Fifth-Year Seniors: Adults Who Played Teens on TV

Updated July 24, 2013 at 2:19 PM

<b>Henry Winkler </b><br><br> Having adults play teens on TV is not a new trend. In fact, The Fonz — arguably the most iconic teen in TV history — was played by 29-year-old Henry Winkler! The too-cool-for-school bad boy was supposedly a 19-year-old dropout when "Happy Days" kicked off in 1974. He did eventually go on to earn his diploma in a "very special" episode. In 1999, Fonzie was ranked No. 4 on TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Characters of All Time list. Whoa! That's way cool.

<b>Luke Perry</b><br><br> You'd think only a grown man could grow sideburns as epic as Luke Perry's in "Beverly Hills 90210" — and only a grown man did! By the time the West Beverly Hills High kids were seniors, Perry was 26. And he's not alone; many members of the Peach Pit crew were well out of their teens (and 20s) by the time the show ended in 2000, including...

<b>Gabrielle Carteris</b><br><br> It's no surprise that Gabrielle Carteris wasn't a teen when she played brainiac Andrea Zuckerman on "90210." She didn't look like a teen, and didn't exactly have that Southern California beach-babe vibe, after all. Not only did she appear older than the other cast members, she was actually the oldest. Carteris was 29 when she portrayed 16-year-old Zuckerman.

<b>James Franco</b><br><br> It's no wonder James Franco recently played a party-loving grownup in the film "Spring Breakers"; he's a teen at heart! Back in 1999, the star played a way less creepy role as cool and charming high school burnout Daniel Desario in "Freaks and Geeks." Only 21 at the time, the role set him on the fast track to superstardom.

<b>Charisma Carpenter</b><br><br> Can you believe Charisma Carpenter is 43? She looks gorgeous as ever, but, man, we feel old. The "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" star originally tried out for the title role, but she was instead cast as foil-to-Buffy Cordelia Chase. Carpenter was already 27 when the series premiered in 1997.

<b>Benjamin McKenzie</b><br><br> It's been 10 years since "The O.C." premiered on Fox, kickstarting a beach-obsessed TV phenomenon. Benjamin McKenzie starred as troubled teen Ryan Atwood, but was already 25 during the show's freshman season. Do you miss having a little McKenzie in your life? Fear not; the 34-year-old played Officer Ben Sherman on TNT's acclaimed cop drama "Southland," which ended earlier this year.

<b>Tom Welling</b><br><br> When you're Superman, anything goes. Teen, adult — it really didn't matter because Tom Welling was a total babe as a young Clark Kent in The WB/CW's superhero drama "Smallville." But it's true that Welling was 24 years old when "Smallville" premiered in 2001. Age ain't nothing but a number when you're the Man of Steel.

<b>James Van Der Beek </b><br><br> Girls swooned for James Van Der Beek as Dawson Leery, the titular character on "Dawson's Creek," not knowing that the actor was a 20-year-old playing a high school sophomore. While Van Der Beek hasn't regained the success he had during his teen-soap days, he's still as hot and charming as ever, poking fun at himself on the now-defunct ABC sitcom "Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23."

<b>Keiko Agena</b><br><br> The lovely Keiko Agena was beyond convincing as Lane Kim, one of Rory Gilmore's BFFs till the end on "Gilmore Girls." Can you believe Agena was 27 when she was cast as 16-year-old Kim? You probably can, because she does, in fact, look that young. Nowadays, she's playing an adult, April Tanaka, on ABC Family's new teen mystery series, "Twisted," but she definitely still looks young enough to play one of the dramatic teens.

<b>Scott Wolf</b><br><br> Just look at that baby face! It's no wonder Scott Wolf was cast as 16-year-old Bailey Salinger on "Party of Five," even though he was 26 when the show debuted in 1994. These days, Wolf is using his dimples for evil instead of good as cheating, lying Donnie Ryan on TNT's "Perception."

<b>Zach Gilford</b><br><br> Is it just us, or did the football players on "Friday Night Lights" look way too old to be in high school? It must be all those muscles. Not surprisingly, the charge was led by Zach Gilford, who was 24 years old when he started playing sophomore quarterback Matt Saracen in 2006.

You don't have to be a teen to play one on TV. Take it from these stars, who all found big-time success playing characters younger than they were in real life. — Maya Salam, Yahoo! TV

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Fifth-Year Seniors: Adults Who Played Teens on TV

Bianca Lawson

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