how old you are or how familiar you are with movies and TV from the 60s and 70s, but back then, this was way more common than it is today. And the thing is - people bought it. At least I think they did. Or if they didn't actually buy it, they simply accepted it because it was normal to have 20 and 30-somethings playing teens. I was a child in the 70s myself and I bought it totally.

But today, nobody could get away with it.

Well I grew up during the 90210 era (actually late teens when show came out) and they too had almost 30 year olds playing high schoolers and it bugged me back then too! But when you are a small child, adults are adults. You are not gonna pick up the difference between an 18 year old and a 30 year old.

Right. Now I could watch Grease or I was watching Welcome Back Kotter a year or two ago on MeTV, and they weren't THAT old at the time, probably mostly in their mid 20s, but it was so obvious to me now that they were adults.

Doesn't bother me. Stockard Channing was the most noticeable for me. She looked almost 40. But I felt she was a total miscast to begin with regardless of age. Other than that I didn't have a problem with anybody else

Doesn't bother me. Stockard Channing was the most noticeable for me. She looked almost 40. But I felt she was a total miscast to begin with regardless of age. Other than that I didn't have a problem with anybody else

Another who really stuck out for me was Michael Tucci who was almost 33 at the time. You can really see the lines on his face which is completely absent from teenagers. Although the two leads didn't look THAT bad.

I definitely agree about Michael Tucci. He looked like he could've had a daughter in college at that point

@movie_nazi said:

I'm sorry but it looks ridiculous that have 30-35 year olds playing high schoolers. I am not saying that they had to be of high school age but at the very least LOOK like high school age. A group of 21 to 27 year old actors coulda pulled it off. It's so damn distracting to see crow's feet and laugh lines on friggin' high schoolers.

Grease (1978) - 3.5 outta 5 stars

Looool, fair point! xD

I didn't think much of it, but then I was a little kid at the time. Watching it again years later, it does look more than a little ridiculous. It didn't hurt the movie, really, IMO. It's obvious they are too old, but I just kind of go with it.

The actors are very good in the parts. That helps.

@Joeisacoolguy said:

Looool, fair point! xD

I wanna stress the point that this is not a knock on the play/film. Wonderful story and well done by all. But I was watching West Side Story, a film that came out a good 16 years before Grease and most of the players there were passable as teenagers. I guess my point in bringing this up is that even back in the day, they still considered having the players look somewhat passable of the age they were representing.

@Jayhn1111 said:

I definitely agree about Michael Tucci. He looked like he could've had a daughter in college at that point

Channing and Tucci easily could have been playing a couple of teachers or parents in the movie.

@movie_nazi said:

@Joeisacoolguy said:

Looool, fair point! xD

I wanna stress the point that this is not a knock on the play/film. Wonderful story and well done by all. But I was watching West Side Story, a film that came out a good 16 years before Grease and most of the players there were passable as teenagers. I guess my point in bringing this up is that even back in the day they still considered having the players look somewhat passable of the age they were representing.

Lol I knew what you meant xD

@movie_nazi said:

@Joeisacoolguy said:

Looool, fair point! xD

I wanna stress the point that this is not a knock on the play/film. Wonderful story and well done by all. But I was watching West Side Story, a film that came out a good 16 years before Grease and most of the players there were passable as teenagers. I guess my point in bringing this up is that even back in the day, they still considered having the players look somewhat passable of the age they were representing.

Well sometimes, but... Natalie wood played a girl who ranged in age from 15 to 20-something a few years later in Inside Daisy Clover. She also started as a 12-year-old character, or something, in Gypsy. Maybe it was just her face that made people think she could pass a teen or even a child later on.

And back in the 30s, Norma Shearer and Leslie Howard were 40ish playing Romeo and Juliet....

I think Hollywood did get to a point where they stopped having adults play teens, though. I mean when is the last time it happened? Cable television may have actually had something to do with it, because all the kids/teen channels have had countless sitcoms over the years with real teens or young adults, at least, playing teens. I just can't imagine a TV show or movie today having 30-somethings playing teens.

@jann said:

I think Hollywood did get to a point where they stopped having adults play teens, though. I mean when is the last time it happened? Cable television may have actually had something to do with it, because all the kids/teen channels have had countless sitcoms over the years with real teens or young adults, at least, playing teens. I just can't imagine a TV show or movie today having 30-somethings playing teens.

Yes and I think the realism revolution of the 90s probably help put an end to that even you still had shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer with 20 somethings playing teenagers but there was definitely a turn around starting in the 90s where writers started to try and be a little more realistic with their themes and I think that attitude may have spilled over into the casting department. Speaking of older actors playing kids in older movies nothing beats Judy Garland playing a 12-year-old for the Wizard of Oz. I mean when you think about it now it's downright creepy. It's like some weirdos fantasy that has his GF dressed up as a little girl. Very odd.

Actually I THINK the director wanted Shirley Temple but couldn't get her. Judy was pretty young at the time though, but yeah, definitely a teenager.

I've always felt Judy Garland was a miscast for that role. It was perfect for Shirley Temple. She would've had entire movie theaters in tears.