History Analysis / DawsonCasting

# While animated characters present fewer problems, teen voices, especially male ones, still break without much warning. Therefore, even if an actor is capable of emulating their younger voice at a later age, recording sessions become complicated. Adult voice actors, primarily female ones, do not have to deal with this difficulty, and are usually more experienced anyway.
# [[PaedoHunt Obscenity and child porn laws]]; as per these regulations, it is generally illegal to show even simulated sex on film[[note]]And in many countries, even in animation.[[/note]] unless all of the involved individuals are at least 18 years of age. Having adults play the characters allows the filmmakers to depict various behaviors on camera that would get them arrested if even one of the actors turned out to be 17 or younger.
# Dawson Casting permits {{fanservice}} as well as [[ComedicUnderwearExposure some forms]] [[NakedPeopleAreFunny of humor]] without running into trouble. In most countries, the above laws forbid not just child nudity, but also sexualized depictions of minors, which is just enough of a wild card to worry filmmakers. An underwear shot, for example, can come across as a "sexualized depiction" even if that was not the true intention.
# Most successful teen actors -- i.e., the ones with the most experience and impressive resumes -- are the child equivalents of Dawson Casting. This is because, compared to actual children, teenagers are more able to remember lines, and are less likely to [[NeverWorkWithChildrenOrAnimals go completely off the rails on some random whim]].

----
This trope works better with females than with males. Girls can keep a very similar facial structure and vocal range even after going through puberty, but boys tend to have a significantly deepened voice and facial stubble that is faintly visible even if shaved. Therefore, a man in his twenties or a boy in his late teens playing a 15-year-old is less convincing than a woman or a girl within the same age ranges playing a 15-year-old. For example, look at 18-year-old Austin St. John, playing a high school freshman on ''Series/MightyMorphinPowerRangers''. [[http://a3.ec-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/31/63039052fc135e5f1bed3aa4349a0ace/l.jpg It does not look right.]] Now look at 22-year-old Creator/AmyJoJohnson, playing a high school freshman on the same show. [[http://images4.fanpop.com/image/photos/22800000/amy-jo-johson-amy-jo-johnson-22845809-1024-768.jpg This trope is not as obvious here.]]

# Labor laws and regulations apply to acting just as they do to any other profession, which means that child actors are subjected to a whole string of laws, including education requirements as well as restrictions on work hours. These conditions are rarely convenient when one is trying to meet the deadlines for finishing a film or a TV season.

# Child characters in animated TV shows are often portrayed by adult voice actors. [[CrossdressingVoices Prepubescent boys are usually played by adult women]] because real young boys tend to undergo voice changes as they get older. Child characters usually don't age as fast in the animated world ([[NotAllowedToGrowUp if they age at all]]) as the actor does in the real world, so this often creates a problem (i.e. having a ten-year-old boy who sounds like he's sixteen). It's easier to cast someone whose voice will remain essentially the same for however long the story goes on than it is to [[TheOtherDarrin constantly recast the character]]. Since the voice actors in are only heard and not seen, it doesn't matter how old the actor is, as long as they can ''sound'' young. ChildrenVoicingChildren is the exception to the rule, of course.

# Child characters in animated TV shows are often portrayed by adult voice actors. [[CrossdressingVoices Prepubescent boys are usually played by adult women]] because real young boys tend to undergo voice changes as they get older. Child characters usually don't age as fast in the animated world ([[NotAllowedToGrowUp if they age at all]]) as the actor does in the real world, so this often creates a problem (i.e. having a ten-year-old boy who sounds like he's sixteen). It's easier to cast someone whose voice will remain essentially the same for however long the story goes on than it is to [[TheOtherDarrin constantly recast the character]]. Since the voice actors in are only heard and not seen, so it doesn't matter how old the actor is, as long as they can ''sound'' young. ChildrenVoicingChildren is the exception to the rule, of course.

# [[CrossdressingVoices Adult women are usually cast as prepubescent boys]] in animated TV shows because real young boys tend to undergo voice changes as they get older. Since child characters usually don't age as fast in the animated world ([[NotAllowedToGrowUp if they age at all]]) as the actor does in the real world, this often creates a problem (i.e. having a ten-year-old boy who sounds like he's sixteen). It's easier to cast someone whose voice will remain mostly the same for however long the story goes on than it is to [[TheOtherDarrin constantly recast the character]]. Plus, the voice actors in are only heard and not seen, so it doesn't matter how old the actor is, as long as they can ''sound'' young.

# [[CrossdressingVoices Adult women are usually cast as prepubescent boys]] in animation because real young boys tend to undergo voice changes as they get older. Since child characters usually don't age as fast in the animated world as the real world ([[NotAllowedToGrowUp if they age at all]]), it's easier to cast someone whose voice will remain the same for however long the story goes on than to have a ten-year-old boy who sounds like he's fifteen, or to constantly recast the character. Plus, the actors in cartoons are only heard and not seen, so it doesn't matter how old the actor is, as long as they can ''sound'' young.

# Labor laws and regulations apply to acting just as they do to any other profession. There is a whole string of laws that child actors are subject to. This includes (in the UK and the USA) education requirements as well as restrictions on work hours. These conditions are rarely convenient when one is trying to meet the deadlines for finishing a film or a TV season.

# Teenagers are less capable than young adults of effectively handling the pressures of stardom. Furthermore, a teenager is far more likely to leave a show after one season (or a film series after one entry) to focus on their education.

This trope works better with females than with males. Most shows focus on the actors' faces, and while girls can keep a very similar facial structure and vocal range even after going through puberty, boys tend to have a significantly deepened voice and a facial stubble, which is faintly visible even if it is shaved. Therefore, a man in his twenties or a boy in his late teens playing a 15-year-old is less convincing than a woman or a girl within the same age ranges playing a 15-year-old. For example, look at 18-year-old Austin St. John, playing a high school freshman on ''Series/MightyMorphinPowerRangers''. [[http://a3.ec-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/31/63039052fc135e5f1bed3aa4349a0ace/l.jpg It does not look right.]] Now look at 22-year-old Creator/AmyJoJohnson, playing a high school freshman on the same show. [[http://images4.fanpop.com/image/photos/22800000/amy-jo-johson-amy-jo-johnson-22845809-1024-768.jpg This trope is not as obvious here.]]

# Dawson Casting permits {{fanservice}} as well as [[ComedicUnderwearExposure some forms of humor]] without running into trouble. In most countries, the above laws forbid not just child nudity, but also sexualized depictions of minors, which is just enough of a wild card to worry filmmakers. An underwear shot, for example, can come across as a "sexualized depiction" even if that was not the true intention.

Although DawsonCasting is frequently ridiculed, mocked, and parodied, there are actually many practical reasons for this trope's usage.

# It is easier to tell a teenager apart from a young adult if you yourself fall into either one of these age categories. Professional casting directors are usually middle-aged or older. To them, a 16-year-old does ''not'' look noticeably younger than a 21-year-old.
# Puberty tends to be fickle. An adorable 14-year-old can transform into a gawky, gangly 16-year-old with rather shocking celerity, and even [[SheIsAllGrownUp grow up into a walking fanservice repository]] by the time they are 18. Furthermore, most movies and TV programs are not filmed in the order that is shown on screen, so you could have someone leave a building as a child, appear outside looking like a teenager, then become a child again when they re-enter the building. This inconsistency will not happen if the actor has already completed puberty.

# While animated characters present fewer problems, teen voices, particularly male ones, still break without much warning. Therefore, even if an actor is capable of emulating their younger voice at a later age, recording sessions become complicated. Adult voice actors, especially female ones, do not have to deal with this difficulty, and are usually more experienced anyway.

This trope works better with females than with males. Most shows focus on the actors' faces, and while girls can keep a very similar facial structure and vocal range even after going through puberty, boys tend to have a significantly deepened voice and a facial stubble, which is faintly visible even if it is shaved. Therefore, a man in his twenties or a boy in his late teens playing a 15-year-old is less believable than a woman or a girl within the same age ranges playing a 15-year-old. For example, look at Austin St. John from ''Series/MightyMorphinPowerRangers'', at age 18, playing a high-school freshman. [[http://a3.ec-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/31/63039052fc135e5f1bed3aa4349a0ace/l.jpg It doesn't look right.]] Now look at Creator/AmyJoJohnson, older than Austin at age 22, playing a character on the same show, also a high school freshman. [[http://images4.fanpop.com/image/photos/22800000/amy-jo-johson-amy-jo-johnson-22845809-1024-768.jpg It's noticeably less obvious.]]

# Most successful teen actors -- i.e., the ones with the most experience and impressive resumes -- are the child equivalents of Dawson Casting. This is because, compared to actual children, teenagers are more able to remember lines, and are less likely to go completely off the rails on some random whim.

# While animated characters present fewer problems, teen voices (sometimes in both sexes) still break without much warning. Therefore, even if an actor is capable of emulating their younger voice at a later age, recording sessions become complicated. Adult (especially female) voice actors do not have to deal with this difficulty, and are usually more experienced anyway.
# [[PaedoHunt Obscenity and child porn laws.]] In the United States, it is generally illegal to show even simulated sex on film[[note]]And in many countries, even in animation.[[/note]] unless all of the involved individuals are at least 18 years of age. Having adults play the characters allows the filmmakers to depict various behaviors on camera that would get them arrested if even one of the actors turned out to be 17 or younger.

This trope works better with females than with males. Most shows focus on the actors' faces, and while girls can keep a very similar facial structure and vocal range even after going through puberty, boys tend to have a significantly deepened voice and a facial stubble, which is faintly noticeable even if it is shaved. Therefore, a man in his twenties or a boy in his late teens playing a 15-year-old is less believable than a woman or a girl within the same age ranges playing a 15-year-old. For example, look at Austin St. John from ''Series/MightyMorphinPowerRangers'', at age 18, playing a high-school freshman. [[http://a3.ec-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/31/63039052fc135e5f1bed3aa4349a0ace/l.jpg It doesn't look right.]] Now look at Creator/AmyJoJohnson, older than Austin at age 22, playing a character on the same show, also a high school freshman. [[http://images4.fanpop.com/image/photos/22800000/amy-jo-johson-amy-jo-johnson-22845809-1024-768.jpg It's noticeably less obvious.]]

# Labor laws and regulations apply to acting just as they do to any other profession. There is a whole string of laws that child actors are subject to. This includes (in the UK and the USA) education requirements as well as restrictions on night shoots and work hours. These conditions are rarely convenient when one is trying to meet the deadlines for finishing a film or a TV season.
# Related to the above, several countries require a parent or a legal guardian to be present whenever a child actor is on the set. It is challenging enough arranging for a child to take many weeks off school to appear in a film or television program; asking their caregiver to sacrifice the same amount of time as well is even more difficult.

# Television programs and movies tend to be filmed over several months and, in some cases, ''years''. Child actors run the risk of outgrowing their characters and, due to puberty, an 18 year old can look very different from a 15 year old. [[NotAllowedToGrowOld The age gap between a 20 year old and a 23 year old, on the other hand, is not as conspicuous]], [[OlderThanTheyLook unless one of them happens to look young for their age]], though that is less common.

# [[PaedoHunt Obscenity and child porn laws.]] In the United States, it is generally illegal to show even simulated sex on film[[note]]And in many countries, even in animation.[[/note]] unless all of the involved actors are at least 18 years of age. Having adults play the characters allows the filmmakers to depict various behaviors on camera that would get them arrested if even one of the actors turned out to be 17 or younger.
# Related to the above, Dawson Casting permits {{fanservice}} and [[ComedicUnderwearExposure some forms of humor]] without running into trouble. Laws against child pornography forbid not just actual child nudity, but also "sexualized depictions" of minors, which is just enough of a wild card to worry filmmakers: is an underwear shot a "sexualized depiction"?

This trope works better with females than with males. Most shows focus on the actor's faces, and while girls can keep a very similar facial structure and vocal range even after going through puberty, boys tend to have a significantly deepened voice and a facial stubble, which is faintly noticeable even if it is shaved. Therefore, a man in his twenties or a boy in his late teens playing a 15-year-old is less believable than a woman or a girl within the same age ranges playing a 15-year-old. For example, look at Austin St. John from ''Series/MightyMorphinPowerRangers'', at age 18, playing a high-school freshman. [[http://a3.ec-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/31/63039052fc135e5f1bed3aa4349a0ace/l.jpg It doesn't look right.]] Now look at Creator/AmyJoJohnson, older than Austin at age 22, playing a character on the same show, also a high school freshman. [[http://images4.fanpop.com/image/photos/22800000/amy-jo-johson-amy-jo-johnson-22845809-1024-768.jpg It's noticeably less obvious.]]

# Many actors who start their careers as children or teenagers do so because of [[PushyStageParent stage parents]] who not only cause long-term psychological harm, but are also considered a nuisance for filmmakers, as they frequently butt in and [[WagTheDirector try to dictate]] various parts of the production.

Although DawsonCasting is a frequently ridiculed, mocked, and parodied, there are actually many practical reasons for this trope's usage.

Although DawsonCasting is a frequent target for ridicule, mockery, and parody, there are actually many practical reasons for this trope's usage.
# Labor laws and regulations apply to acting just as they do to any other profession. There is a whole string of laws that child actors are subject to, including (in the UK and the USA) education requirements and restrictions on night shoots and work hours. These conditions are rarely convenient when one is trying to meet the deadlines for finishing a film or a TV season.
# Related to the above, several countries require a parent or a legal guardian to be present whenever a child actor is on the set. It is challenging enough arranging for a child to take many weeks off school to appear in a film or television program; asking their caregiver to sacrifice the same amount of time as well complicates things further.

# The pressures of stardom are harder for a teenager to handle than a young adult. A young adult is far less likely to leave a show after one season (or a film series after one entry) to focus on their education than an actual teenager is.
# It is easier to see the differences between a teenager and a young adult if you yourself fall into either one of these age categories. Professional casting directors are usually middle-aged or older. To them, a 16-year-old does ''not'' look noticeably younger than a 21-year-old.
# Puberty tends to be fickle. An adorable 14-year-old can transform into a gawky, gangly 16-year-old with rather shocking celerity, and even [[SheIsAllGrownUp grow up into a walking Fanservice repository]] by the time they are 18. Furthermore, most movies and TV programs are not filmed in the order that is shown on screen, so you could have someone leave a building as a child, appear outside looking like a teenager, then become a child again when they reenter the building. This inconsistency will not happen if the actor has already completed puberty.

# While animated characters present fewer problems, teen voices (sometimes in both sexes) still break without much warning. Therefore, even if an actor is capable of emulating their younger voice at an older age, recording sessions become complicated. Adult (especially female) voice actors do not present these difficulties, and are usually more experienced anyway.

# Labor laws and regulations apply to acting just as they do any other profession. There are a whole string of laws that child actors are subject to, including (in the UK and the USA) education requirements and restrictions on night shoots and work hours. These conditions are rarely convenient when one is trying to meet the deadlines for finishing a film or a TV season.
# On a similar note, several countries require a parent or legal guardian to be present whenever a child actor is on the set. It is challenging enough arranging for a child to take many weeks off school to appear in a film or television program; asking their caregiver to sacrifice the same amount of time as well is doubly complicated.

# It is easier to see the difference between a teenager and a young adult if you yourself fall into either one of these age categories. Professional casting directors, on the other hand, are usually middle-aged or older. To them, a 16-year-old ''does not'' look noticeably younger than a 21-year-old.
# Puberty tends to be fickle. A cute 14-year-old can transform into a gawky, gangly 16-year-old with rather shocking celerity, and even [[SheIsAllGrownUp grow up into a walking Fanservice repository]] by the time they are 18. Furthermore, most movies and TV programs are not filmed in the order that is shown on screen, so you could have someone leave a building as a child, appear outside looking almost teenage, then become childlike again when they reenter the building. This inconsistency will not happen if the actor has already completed puberty.
# Television series tend to be filmed over the course of several months and even ''years''. Child actors run the risk of outgrowing their characters and, due to puberty, an 18 year old can look very different from a 15 year old. [[NotAllowedToGrowOld The age difference between a 20 year old and a 23 year old is not as conspicuous]], [[OlderThanTheyLook unless one of them happens to look young for their age]], though that is, a little more often than not, not the case.
# While animated characters present fewer problems, teen voices (sometimes in both sexes) still break without much warning. Therefore, even if an actor is capable of emulating their younger voice afterwards, recording sessions become complicated. Adult (especially female) voice actors do not have these difficulties, and usually have more experience anyway.
# [[PaedoHunt Obscenity and child porn laws.]] In the US, it is generally illegal to show even simulated sex on film[[note]]And in many countries, even in animation.[[/note]] unless all of the involved actors are at least 18 years of age. Having adults play the characters allows the filmmakers to depict various acts on camera that would get them arrested if even one of the actors turned out to be 17 or younger.
# Related to the above, Dawson Casting permits {{fanservice}} and [[ComedicUnderwearExposure some forms of humor]] without running into legal trouble. Laws against child pornography forbid not just actual child nudity, but also "sexualized depictions" of minors, which is just enough of a wild card to worry filmmakers: is an underwear shot a "sexualized depiction"?
# Most successful teen actors -- i.e., the ones with the most experience and impressive resumes -- are the child-analogues of Dawson Casting because, compared to actual children, they are more able to remember lines, and are less likely to go completely off the rails on some random whim.
# Many actors who get into showbiz as children or teenagers do so because of [[PushyStageParent stage parents]] who, in addition to being psychologically harmful, can be a nuisance for filmmakers, as they frequently butt in and [[WagTheDirector try to dictate]] various parts of the production.

This trope works better with females than with males. Most shows focus on the actor's faces, and while girls can keep a very similar facial structure and vocal range even after going through puberty, boys tend to have a significantly deepened voice and a facial stubble, which is faintly noticeable even if it is shaved. Therefore, a man in his twenties or a boy in his late teens playing a 15-year-old is less believable than a woman or a girl within the same age range playing a 15-year-old. For example, look at Austin St. John from ''Series/MightyMorphinPowerRangers'', at age 18, playing a high-school freshman. [[http://a3.ec-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/31/63039052fc135e5f1bed3aa4349a0ace/l.jpg It doesn't look right.]] Now look at Creator/AmyJoJohnson, older than Austin at age 22, playing a character on the same show, also a high school freshman. [[http://images4.fanpop.com/image/photos/22800000/amy-jo-johson-amy-jo-johnson-22845809-1024-768.jpg It's noticeably less obvious.]]

# Television series tend to be filmed over the course of several months and even ''years''. Child actors run the risk of outgrowing their characters and, due to puberty, an 18 year old can look very different from a 15 year old. [[NotAllowedToGrowOld The age difference between a 20 year old and a 23 year old is not as conspicuous]], [[OlderThanTheyLook unless one of the happens to look young for their age]], though that is, a little more often than not, not the case.

# Television series tend to be filmed over the course of several months and even ''years''. Child actors run the risk of outgrowing their characters and, due to puberty, an 18 year old can look very different from a 15 year old. [[NotAllowedToGrowOld The age difference between a 20 year old and a 23 year old is not as conspicuous]].

# Puberty tends to be fickle. A cute 14-year-old can transform into a gawky, gangly 16-year-old with rather shocking celerity, and even [[SheIsAllGrownUp grow up into a walking Fanservice repository]] by the time they are 18. Furthermore, most movies and TV programs are not filmed in the order that is shown on screen, so you could have someone leave a building as a child, appear outside looking almost teenage, then become childlike again when they reenter the building. This consistently will not happen if the actor has already completed puberty.
# Television series tend to be filmed over the course of several months and even ''years''. Child actors run the risk of outgrowing their characters and, due to puberty, an 18 year old can look significantly different from a 15 year old. [[NotAllowedToGrowOld The age difference between a 20 year old and a 23 year old is not as conspicuous]].
# While animated characters present fewer problems, teen voices (sometimes in both sexes) still break without much warning. Therefore, even if an actor is capable of emulating their younger voice afterwards, recording sessions become complicated. Adult (especially female) voice actors do not have these difficulties, and usually have a wider range anyway.

# Related to the above, Dawson casting permits {{fanservice}} and [[ComedicUnderwearExposure some forms of humor]] without running into legal trouble. Laws against child pornography forbid not just actual child nudity, but also "sexualized depictions" of minors, which is just enough of a wild card to worry filmmakers: is an underwear shot a "sexualized depiction"?

This trope usually works better with females than with males. Most shows focus on the actor's faces, and while girls can keep a very similar facial structure and vocal range even after going through puberty, boys tend to have a significantly deepened voice and a facial stubble, which is faintly noticeable even if it is shaved. Therefore, a man in his twenties or a boy in his late teens playing a 15-year-old is less believable than a woman or a girl within the same age range playing a 15-year-old. For example, look at Austin St. John from ''Series/MightyMorphinPowerRangers'', at age 18, playing a high-school freshman. [[http://a3.ec-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/31/63039052fc135e5f1bed3aa4349a0ace/l.jpg It doesn't look right.]] Now look at Creator/AmyJoJohnson, older than Austin at age 22, playing a character on the same show, also a high school freshman. [[http://images4.fanpop.com/image/photos/22800000/amy-jo-johson-amy-jo-johnson-22845809-1024-768.jpg It's noticeably less obvious.]]

# Labor laws and regulations apply to acting just as they do any other profession. There are a whole string of laws that child actors are subject to, including (in the UK and the USA) education requirements and restrictions on night shoots and work hours. These conditions are rarely ideal when one is trying to meet the deadlines for finishing a film or a TV season.
# On a similar note, several countries require a parent or legal guardian to be present whenever a child actor is on the set. It's challenging enough arranging for a child to take days or weeks off school to appear in a film or television program; asking their parent to give up the same amount of time as well is doubly complicated.
# The vast majority of professional actors are over 18 anyway, so if you hold an audition for a teen role, nine out of ten of the actors you see will be an inappropriate age, and they'll be the ones with good [=CVs=].
# The pressures of stardom are harder for a teen actor to handle than a young adult. A twenty-something is less likely to leave a show after one season (or film series after one entry) to focus on his or her education than an actual teenager is.
# It's easier to see the difference between a teenager and a young adult if you yourself fall into either one of these age categories. Professional casting directors, on the other hand, are often middle-aged or older. To them, a 16-year-old ''doesn't'' look noticeably younger than a 21-year-old.
# Puberty tends to be extremely fickle. A cute 14-year-old can transform into a gawky, gangly 16-year-old with rather shocking celerity, and even [[SheIsAllGrownUp grow up into a sex bomb]] by the time they are 18 -- if not [[JailBait sooner]] (which, as detailed below, creates [[PaedoHunt all sorts of other issues]]). In addition, most movies and TV shows are not shot in the order that is shown on screen, so you could have someone leave a building as a child, appear outside looking almost teenage, then become childlike again when they reenter the building. This won't happen if you've already completed puberty.
# Television series tend to be filmed over the course of several months or even ''years''. A child actor can run the risk of outgrowing their characters and, due to puberty, the age difference between a 15 year old and an 18 year old is extremely noticeable. [[NotAllowedToGrowOld The age difference between a 20 year old and a 23 year old is not as conspicuous]], so television shows and films cast older actors who won't age as noticeably.
# While voice-acting is a smaller issue, teen voices (sometimes in both sexes) still break without much warning. Therefore, even if the actor is capable of emulating their younger voice afterwards, recording sessions become complicated. Adult (especially female) voice actors don't have these difficulties, and usually have a wider range anyway.
# [[PaedoHunt Obscenity and child porn laws.]] In the US, it's generally illegal to do anything that even simulates sex on film[[note]]And in many countries, even in animation.[[/note]] unless everyone involved is 18 or older. Therefore, having older actors allows the filmmakers to depict various acts on camera that would get them arrested if the actors were underage.
# Related to the above, this allows for {{fanservice}} without running into complications. Laws against child pornography forbid not just actual child nudity, but also "sexualized depictions" of minors, which is just enough of a wild card to make filmmakers nervous: is an underwear shot a "sexualized depiction"?
# Most successful teen actors -- i.e., the ones with the most experience and impressive resumes -- are the child-analogues of Dawson Casting because, compared to actual children, they are more able to remember lines, and are less likely to go completely off the rails on some random whim
# Many actors who get into showbiz as children or teenagers do so because of [[PushyStageParent stage parents]] who, in addition to being psychologically harmful, can often be a nuisance for filmmakers, as they frequently butt in and [[WagTheDirector try to dictate]] various parts of the production.

This trope is easier to pull off with females than with males. Most shows focus on the actor's faces, and a woman can keep a very similar facial structure and voice even after going through puberty, whereas the significantly deepened voice and the stubble (even if shaved) on a man's face make the age gap much more noticeable. A man in his twenties or a boy in his late teens playing a 15-year-old is less believable than a woman or a girl within the same age range playing a 15-year-old. For example, look at Austin St. John from ''Series/MightyMorphinPowerRangers'', at age 18, playing a high-school freshman. [[http://a3.ec-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/31/63039052fc135e5f1bed3aa4349a0ace/l.jpg It doesn't look right.]] Now look at Creator/AmyJoJohnson, older than Austin at age 22, playing a character on the same show, also a high school freshman. [[http://images4.fanpop.com/image/photos/22800000/amy-jo-johson-amy-jo-johnson-22845809-1024-768.jpg It's noticeably less obvious.]]

Although DawsonCasting is a frequent target for ridicule, mockery, and parody, there are actually many practical reasons for this trope to exist.

# Labor laws and regulations apply to acting just as they do any other profession. There are a whole string of laws that child actors are subject to, including (in the UK and the USA) education requirements and restrictions on night shoots and work hours. These ideal conditions are rarely ideal when one is trying to meet the deadlines for finishing a film or a TV season.

Despite this trope being a prime source for ridicule, mockery, and parody, there are actually a lot of legitimate reasons for why this is done.
# Labor laws and regulations apply to acting just as they do any other profession. There are a whole string of laws that child actors are subject to, including (in the UK and the USA) education requirements and restrictions on night shoots and work hours. These aren't (always) ideal conditions when trying to meet the deadlines for finishing a film or a TV season.

# The vast majority of professional actors are twenty and up anyway, so if you hold an audition for a teen role, nine out of ten of the actors you see will be an inappropriate age, and they'll be the ones with good [=CVs=].
# The pressures of stardom are harder for a teen actor to handle than a young adult. An actor in his or her twenties is less likely to leave a show after one season (or film series after one entry) to focus on his or her education than an actual teenager is.
# It's easier to see the difference between a teen and a young adult if you are a teen or young adult. Casting directors, on the other hand, are often middle-aged or older. To them, a 16-year-old ''doesn't'' look noticeably younger than a 21-year-old.
# Puberty tends to be extremely fickle. A cute 14-year-old can transform into a gawky, gangly 16-year-old with rather shocking celerity, while a cute, 13-year-old GirlNextDoor type can [[SheIsAllGrownUp grow up into a sex bomb]] by the time she's 18 -- if not [[JailBait sooner]] (which, as detailed below, creates [[PaedoHunt all sorts of other issues]]). In addition, most movies and TV shows are not shot in the order they are in on screen, so you could have someone leave a building as a cute little tyke, appear outside looking almost teenage, then become cute again when they reenter the building. Of course, this won't happen if you've already been through puberty.
# Television series tend to be filmed over the course of several months or even ''years''. Because of this a child actor can run the risk of outgrowing the age of their characters, so television shows cast older actors who won't age as noticeably. The age difference between a 15 year old and an 18 year old is extremely noticeable. [[NotAllowedToGrowOld The age difference between a 20 year old and a 23 year old however isn't.]]
# While voice-acting is less of an issue, voices still break without much warning, complicating recording sessions even if the actor is capable of emulating their younger voice afterwards. Professional child-voice actors don't have these difficulties, and usually have a wider range anyway.
# [[PaedoHunt Obscenity and child porn laws.]] In the US, it's generally illegal to do anything that even simulates sex on film[[note]]And in many countries, even in animation.[[/note]] unless everyone involved is 18 or older. Therefore, having older actors allows the filmmakers to depict various acts on camera that would get them thrown in jail if the actors were underage.
# Related to the above, this allows for {{fanservice}} without running into complications ... laws against child pornography generally forbid actual child nudity, of course, but they often also forbid "sexualized depictions" of children, which is just enough of a wild card to make filmmakers nervous: is a panty shot a "sexualized depiction"?
# Most successful teen actors -- i.e., the ones with the most experience and impressive resumes -- [[TeensAreShort tend to be physically smaller than other actors]], and look younger than their actual age, because they are the child-analogues of Dawson Casting (due to being more experienced, more able to remember lines, less likely to go completely OffTheRails [[CloudCuckooLander on some random whim]], etc.), better-suited to playing younger children than real children would be.
# [[StageMom Stage parents]] can be a pain in the ass for filmmakers, butting in and [[WagTheDirector trying to dictate]] various parts of the production.

This trope is less noticeable with females as it is with males as females tend to fully mature physically at an earlier age, usually by 14 or 15. Males, on the other hand, tend to not fully mature until their late teens (usually between 17 and 19). Which makes a man in his 20s (or kid in his late teens, for that matter) playing a 15-year-old less believable than it is with a woman of the same age playing a 15-year-old. Further making it worse is the fact that most shows focus on the actor's faces. A woman can keep very similar facial features even after going through puberty, whereas the deepened voice and the stubble on a guy's face (even if a guy shaves, it's still faintly noticeable) make the age gap much more noticeable. For example, look at Austin St. John from ''Series/MightyMorphinPowerRangers'', at age 18, playing a high-school freshman. [[http://a3.ec-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/31/63039052fc135e5f1bed3aa4349a0ace/l.jpg It doesn't look right.]] Now look at Creator/AmyJoJohnson, older than Austin at age 22, playing a character on the same show, also a high school freshman. [[http://images4.fanpop.com/image/photos/22800000/amy-jo-johson-amy-jo-johnson-22845809-1024-768.jpg It's noticeably less obvious.]]

# Most successful teen actors -- i.e., the ones with the most experience and impressive resumes -- [[TeensAreShort tend to be physically smaller than other actors]], and look younger than their actual age, because they are the child-analogues of Dawson Casting (due to more experience, more able to remember lines, less likely to go completely OffTheRails [[CloudCuckooLander on some random whim]], etc.), better-suited to playing younger children than real children would be.

# Television series tend to be filmed over the course of several months or even ''years''. Because of this a child actor can run the risk of outgrowing the age of their characters, so television shows cast older actors who wont age as noticeably. The age difference between a 15 year old and an 18 year old is extremely noticeable. [[NotAllowedToGrowOld The age difference between a 20 year old and a 23 year old however isn't.]]

# [[StageMom Stage parents]] can be a pain in the ass for filmmakers, butting in and [[WagTheDirector trying to dictate]] various parts of the production.