In Hollywood, aging can sadly be a death sentence for an actor's career. Competing against new talent can be difficult, and older actors have to adjust to auditioning for different roles. Other times, age can work to an actor's advantage. After all, having a well-seasoned veteran on set can make things go much smoother during filming.
Aging can be difficult, but it's not impossible to work around. Makeup artists do an excellent job, and can sometimes hide an actor's age. However, it's not always necessary. Society has come to use the phrase "aging gracefully" to describe how someone looks in comparison to how old they actually are. It's become a common trend to see actors in their early 20s playing characters in their teens. The thing is, though, age doesn't look the same on everyone.
In fact, there are a multitude of actors who fans would never even realize are the same age. It could be because their work is associated with completely different times, or simply because their faces show their age much differently. Either way, it can be a truly baffling discovery. This list will chronicle some of the most surprising pairs of actors sharing a birth year.
Here are the 15 Actors You Would Never Believe Are The Same Age.
Miley Cyrus and Daisy Ridley (25)
It's been quite some time since Miley Cyrus focused on her acting career, but no one can forget that she got her start as Hannah Montana on Disney Channel. She did appear in the 2015 comedy The Night Before as a slightly heightened (and literally high) version of herself, but for the most part she's stuck to her music.
Given Miley's start, and her antics, it's a startling realization that she and Daisy Ridley are the same age. A London native, Ridley has quickly found fame in the states, known now throughout the galaxy as Rey. Before fans see her reprise the character in Star Wars: The Last Jedi, they will see Ridley starring in Murder on the Orient Express this November.
Cyrus and Ridley are near polar opposites, but both are just 25 years old. (Well, Miley will turn 25 on November 23.)
Sarah Hyland and Bonnie Wright (26)
Like her co-star Sofia Vergara, Sarah Hyland seemed to grab the eye of the public thanks to her role on ABC's Modern Family. Her character, Haley Dunphy, is typically very sassy and, in her latest expanded arc, struggling to figure out adulthood. Perhaps because of her character, Hyland herself seems younger than she actually is.
Bonnie Wright, on the other hand, has been a fan favorite since she was 10 years old. She is best known, and almost solely known for her role as Ginny Weasley in the Harry Potter movie franchise. Since the series wrapped, she's continued her acting, but heavily focused on her charitable efforts.
Though they're known for two very different roles and time periods, both Sarah Hyland and Bonnie Wright are both 26 years old.
Lauren Graham and Julia Roberts (50)
Though she eventually starred in movies like The Pacifier and Because I Said So, Lauren Graham will always be Lorelai Gilmore to most fans. She played the witty, motor-mouthed coffee lover with ease, and when Gilmore Girls: A Year In The Life hit Netflix in 2016, it was like no time had passed.
Literally, she looked almost exactly the same, along with Alexis Bledel. Prior to the Gilmore revival, most of Graham's on-screen work happened in the early 2000's.
On the contrary, Julia Roberts seemed to be cranking out a hit film every year, beginning with Mystic Pizza in 1988. Today, she is a proud Oscar winner and considered a season vet. With the incredible span of her career, fans tend to miss the fact that she and Lauren Graham are both 50 years old. Really, it's hard to believe either one is 50, given how gracefully they've both aged.
Jim Parsons and Andrew Lincoln (44)
It's been just over a decade since the television world first met Sheldon Cooper on The Big Bang Theory. However, looking at him, played perfectly by Jim Parsons, the only thing that really looks different is his haircut. Of course, as a character, Sheldon has grown up a lot. Even so, he's retained certain youthful qualities, like his love for trains and need for emotional direction.
More than that, Jim Parsons is a perfect example of the "baby face" phenomenon. Standing next to Andrew Lincoln, no one fan would ever immediately guess that the two are both 44 years old.
Yes, The Walking Dead's Rick Grimes is the same age as Jim Parsons. The differences are most striking in physicality, thanks in large part to Lincoln's beard on the show. After dealing with countless zombies, it's understandably gone a bit gray. Now, circa Love Actually, it might be easier to see Parsons and Lincoln being the same age, but even then it's an odd concept to swallow.
Johnny Depp and Ralph Fiennes (54)
Two of the most iconic characters in modern movie history are Captain Jack Sparrow and Lord Voldemort. Both come out of hit franchises, and are played by two legends.
Johnny Depp has cultivated Captain Jack's identity for nearly 15 years, returning for every Pirates of the Caribbean film and even showing up in Disney World on occasion. Still, from the first Pirates film to Dead Men Tell No Tales, Depp doesn't appear to have aged too much, physically.
Like Johnny Depp, Ralph Fiennes was committed to his franchise. He portrayed the Dark Lord in the Harry Potter movies from the fourth film to the end (in fairness, Voldemort didn't have a body in the first three films). But when the makeup comes off, Fiennes shows his age a bit more.
Both actors are 54 years old.
Anne Hathaway and Jodie Sweetin (34)
As TV catchphrases go, Full House's Stephanie Tanner had one of the most memorable. "How rude!" is still quoted today, and has even made a bit of a comeback thanks to Netflix's Fuller House.
Jodie Sweetin played the middle Tanner child until the show ended in 1995. In her teens and early 20's, she struggled with substance abuse, but has since gotten sober and is back in the spotlight for positive reasons.
Meanwhile, Anne Hathway was getting her movie career started with roles in The Princess Diaries, Ella Enchanted, and The Devil Wears Prada. In 2013 she scored an Oscar and continues to star in hit films. She is reportedly starring in Barbie in 2018, taking over for Amy Schumer.
Hathaway and Sweetin have had vastly different careers, but both are just 34 years old.
Will Smith and Daniel Craig (49)
Measuring in pure coolness – though their talent stacks up just as well – Will Smith and Daniel Craig are two of Hollywood's top dogs. Smith got his start early, re-making a name for himself as The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Yes, when the show started and Smith was 22 years old, he was considered old news. However, he built himself up and went on to make hits like Hitch, I Am Legend and Men In Black.
Of course, Daniel Craig is best known for playing the coolest character ever: James Bond. Even despite intense claims that he'd never want to return, Craig confirmed earlier this year that he'd once again wear the suit in Bond 25.
The two actors have played vastly different characters in different spans of time, but both Smith and Craig are 49 years old. Although, taking Suicide Squad into account, Smith may look like he's in his early 30s forever.
Keiko Agena and Kristen Wiig (44)
There are few TV best friends as good as Lane Kim. She was smart, biting, had killer taste in music, and was always there for Rory throughout the run of Gilmore Girls. The character was brought to life by the one and only Keiko Agena.
At the time, fans were shocked to learned that she was playing the 15-year-old while she was actually 27 years old herself. Perhaps even more jarring now is the fact that Agena is the same age as Kristen Wiig.
Wiig is probably best known for her time on Saturday Night Live and her role in Bridesmaids. She has locked in several roles since, and continues to add more to her resume, while Agena seems to have stepped out of the spotlight (though she did appear in 13 Reasons Why this year).
Wiig is a comic genius, and has always looked younger than she is. Still, both she and Agena are 44 years old.
Cole Sprouse and John Boyega (25)
Before he was the introverted "weirdo" Jughead Jones of The CW's Riverdale, Cole Sprouse was one adorable half of the Sprouse twins. He split the role of Julian in Big Daddy with his brother Dylan, portrayed Ross Geller's son in Friends, and, most notably, starred alongside his brother in The Suite Life of Zack and Cody.
Having known him as a child actor and watching Sprouse grow, it can be odd for fans to realize that he is the same age as John Boyega.
Like Daisy Ridley, Boyega gained fame of galactic proportions after his role in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Though his character Finn has some boyish tendencies, being thrown into the Resistance forced him to take things very seriously, giving him an air of maturity.
Given the timeline of both Boyega's career as a whole and his physical features, it's easy to think he's older than just 25.
Gabrielle Union and Tracee Ellis Ross (44)
One of the greatest rivalries in sports movies was that of the Toros and Clovers in Bring It On. Gabrielle Union played the fiercely dedicated captain of the Clovers, playing a strong foil to Kirsten Dunst's character Torrence. Before she brought it on, Union starred in classic rom-coms like She's All That and 10 Things I Hate About You. Now, she's set to wrap Being Mary Jane in 2018.
For most viewers, it's odd to realize that Gabrielle Union is the same age as Tracee Ellis Ross. She made her television debut on Girlfriends, and now stars as Rainbow Johnson in ABC's hit series Black-ish. The shock in this pairing comes mostly from the fact that Ross plays a mom on Black-ish, while Union continues to play more millennial roles.
Both Union and Ross are 44 years old.
Rebel Wilson and Kristen Bell (37)
Rebel Wilson struck gold as arguably one of the most memorable characters in comedy, ever: Fat Amy. The Australian member of the Barden Bellas in Pitch Perfect and its sequel, Fat Amy was the perfect blend of sarcasm and oddity. However, she was a college student, which is probably why it's so surprising to realize that she and Kristen Bell are actually the same age.
Kristen Bell found popularity in 2004 as the titular character of mystery series Veronica Mars. From there, she took on major roles in Heroes and Forgetting Sarah Marshall. Of course, she's known to most kids now as Princess Anna of Arendelle, from Disney's hit Frozen. Aside from Anna, most of Bell's characters have been a bit biting.
Wilson and Bell were both born in 1980, making them 37 years old.
Shawn Ashmore and Oscar Isaac (38)
Most Marvel fans will recognize Shawn Ashmore as Bobby Drake, also known as Iceman in the X-Men movie franchise. However, Disney Channel fans will recognize him sooner as Cadet Major Brad Rigby, the love interest of Christy Carlson Romano and Hilary Duff in Cadet Kelly. Both roles have made him fairly young in the eyes of viewers. He is, in fact, the same age as Oscar Isaac.
As Poe Dameron in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Isaac became one half of an unexpected ship from fans hoping to see him romantically linked to Finn. Isaac's character mirrors Han Solo a bit, as a cocky pilot helping the resistance. Like all those fighting the galactic fight, Poe appears hardened but hopeful, and aged.
Ashmore and Isaac have played very different characters at very different times, but both are still 38 years old.
Maya Rudolph and Sofia Vergara (45)
In the world of comedy, Maya Rudolph is basically royalty. After her time on Saturday Night Live, she went on to star in movies like Bridesmaids and Grown Ups. From voiceover work to film to television, Maya Rudolph has done a bit of everything. She was even the voice of Rapunzel in Shrek the Third. At 45 years old, her resume still has plenty of time to expand even further.
Despite starring in several TV series, including Hot Properties, Sofia Vergara really didn't land in the spotlight until 2009 with Modern Family. Even so, she's found plenty success since then, and even found love with Joe Manganiello. The running joke with her character has been how much younger she is than her husband, Jay.
It's true, Vergara looks much younger than she is, always keeping up with modern fashion and hairstyles. However, both she and Maya Rudolph are 45 years old.
Jesse Williams and Jonathan Taylor Thomas (36)
Let's be honest; growing up in the 90s, Jonathan Taylor Thomas was the resident heartthrob. From his adorable start as the voice of Young Simba in The Lion King, to doing everything in his power to cross the country in I'll Be Home For Christmas, he was everywhere. He slowed down in the early 2000s, taking on smaller movies and brief television appearances.
So, odds are pretty good that he's not thought of in the same time period as Jesse Williams. He's best known as Dr. Jackson Avery on ABC's Grey's Anatomy, but Williams was also played Leo, Lena's love interest in The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2. He didn't make his acting debut until 2006, but both he and JTT are 36 years old.
Eric Dane and Jack McBrayer (44)
For fans of Grey's Anatomy, Eric Dane will always be known as McSteamy. He was young, but thanks to his hair he was also a silver fox. The show always kept him in peak physical condition, though after his storyline in season six, fans accepted him as not only a father, but a grandfather as well.
Though his age never really showed, it's nearly impossible to think Eric Dane is the same age as Jack McBrayer.
McBrayer played the loyal, easily excited page Kenneth in NBC's 30 Rock, and has done plenty of voiceover work as well. Just like Jim Parsons, Jack McBrayer has a textbook "baby face." His boyish haircut and rosy cheeks usually lead fans to guess he is much younger than 44.
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Can you think of any other actors or actresses that are actually the same exact age? Let us know in the comments!