50 celebrities who are actually older than they look
Some famous actors and musicians are older than you might think.
Nicola Coughlan is 37 but plays teenager Penelope Featherington in "Bridgerton."
Here are 50 celebrities and their surprising ages.
The world is halfway through season three of "Bridgerton," and the internet still cannot seem to wrap its head around the fact that Nicola Coughlan, who plays lead Penelope Featherington, is 37.
Coughlan is just one of many "Bridgerton" actors who are older than their characters, and represents a common Hollywood casting phenomena wherein most "teenagers" audiences see on-screen in shows like "Euphoria" or "The Vampire Diaries" are actually in their 20s and 30s.
But it's not just actors whose youthful looks leave audiences fooled. Here's a look at 50 celebrities who are actually older than you thought. Someone please tell us their skincare regimens.
Anjelica Oswald contributed to an earlier version of this report.
Nicola Coughlan, 37
Coughlan told Teen Vogue in April 2024 that the discourse around her age was "super funny" and that she'd "never hidden" it.
She acknowledged the conversation again, as well as the issue of ageism in Hollywood, in an interview with ETalk.
"I'm not a nepo baby, I don't have any connection to the industry. I had to work my ass off to get to where I am and that took me this long, and I'm like, I'm really proud of that," Coughlan said.
Claudia Jessie, 34
Coughlan isn't the only "Bridgerton" star to play a role much younger than their real age. Claudia Jessie, 34, plays 19-year-old Eloise Bridgerton.
Salma Hayek Pinault, 57
The actress started her career when she was 23 and most recently starred in "Magic Mike 3."
Gwen Stefani, 54
The former "The Voice" coach started her career singing lead for No Doubt, which was signed to a record contract in 1991. In 2024, she and the band reunited for a headlining set at Coachella that featured surprise guest Olivia Rodrigo.
Jennifer Lopez, 54
"Jenny from the Block" got her start as a dancer on "In Living Color" in 1991 before launching successful careers in music and acting. Some of her recent projects include "This is Me... Now," which is the name of both her ninth studio album and her self-funded movie musical, and traditional rom-coms like "Marry Me."
Paul Rudd, 55
From "Clueless" to the "Ant-Man" franchise, Rudd has had a prolific acting career since he started at 23.
Christie Brinkley, 70
She started modeling in the late '70s, and now her daughters are following in her footsteps.
Cindy Crawford, 58
She dropped out of college where she was studying chemical engineering to start modeling in 1986. Her look-alike daughter, Kaia Gerber, is also a model.
Keanu Reeves, 59
From "Youngblood" and "Speed" to the "John Wick" series, Reeves has been acting for three decades and people still can't get enough of him.
Angela Bassett, 65
The two-time Academy Award nominee has been acting since 1986, with starring roles in films and TV shows like "What's Love Got to Do with It" and "9-1-1." Bassett received an honorary Oscar in 2024.
John Cho, 51
Among his best-known roles, he played Harold in the "Harold & Kumar" films.
Anna Kendrick, 38
Kendrick started doing theater as a child and has gone on to star in dozens of films, including the iconic "Pitch Perfect" trilogy.
Cher, 78
Cher started her singing career in the '60s and she's still an icon.
Candace Cameron-Bure, 48
Her first role was on "St. Elsewhere" in 1982 before her roles in "Full House" and "Fuller House" as D.J. Tanner.
Lori Loughlin, 59
Loughlin also famously appeared in "Full House" and "Fuller House" as Rebecca Donaldson Katsopolis, better known as Aunt Becky.
Halle Berry, 57
The former beauty queen has starred in popular films such as "Catwoman" and the "X-Men" franchise. In 2002, she became the first Black woman to win best actress at the Academy Awards for her role as Leticia Musgrove in "Monster's Ball."
Gabrielle Union, 51
Union rose to fame through her roles in iconic films like "10 Things I Hate About You," "She's All That," and "Bring It On."
Jared Leto, 52
He had his big break in the '90s on "My So-Called Life" and won an Oscar in 2014 for his role in "Dallas Buyers Club."
Sofia Vergara, 51
The Colombian actress went from starring in a Pepsi commercial in 1992 to gaining widespread recognition for her role in "Modern Family."
Nina Dobrev, 35
There must have been something in the water on the set of "The Vampire Diaries" because none of the cast members have appeared to age in the seven years since the show ended, including Nina Dobrev, who started playing Elena Gilbert and Katherine Pierce when she was only 20.
John Stamos, 60
Stamos made his acting debut on "General Hospital" in 1982, but became a household name through his role as Uncle Jesse in "Full House."
Sandra Bullock, 59
She made her acting debut in 1987 in "Hangmen," and has since starred in rom-coms like "The Proposal" and "Miss Congeniality." Bullock also won an Oscar for best actress in 2009 for her role in "The Blind Side."
Troian Bellisario, 38
Her breakthrough role in "Pretty Little Liars" earned her two Teen Choice Awards.
Mario Lopez, 50
He is best known for depicting A.C. Slater on "Saved by the Bell" in the '80s and '90s.
Ellen DeGeneres, 66
While she broke out on her self-titled sitcom in 1997, she's now widely known for her two-decades-long run as a talk show host on "The Ellen Show," which ended in a series of controversies.
Vanna White, 67
The "Wheel of Fortune" hostess has been on the show since 1982.
Pharrell Williams, 51
The Grammy-winning producer and artist has worked with megastars including Gwen Stefani, Daft Punk, Jay-Z, Ariana Grande, and Robin Thicke. In addition to music, Williams was named creative director of menswear at Louis Vuitton in 2023.
Taraji P. Henson, 53
Henson made her film debut in 1998 and has since starred in a number of successful projects across film and TV like "Hidden Figures," 2023's "The Color Purple," and "Empire." For the latter, she won a Golden Globe for best actress in a television series drama in 2016.
Mariah Carey, 55
Legendary pop and R&B singer Mariah Carey rose to fame with her self-titled album in 1990. Known for her incredible vocal range, Carey was named the fifth best singer of all-time by Rolling Stone in 2023, and of course, who could forget her iconic rendition of the holiday classic, "All I Want for Christmas Is You."
Denzel Washington, 69
Washington's award-winning career has spanned over 40 years and includes critically acclaimed projects and beloved classics like "Training Day," "Remember the Titans," and "Fences." He was named the best actor of the 21st century by The New York Times in 2020.
Alyson Hannigan, 50
The "American Pie" star rose to mainstream fame while depicting Willow in "Buffy the Vampire Slayer."
Carly Rae Jepsen, 38
The pop star had her first viral hit, "Call Me Maybe," in 2012. More recently, she was the voice behind the "Fuller House" theme song.
Andrea Barber, 47
She started acting on "Days of Our Lives" in 1982, and she gained prominence as Kimmy Gibbler on "Full House" and "Fuller House."
Freddie Highmore, 32
The "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" star won the Critics' Choice Movie Award for best young performer in both 2005 and 2006. Highmore recently concluded his time as Shaun Murphy on ABC's "The Good Doctor," for which he earned a Golden Globe nomination in 2018.
Thomas Brodie-Sangster, 34
Brodie-Sangster has been acting for over two decades, getting his start in films like "Love Actually" and "Nanny McPhee." In 2021, he was nominated for a Primetime Emmy for his supporting role in "The Queen's Gambit."
Jim Parsons, 51
Parsons, who rose to fame as Sheldon Cooper in "The Big Bang Theory," starred in the 2022 rom-com "Spoiler Alert."
Leslie Jones, 56
Jones joined the cast of "Saturday Night Live" in 2014 when she was 47, and soon became a featured player on the show.
Robin Wright, 58
Wright's known for starring in iconic films like "The Princess Bride" and "Forrest Gump." More recently, she has acted in popular TV shows like "House of Cards," and in box-office hits like "Wonder Woman" and "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo."
Michelle Pfeiffer, 66
She broke into the entertainment industry in 1982 when she starred in "Grease 2."
Justin Hartley, 47
His first role was on the soap opera "Passions" in 2002, and he has since risen to prominence for his roles on "This Is Us" and "Tracker."
Padma Lakshmi, 53
Lakshmi earned 15 Emmy nominations for her time as host and executive producer of "Top Chef." Now, she hosts and executive produces "Taste the Nation with Padma Lakshmi," which highlights foods created by immigrant and indigenous communities around the US.
Katie Holmes, 45
Since breaking out on "Dawson's Creek" in 1998, Holmes has starred in a number of popular films such as "Mad Money," "Jack and Jill," and "Don't Be Afraid of the Dark."
Chris Rock, 59
Rock began his prolific career by doing stand-up and has won three Grammys and four Emmys for his work as a comedian and actor. In 2017, he was named the fifth best stand up comic of all time by Rolling Stone.
Lucy Liu, 55
She began her career as an actress on "Ally McBeal" in 1998. Her most recent role is as Joyce Newman in "A Man in Full." She became the second Asian woman to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2019, and was honored with Gold House's Gold Legend Award in 2024.
Jodie Sweetin, 42
Sweetin was just 5 years old when she first began starring on "Full House" as Stephanie Tanner.
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, 63
Louis-Dreyfus began her career when she was 21 as a cast member of "Saturday Night Live," and has gone on to star in some of the most beloved sitcoms, including "Seinfeld" and "Veep."
Anne Hathaway, 41
In 1999, she made her acting debut in the TV series "Get Real." She's starred in fan-favorites including "Ella Enchanted," "The Devil Wears Prada," and "The Princess Diaries." In 2024, the Oscar-winning actress starred in "The Idea of You" alongside Nicholas Galitzine.
Gwyneth Paltrow, 51
Paltrow began receiving widespread recognition as an actress in the late 1990s for movies like "Sliding Doors" and "Shakespeare in Love," but she now primarily focuses on her lifestyle brand, Goop.
Shakira, 47
Shakira is arguably best known for her 2006 hit single, "Hips Don't Lie," which reached the No. 1 spot on the Billboard's Top 100. In 2023, she was honored by MTV with a lifetime achievement award.
Alexa Demie, 33
Although Demie's age has been the subject of speculation, Complex wished the "Euphoria" star a happy 33rd birthday on December 11, 2023, meaning, if the date is correct, she's 33.
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