Actors whose real identity was 'out of whack' with the onscreen-character

Grease was filmed in 1977, most of the main cast were adults playing teens
Stockard Channing (Rizzo) being the oldest at 33.
John Travolta (Danny) was 23.
Olivia Newton-John (Sandy) was 29.

Bugsy Malone they were all kids who knew

Porridge actor David Jason was in his mid-thirties when he played the elderly character of Blanco Webb, who was supposed to be 63 years old.
 
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Grease was filmed in 1977, most of the main cast were adults playing teens
Stockard Channing (Rizzo) being the oldest at 33.
John Travolta (Danny) was 23.
Olivia Newton-John (Sandy) was 29.

Bugsy Malone they were all kids who knew

Porridge actor David Jason was in his mid-thirties when he played the elderly character of Blanco Webb, who was supposed to be 63 years old.
He just missed out on being Corporal Jones in Dad's Army. Clive Dunn was first choice and wasn't going to take it then changed his mind.
 
When Robert Powell played Jesus of Nazareth in 1977, in real life, he was a follower of the cult of Aleister Crowley, regularly partaking of child sacrifice, orgies and other forms of devil worship.**


**might not be totally accurate

Aleister Crowley - Wikipedia

 
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The Railway Children. (film)

Jenny Agutter (17yrs) played the eldest child, because she was much taller than her older co-star, Sally Thomsett (20yrs). Incidentally, Thomsett was playing an 11 year old, and she was forbidden from smoking or drinking during filming, or allowed to reveal her true age.
 
He just missed out on being Corporal Jones in Dad's Army. Clive Dunn was first choice and wasn't going to take it then changed his mind.
I read this before paying attention to the bit in bold and was a bit baffled - John Travolta in Dad's Army?
 
Heathcliff (1996), a stage production by Cliff Richard centering on the hero of Brontë's Wuthering Heights. It broke box office sales records, but critics were a touch upset that a nearly 200 year old Cliff Richard was playing a man in his early 20's.
The fans didn't care.
(Cliff was a sprightly 56 at the time of Heathcliff)
 
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Yentl.(1983) filum
Barbara Streisand, then in her 40's, cast herself in the lead role , as a 17 year old girl.
 
Of course, Hollywood has had a huge number of on screen hunks. Idols that the ladies fancied. But sadly, the sentiment was not always reciprocal.



And not just the fellas. Cannibal Hannibal Lector was probably wasting his time. Him fantasising about a romantic relationship with Clarice Starling. If he knew the truth about Jodie Foster, we are not sure he could stomach that ?

Gay actors playing straight characters ? a longstanding tradition. However , there has recently been some controversy about the converse. With many gay activists getting upset when the roles for gay characters ( say, Alexander the Great ) go to straight actors ( Colin Farrell ).

 
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Hugh Grant. Not the floppy haired, eye fluttering drip he appears in 4 Weddings and a Funeral. Arrested for kerb crawling or whatever in LA. (Ok for Richard Gere in a romcom funnily)

Later Grant does Notting Hill and a similar character. Then comes Brigette Jones and more his true character apparently.
 
Of course, Hollywood has had a huge number of on screen hunks. Idols that the ladies fancied. But sadly, the sentiment was not always reciprocal.



And not just the fellas. Cannibal Hannibal Lector was probably wasting his time. Him fantasising about a romantic relationship with Clarice Starling. If he knew the truth about Jodie Foster, we are not sure he could stomach that ?

Gay actors playing straight characters ? a longstanding tradition. However , there has recently been some controversy about the converse. With many gay activists getting upset when the roles for gay characters ( say, Alexander the Great ) go to straight actors ( Colin Farrell ).

It's called acting for a reason. Can only serial killers be cast as Hannibal Lecter?
Another cast against type was Melvyn Hayes (Gloria in It Ain't Half Hot, Mum) he's been married 3 times and has 6 kids.
 
there was always a question mark about the quiet 'boy' on the horse. Almost invisible sometimes as he was Surrounded by so many mentalers.

RiP Pigsy, last year.

 

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