Why adults act as teenagers?

[jodlebirger]

Romeo Casanova is totally unbelievable as a teenager, and his scenes with Annie are vomit-inducing. In real life he's older than Kirsty and Martha, and only a few years younger than Angelo!

Nope, Luke Mitchell is at the same age as Jodi Gordon - a couple of monts younger than her (born in April 1985, she born on February 1st 1985). But I do agree with you, that he looks too old to play a teenager, and to be coupled with Annie. I think it would have been better if he was hooked up with Ruby or Nicole because those characters are played by older actresses. Charlotte/Annie is only 16, and the age difference between her and Luke Mitchell/Romeo is too big - so they look strange together.

I think they used to have more younger actors earlier, remember Kirsty, Jade, Seb, Nic, Brodie, Haley etc., they were played by actors who were at the same age as their character. But in the last years the teenagers have had heavier/more difficult storylines, and that's probably one of the reasons that the characters are played by older actors.

But I have also noticed that the parents are played by younger and younger actors, which make it looks really weird sometimes. It's only 8 years between Rebecca/Ruby and Esther/charlie in real life! That's the reason why I really like Gina, she looks like a mother!! But I think they use younger actors for parent - characters because they think teenagers will like the show more when they do so.

[alexx]

But I think they use younger actors for parent - characters because they think teenagers will like the show more when they do so.

Which is a pretty pathetic reason, if true.

[Barbara]

I think they used to have more younger actors earlier, remember Kirsty, Jade, Seb, Nic, Brodie, Haley etc., they were played by actors who were at the same age as their character. But in the last years the teenagers have had heavier/more difficult storylines, and that's probably one of the reasons that the characters are played by older actors.

I also think that is one of the reasons why they use adults to play teenagers. Another reason could also be that teenagers can legally work for a certain amount of time only whereas there are no time limits for adults. I know these laws exist in the USA. I'm pretty sure they exist in Belgium and they probably exist in Australia as well. I occasionally watch a Belgian soap and we barely see the teenagers and children who rarely have a storyline anyway. In Home and Away, teenagers have a more important role, which could explain why the producers prefer hiring actors older than 18 because they could just work without any interruptions until late at night if it is necessary.

[ThePam]

I think another reason for using adults as teens is that a teen actor would require schooling. If you look at how many teens are on the show right now we have

Xavier

Ruby

Jai

Annie

Geoff

Nicole

Romeo

not to mention other teens that have been in the show this year such as

Trey

Indigo

Dexter

then thats basically half the cast, and if they were played by actors who where the age of the characters then they would need to be tutored on set between scenes, i could imagine it would be hectic. And of course dont forget when they need to take their HSC (not sure if i got that right) they would more than likely be wrote out for a few weeks.

Im not 100% sure but is a teen actor classed as a child actor and therefore only allowed to work so many hours a day/week? Could some one verify if thats right or wrong?

What im getting at though is, its just less hassle to get a young adult to play the teen role. As for an actor that looks too old for the role not everyone looks their age, some people look older, some can even look younger in real life so why cant it be the same in soap?

[Red Ranger 1]

In the UK, if an actor's younger than 16 then there are big restrictions on the hours they can work and I imagine it's the same in Australia.

Got to admit it doesn't bother me in the slighest, I'll happily accept Annie and Ruby as the same age and dating Romeo or Xavier however old the actors are in real life.I think I've reached that age where all youngsters look the same to me:I remember when I found out Sharni Vinson was 22, I was half relieved that I wasn't really lusting after a 15-year-old and half aghast that 22-year-olds look that young to me these days.The only one that ever caused my belief to come plummetting from a great height was Julius, that guy in Kirsty and Jade's year.I remember his first scene was him talking to Jade at school and I genuinely thought he was a teacher until I realised he was in uniform.(Even the Channel 5 continuity announcer made a quip about "very large schoolboys who looked at least 23.")

I think it really becomes a problem when you've seen the actor in another show playing someone older, which doesn't happen that much for me in Australian shows.Hollyoaks went through a period of hiring actors who'd just been playing school leavers in Grange Hill to play 15-year-olds and I raised more than the one eyebrow on seeing that Waterloo Road have just hired 23-year-old Jenna-Louise Coleman, last seen as a lesbian journalist sent to jail on a murder charge in Emmerdale, to play a schoolgirl.But I do think if you're into the show then after a while you stop seeing the actor and start thinking of them as the character and then it doesn't really matter.

[DinerLandlord]

Nope, Luke Mitchell is at the same age as Jodi Gordon - a couple of monts younger than her (born in April 1985, she born on February 1st 1985). But I do agree with you, that he looks too old to play a teenager, and to be coupled with Annie. I think it would have been better if he was hooked up with Ruby or Nicole because those characters are played by older actresses. Charlotte/Annie is only 16, and the age difference between her and Luke Mitchell/Romeo is too big - so they look strange together.

I meant that in real life Luke Mitchell, the actor, is older than Martha, the character. Luke is 24, but Martha is only 22. But on the show we have Martha dissing Romeo and telling him she isn't interested in him because he's only a kid. It just looks ridiculous.

[jodlebirger]

Nope, Luke Mitchell is at the same age as Jodi Gordon - a couple of monts younger than her (born in April 1985, she born on February 1st 1985). But I do agree with you, that he looks too old to play a teenager, and to be coupled with Annie. I think it would have been better if he was hooked up with Ruby or Nicole because those characters are played by older actresses. Charlotte/Annie is only 16, and the age difference between her and Luke Mitchell/Romeo is too big - so they look strange together.

I meant that in real life Luke Mitchell, the actor, is older than Martha, the character. Luke is 24, but Martha is only 22. But on the show we have Martha dissing Romeo and telling him she isn't interested in him because he's only a kid. It just looks ridiculous.

I really do agree!!!

[revolttostyle]

I must be totally gullible coz I totally find romeo a believable 17/18 year old!!Well hes deffinatly a mature looking one for sure but believable to me!

Deff more then half the actors in other programes or movies out there..

Does anyone know what age is martha's ment to be? I found out a few weeks ago that shes 24 in real life and nearly died of shock..I thought she was like 30 O.o

[~Lynd~]

Other then in the case of Kim and Romeo,and to a degree Cassie it doesn't really bother me.As someone has already said,i think Rachel and Kim were accepted because people forgot he was only suppposed to be 19.

Romeo and Annie are kinda sweet but i find it hard to get over the obvious age difference.I just find it disturbing.

I'd have to agree that the main reason for it is probably that they can get away with more then by using teens.I can't imagine Cassie being played by a teen and having HIV.I just don't think it would work.She did look rediculous in a school uniform though.

[Miranda]

I always thought Kim looked just ridiculous in school uniform, that really was a mistake by the writers/directors/ producers/ whoever [no idea who does what in shows]. Especially as he was friends with Robbie, who was a normal size school boy.

I wondered if HAA has learnt its lesson, because recently they made Aden leave school- was this because Todd has just become too big and muscly to get away with acting the part of a school boy? Now Geoff has left school, probably for the same reason. This is completely right because they are both young men and can't play the parts of boys forever!

I think its easier for girls to stay looking young and small for longer, because obviously they tend not to grow to 6 foot tall and grow huge muscles . Cassie/ Sharni was incredibly slim and young looking, so is Ruby/ Rebecca.