concerns about PoA -Age vs Looks

[Steve]

--- In HPFGU-Movie at yahoogroups.com, artsylynda at a... wrote:
> In a message dated 4/21/2003 3:55:48 AM Eastern Standard Time, 
> HPFGU-Movie at yahoogroups.com writes:
> 
> > can you picture 'the dream team' in their twenties, 
> > playing school kids?
> > 
> > ~Faith~
> > 
> 
> oh yes, absolutely! It happens all the time.  Most TV series or 
> films in the US that feature "high school" kids (which is what our 
> kids will be playing when they're in their twenties if they're still
>  doing HP films) are played by  actors in their twenties.  
> "Smallville" (a TV series on the WB network) stars Tom Welling who's
> at least 23, but he's playing 16.  
> 
> ...edited..
>
> Lynda 
> * * *
> "Don't let  the Muggles get you down." Ron Weasley PoA


boy_mn:
What destroys young actor's careers is not age but looks. Many
incredibly cute kids pass through puberty and become only marginally
good looking adults.

Take- 
Tony Dow and Jerry Mathers (Wally & Beaver) of Leave it to Beaver
(1957). Actors who once they developed their adult looks, never saw
the light of day in the acting world again. Although, Jerry Mathers is
still trying desparately to cash in on his 'Beaver' fame by doing
guest shots on TV.

Fred Savage (Kevin Arnold) of 'The Wonder Years'. A heart-throb of a
young boy who, like many dominated teen mags like '16' & 'Bop'. When
he reached his teen years his looks completely changed, and while he
did get a short lived series playing an adult, for the most part he
has never been heard of again.

Wil Wheaton - most famous for his role of Wesley Crusher on Star
Trek-NG. He has over 43 credits and made two movie with Richard
Dreyfuss, and of course, the classic "Stand by Me" with River Phoenix.
Yet once, his appearance change, and he took on his adult appearance,
he has struggle to find work. I've always been a big Wesley
Crusher/Wil Wheaton fan. ( http://www.wilwheaton.net/ ). He has been
struggling against the change is his looks and against being
perpetually seen as Wesly Crusher.

Now take -
Mccaulay Culkin - he still looks pretty much the same. His features
didn't change dramatically as he aged. While, mostly due to family
trouble, he dropped out of sight for a while, he has been doing very
well on the London theater stage, and has been in a long running play
in which he plays a 15 year old boy (he's 23). Keep in mind that he is
short. 

Micheal J Fox - who because he was short and somewhat boyish looking,
has been playing character who ages are far below his own. I think his
first role was, at age 16 or 17, to play a boy who was age 12 on stage.

Frankie Muniz of "Malcolm in the Middle" (age 18) who plays a
character who just this season, I believe, moved from Junior High to
highschool. So his character is 13 or 14 and Frankie is age 18. Again
because he is short and retained his boyish looks as he aged. 

The extreme examples of this would be Emanual Lewis and [Sorry, I'm
drawing a blank on the other short black kid who's career is in the
dumper since he was no longer able to play kid roles].

Point-
Our trio of actors can and will continue to play their Harry Potter
roles as long as they look the parts regardless of age. 

Rupert Grint has changed dramatically but not badly. He's lost his
round little boy face and his features are sharper and more angular,
but I still think he looks the part. But if his appearance continues
to change, there is a good possibility he will lose the role.

Daniel Radcliffe has also lost that round little boy appearance and he
does have a very mature look to him, but he is still short, still
looks young, and can probably carry the role throught PoA. But if he
has a substantial growth spurt and his facial features become more
sharp and defined, there is a good change we will not see him in GoF.
Remember that GoF is probably 3 and possibly 4 years away.

So age is irrelevant, the actors could be in their 30's and still play
the parts, AS LONG AS they retain their very young childish looks. One
of the big killers is height. It's hard to believe that a person 6 ft.
2 in. with sharp angular features is still in highschool.

For reference -
Clark Kent - Tom Welling is 26
Frodo - Elijah Wood is 22
Justin Berfield - Malcom's older brother is 17 (Malcom/Fankie is 18)
Kevin Arnold - Fred Savage is 27

Just a thought

bboy_mn