History Main / CharacterAgedWithTheActor

** Not to mention hiding the ''title character'' behind a mask, and generally sidelining him on top of it, because Bruce Boxleitner might have been too old (he did return to reprise his human character, and do a single voice-over line as Tron).

** Mind you, even in the [[{{Tron}} first film]], Tron was neither the main character nor the hero.

* [[Film/StarTrekTheMotionPicture The first]] ''StarTrek'' movie, made 10 years after the series ended, attempted unsuccessfully to cover up how much the actors had aged. [[StarTrekIITheWrathOfKhan The next installment]], however, plunged full-force into this, even making it a major plot point (to the point where WilliamShatner has admitted he absolutely did not like the idea at first and "had to be dragged in kicking and screaming"). This wasn't emphasised quite as much in the later films, though they continued to make no effort to hide the actors' ages. This makes a certain amount of sense, as advanced medical technology would likely extend human lifespan (and probably working lifespan) significantly.

** It's also actor BrentSpiner's rationale for Data's death in ''[[StarTrekNemesis Nemesis]]''; in that case, of course, the actor's aging couldn't be handwaved or worked into the plot, since Data is an ageless android.

** The age of the TOS characters was directly referred to by Ensign "Mister Adventure" in the [[StarTrekIIITheSearchForSpock third movie]], leading to Uhura's SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome.

** During the climax of ''[[StarTrekInsurrection Insurrection]]'' (which has aging as one of its major themes) Picard is acrobatically climbing about in the innards of the Son'a collector and fighting the BigBad Ru'afo all by himself. At one point he tells Ru'afo that they are getting too old for this. (And with reason: According to the ''StarTrek'' [[TheWikiRule wiki]] ''Memory Alpha'', Picard would be around 70 at that point!)

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* The later part of ClintEastwood's career has been [[CoolOldGuy him playing the over-the-hill, but still extremely badass, hero]]. For a more concrete example, he noticeably ages throughout the ''DirtyHarry'' series (and it's lampshaded).

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* ''RedDwarf: Back to Earth'' begins with a title card that reads, "Nine Years Later".

* [[StarTrekTheMotionPicture The first]] ''StarTrek'' movie, made 10 years after the series ended, attempted unsuccessfully to cover up how much the actors had aged. [[StarTrekII The next installment]], however, plunged full-force into this, even making it a major plot point (to the point where WilliamShatner has admitted he absolutely did not like the idea at first and "had to be dragged in kicking and screaming"). This wasn't emphasised quite as much in the later films, though they continued to make no effort to hide the actors' ages. This makes a certain amount of sense, as advanced medical technology would likely extend human lifespan (and probably working lifespan) significantly.
** Fandom seems to be agreed that although advanced medical technology has extended lifespans (as is shown in the first episode of ''StarTrekTheNextGeneration'', when a 137-year-old [=McCoy=] -- by current estimates this is older than a human is biologically capable of living -- is given the grand tour), strictly cosmetic procedures such as plastic surgery have fallen out of favour -- with the notable exception of hairpieces.

*** Remember Data's offscreen spoken line over the comm in the ''[[StarTrekEnterprise Enterprise]]'' finale? They wanted him to appear on screen but he refused because he felt he was too old to look like Data anymore.

** The age of the TOS characters was directly referred to by Ensign "Mister Adventure" in the [[StarTrekIII third movie]], leading to Uhura's SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome.

* ''{{Rocky}} Balboa''

** Note that between Kirk being shown in the command chair for the first time as a young and eager captain and what could be regarded as the end of his active service (Star Trek VI), there are about thirty years in William Shatner's life. This seems about right for a young and aggressive captain (in a service which regularly takes lethal risks and consequently offers opportunities for command promotion) advancing to the rank of a senior admiral on the brink of his retirement.

* ''IndianaJones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull''

* Played straight in the ''MonkeyIsland'' series from ''TheCurseOfMonkeyIsland'' to ''TalesOfMonkeyIsland'', with Dominic Armato as Guybrush, Alexandra Boyd as Elaine (even though [[TheOtherDarrin the voice actress herself was absent]] in ''EscapeFromMonkeyIsland''), Earl Boen as [=LeChuck=] (though, of course, [[TheOtherDarrin Boen was in semi-retirement and absent only in the PC download version of Chapter 1]] of ''Tales''), and Denny Delk as Murray. Inverted in the Special Editions of ''TheSecretOfMonkeyIsland'' and ''MonkeyIsland2'', however, when the now-aged Armato, Boyd and Boen return to play their characters' younger selves.

* ''TronLegacy'', which was also notable for featuring ''both'' old JeffBridges as Flynn and [[ConspicuousCGI CGI-made]] young Jeff Bridges as his program.

** The age of the TOS characters was directly referred to by Ensign "Mister Adventure" in the [[StarTrekIII third movie]], leading to Uhura's CrowningMomentOfAwesome.

** All the ''Lethal Weapon'' movies, really, since non-fatal RetIrony is part of the premise.

The writers may [[LampshadeHanging lampshade]] this by having the hero make a comment like "I'm getting too old for this."

* ''ToyStory3'', though only one human character has aged significantly: Andy. The toy characters are toys, and thus don't have biological systems that feel the effects of aging. The only [[WatsonianVersusDoylist Doylist]] reason for this is that the kid who provided Andy's voice doesn't exactly have that little voice anymore. This is basically just the plot of the movie; it wasn't forced.

* At the start of ''Beyond ReAnimator'' (2003), Herbert West has served 13 years in prison since ''Bride of ReAnimatior'' (1990).

* ''Live Free or DieHard''.

* ''{{Angel}}'': Although this wasn't explicitly mentioned as a reason for the show's cancellation, it's debatable as to how much longer David Boreanaz could have continued to play the role. Angel was supposed to be an ageless vampire who was around 26 when sired, and although the makeup department did a heroic job, Boreanaz was visibly in his early to mid-30s by the end of the show.
** This would also be the case for Spike, who was presumably turned in his early 20s, while James Marsters, who played him, was in his early 40s. Marsters himself mentioned on occasion that he felt there was only so much longer he could play an eternally youthful looking vampire before he'd have to step down.

* In ''PowerRangersDinoThunder'', the character [[MightyMorphinPowerRangers Tommy]] was only supposed to be 25. But because of a little DawsonCasting, and a RetCon that made him three years younger, the actor was 30 at the time of filming, so the character was played as slightly older than he should have been. The trope was even mentioned by name, as an insult, from TheDragon.

* ''MetalGearSolid4'' [[PlotRelevantAgeUp aged]] Solid Snake all the way to a CoolOldGuy as a result of CloneDegeneration. He doesn't take it very well.
** In the same vein, the extreme raspiness in Old Snake's voice isn't entirely intentional, as VA DavidHayter found the voice much more difficult to do after 10 years.

* In ''SplinterCell: Chaos Theory'', Sam Fisher's team tells him, "You're getting too old for this kind of work." Unfortunately, the game had three sequels and during each game, he [[PlotRelevantAgeUp aged]] some more.

* Ezio Auditore from the ''AssassinsCreed'' series is slowly starting to show his age. Starting out at 17 in ''AssassinsCreedII'', he's in his forties in ''AssassinsCreedBrotherhood'': while he hasn't slowed down (and has in fact improved his skills!), listening to his cries of pain when being struck by a weapon or falling show his age. By ''AssassinsCreedRevelations'', he's in his mid-50s and his age is really starting to show -- the new Hook Blade mechanic is partly to allow Ezio to perform the same [[LeParkour free-running]] and combat moves he could when he was a young man.

The writers may [[LampshadeHanging lampshade]] this by having the hero make a comment like "I'm {{getting too old for this}}."

This may be [[LampshadeHanging lampshaded]] by having the hero make a comment like "I'm getting too old for this."

* [[StarTrekTheMotionPicture The first]] ''StarTrek'' movie, made ten years after the series ended, attempted unsuccessfully to cover up how much the actors had aged. [[StarTrekII The next installment]], however, plunged full-force into this, even making it a major plot point (to the point where WilliamShatner has admitted he absolutely did not like the idea at first and "had to be dragged in kicking and screaming"). This wasn't emphasised quite as much in the later films, though they continued to make no effort to hide the actors' ages. This makes a certain amount of sense, as advanced medical technology would likely extend human lifespan (and probably working lifespan) significantly.
** Fandom seems to be agreed that although advanced medical technology has extended lifespans (as is shown in the first episode of StarTrekTheNextGeneration, when a 137-year-old [=McCoy=] - by current estimates this is older than a human is biologically capable of living - is given the grand tour), strictly cosmetic procedures such as plastic surgery have fallen out of favour - with the notable exception of hairpieces.

** It's also worth noting that ''Star Treks II'' through ''V'' are set, at most, within a few months of each other.

* ''{{Ghostbusters}} 3'' is to retain all the old cast from the original Ghostbusters.

* ''{{Angel}}'': Although this wasn't explicitly mentioned as a reason for the show's cancellation, it's debatable as to how much longer David Boreanaz could have continued to play the role. Angel was supposed to be an ageless vampire who was around 26 when sired, and although the makeup department did a heroic job, Boreanaz was visibly in his early to mid 30's by the end of the show.
** This would also be the case for Spike, who was presumably turned in his early 20's, while James Marsters, who played him, was in his early 40's. Marsters, himself, mentioned on occasion that he felt there was only so much longer he could play an eternally youthful looking vampire before he'd have to step down.

* ''Series/AreYouBeingServed'' sequel series ''Grace and Favour'' (known in the US as ''Are You Being Served Again'').
** This was lampshaded in the first scene when Mr. Humphries says that the shaky elevator ride has "put ten years on all of us".
* The new ''90210'' has characters from the old... but thankfully they're actually adults rather than [[DawsonCasting adults playing high school students]].
* ''RedDwarf: Back to Earth'' begins with a title card saying "Nine Years Later".

* Between 1987 and 1994, Lee Majors and Lindsay Wagner reprised their famous Six Million Dollar Man and Bionic Woman roles for a trilogy of TV movies. Wagner actually held up quite well over the years, Majors less so, and the second film, ''Bionic Showdown'', actually pushed both into the background in favor of a younger "bionic woman" played by a prestardom Sandra Bullock.
* In ''PowerRangersDinoThunder'' the character [[MightyMorphinPowerRangers Tommy]] was only supposed to be 25. But because of a little DawsonCasting, and a RetCon that made him three years younger, the actor was 30 at the time of filming, so the character was played as slightly older than he should have been. The trope was even mentioned by name, as an insult, from TheDragon.

* Video game example: ''KingdomHearts'' - which averts DawsonCasting in both the English and Japanese voice acting - aged Sora up approximately a year between the first and third games, to allow for the voice actors going through puberty.

* In ''SplinterCell: Chaos Theory'' Sam Fisher's team tells him "You're getting too old for this kind of work." Unfortunately, the game had 3 sequels and during each game he [[PlotRelevantAgeUp aged]] some more.

* Ezio Auditore from the ''AssassinsCreed'' series is slowly starting to show his age. Starting out at 17 in ''AssassinsCreedII'', he's in his forties in ''AssassinsCreedBrotherhood'': while he hasn't slowed down (and has in fact improved his skills!), listening to his cries of pain when being struck by a weapon or falling show his age. By ''AssassinsCreedRevelations'' he's in his mid-fifties and his age is really starting to show -- the new Hook Blade mechanic is partly to allow Ezio to perform the same [[LeParkour free-running]] and combat moves he could when he was a young man.

** Also inverted is that Pat Pinney (Stan) and Neil Ross (Wally B. Feed) sounded younger only in ''Curse''; and S. Scott Bullock (Otis), CamClarke (Meathook), Wally Wingert (Herman Toothrot) and Jess Harnell (Estevan) sounded younger only in ''Escape''; while Leilani Jones-Wilmore (The Voodoo Lady) sounded younger in both games. When the actors returned to voice the characters in the Special Editions of ''Secret'' and ''[=LeChuck=]'s Revenge'', however, the characters' younger selves now sound older than they were before.

** Also inverted is that Pat Pinney (Stan) and Neil Ross (Wally B. Feed) sounded younger only in ''Curse''; and S. Scott Bullock (Otis), CamClarke (Meathook), Wally Wingert (Herman Toothrot) and Jess Harnell (Estevan) sounded younger only in ''Escape''; while Leilani Jones-Wilmore (The Voodoo Lady) sounded younger in both games. When the actors returned to voice the characters in the Special Editions of ''Secret'' and ''[=LeChuck=]'s Revenge'', however, the characters' younger selves now sound older than they were before.

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* BruceSpringsteen. In his latest concert DVD he steps down from the stage to interact with the audience for a CrowdSong, but when faced with getting back ''up'' onto the stage he protests "Get me an elevator! I'm [[PrecisionFStrike fucking]] sixty!"
** Even more hilarious since he's been doing the same for at least 30 years.
-->I can't take it anymore! I'm thirty years old! My heart's starting to go on me! ({{Beat}}) ONETWOTHREEFOUR!

This may be [[LampshadeHanging lampshaded]] by having the hero make a comment like "I'm getting too old for this," hence the title.