On-Screen Couples With Big Age Differences – Their Age Gap Was Much Larger Than You’d Think
Not everyone looks their age, so it may come as a surprise that many on-screen couples have significant age gaps. Hollywood tends to follow the pattern of an older male with a much younger female, which has been seen in numerous movies and TV shows.
Keep reading through this list in order to see how much of an age difference there was between these famous actors – some of them will surprise you.
The Breakfast Club: Judd Nelson & Molly Ringwald
One of the most-watched films of the 1980s was John Hughes' The Breakfast Club. The film was about five students from different high school cliques getting to know each other in detention.
Molly Ringwald and Judd Nelson were one of the unlikely couples in the film with him being 23 and her being 16 during filming.
Rear Window: Jimmy Stewart & Grace Kelly
One of Alfred Hitchcock's most iconic films was the mystery thriller Rear Window. The 1954 movie centered on a man in a wheelchair who is able to see into his neighbors' apartments.
Grace Kelly played Jimmy Stewart's girlfriend in the film with him being 46 and her being 26 during filming.
I Love Lucy: William Frawley & Vivian Vance
I Love Lucy was one of the most beloved sitcoms of the 20th century, but fans may have missed the large age gap between the two supporting characters.
William Frawley and Vivian Vance played married couple Fred and Ethel Mertz. In reality, Frawley was born in 1887, and Vance was born in 1909, giving them a 22-year age gap.
Pretty Woman: Richard Gere & Julia Roberts
Pretty Woman was a blockbuster hit when it was released in theaters in 1990. The romantic comedy starred Julia Roberts as a woman down on her luck who is hired by a wealthy businessman (Richard Gere).
Those who couldn't tell their age difference on the screen should know Gere was 40 during filming and Roberts was 22.
Casablanca: Humphrey Bogart & Ingrid Bergman
There are very few films that will remain a part of Hollywood history and 1942's Casablanca is one of them. The movie starred Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman as torrid lovers.
Bogart and Bergman received a lot of praise for their performances with him being 42 and her being 27 during filming.
Modern Family: Ed O'Neill & Sofía Vergara
Modern Family centered on a larger extended family and how they interact with different stigmas between the couples. Ed O'Neill and Sofía Vergara played Jay and Gloria Pritchett and both the characters on the show and the fans commented on their age gap.
The ABC sitcom started filming in 2009 when O'Neill was 63 and Vergara was 37.
Harold And Maude: Bud Cort & Ruth Gordon
One of the most significant age gaps in film history was between Bud Cort and Ruth Gordon in Harold and Maude.
The 1971 dark comedy was about an aimless teen boy who learns what life is all about with the help of an elderly woman. Cort was 23 and Gordon was 75 during filming.
The Graduate: Dustin Hoffman & Anne Bancroft
The Graduate is a classic romantic comedy starring Dustin Hoffman, Anne Bancroft, and Katharine Ross. It was released in 1967 and features songs by Simon & Garfunkel.
A large part of the movie is how Hoffman's character is torn between his love for a mother and daughter. In actuality, Hoffman and Bancroft are only six years apart, but their characters have a much larger age gap.
The Wolf Of Wall Street: Leonardo DiCaprio & Margot Robbie
The Wolf of Wall Street was based on a true story of Jordon Belfort's career as a New York City stockbroker. The film earned several Academy Award nominations including Best Picture and Best Actor.
Leonardo DiCaprio and Margot Robbie played husband and wife in the film. DiCaprio was 39 and Robbie was 23 during filming.
Curb Your Enthusiasm: Larry David & Cheryl Hines
One of HBO's longest-running sitcoms is Larry David's Curb Your Enthusiasm. The series shows a semi-autobiographical view of David's life in Hollywood with him always seeming to get mixed up in tricky situations.
In the earlier seasons, David is married to Cheryl Hines' character. When the series started filming, David was 53 and Hines was 35.
The Proposal: Ryan Reynolds & Sandra Bullock
While Hollywood tends to cast older men with younger women, The Proposal flipped that on its head.
The romantic comedy starred Sandra Bullock as a Canadian executive about to get deported until she lies and says she's getting married to her assistant (Ryan Reynolds). Bullock was 44 and Reynolds was 32 during filming.
Lost In Translation: Bill Murray & Scarlett Johansson
The 2003 romantic comedy Lost in Translation told the story of a failed movie star having a midlife crisis and his move to Tokyo. There, he meets a recent college graduate and they fall in love.
During the filming of this movie, Bill Murray was 53 and Scarlett Johansson was 19.
Seeking A Friend For The End Of The World: Steve Carell & Keira Knightley
Seeking a Friend for the End of the World is an apocalyptic comedy that centers on two strangers who form a bond as an asteroid threatens to destroy Earth.
While Steve Carell and Keira Knightley are familiar faces in Hollywood, they have a significant age gap. Carell was 49 and Knightley was 27 during filming.
Ghost World: Steve Buscemi & Thora Birch
The 2001 dark comedy, Ghost World, was based on the comic book of the same name by Daniel Clowes and starred Thora Birch, Scarlett Johansson, Steve Buscemi, and more.
Birch's character had just graduated high school when she met an older man looking for romance. Buscemi was 43 and Birch was 19 when shooting Ghost World.
Singin' In The Rain: Gene Kelly & Debbie Reynolds
One of the quintessential musical films from the Golden Age of Hollywood was 1952's Singin' in the Rain. It takes place in 1920's Hollywood with silent film actors making a transition to the "talkies."
Gene Kelly and Debbie Reynolds played the two romantic leads with Kelly being 39 and Reynolds being 19 at the start of filming.
Parks And Recreation: Rob Lowe & Rashida Jones
Parks and Recreation became a knockout success on NBC with a hilarious ensemble cast including Amy Poehler, Rashida Jones, Rob Lowe, Nick Offerman, Chris Pratt, Aubrey Plaza, and many more.
Many of the cast members paired up on the show including Jones and Lowe's characters. They are a little over 12 years apart in real life with Lowe being the older one.
Carol: Cate Blanchett & Rooney Mara
Carol was the best-reviewed film of 2015 and grossed over $42 million with an $11 million budget. The movie is set in early 1950s New York and centers on a forbidden affair between a young photographer and older divorcée.
Cate Blanchett was 46 and Rooney Mara was 30 while filming.
Boy Meets World: Rider Strong & Trina McGee-Davis
Boy Meets World was one of the most popular teen sitcoms of the 1990s with unique storylines, loveable characters, and tons of comedy.
Rider Strong played Shawn Hunter, the edgy best friend. It was monumental when he started dating Trina McGee-Davis' character because it was one of the first interracial pairings on a major network. McGee-Davis was 28 and Strong was 17 when their characters first interacted.
The Woman In Red: Gene Wilder & Kelly LeBrock
Gene Wilder wrote, directed, and starred in the 1984 romantic comedy The Woman in Red opposite young actress Kelly LeBrock. Stevie Wonder won an Oscar for his original song "I Just Called to Say I Love You."
Since the film came out in 1984, that would make Wilder 51 and LeBrock 24 during filming.
Never Have I Ever: Darren Barnet & Maitreyi Ramakrishnan
One of the most popular teen series on Netflix is the heartfelt comedy Never Have I Ever. The show focuses on an Indian-American teen dealing with the perils of high school.
Darren Barnet and Maitreyi Ramakrishnan have a real will they or won't they relationship. When the show started filming, Barnet was 28 and Ramakrishnan was 18.
