Cinema's Oldest High Schoolers

Whether it's to get around child labour laws or simply to make actual teenagers feel horribly inadequate, Hollywood has been casting adults as children for a worryingly long time.

Now that we're well past our high school days, we can still take comfort in these 30 actors who've managed to stick a well-paid finger up at the cruel beast that is age. There's hope for us all.

(Images: All Star, Rex Features, YouTube)

Cameron Frye (Ferris Bueller's Day Off)

Year: 1986

Played by: Alan Ruck

Character's Age:18

Real Age: 29

Betty Rizzo (Grease)

Year: 1978

Played by: Stockard Channing

Character's Age: 17

Real Age: 34

Napoleon Dynamite (Napoleon Dynamite)

Year: 2004

Played by: Jon Heder

Character's Age: 16

Real Age: 27

Ren McCormack (Footloose)

Year: 1984

Played by: Kevin Bacon

Character's Age: 17

Real Age: 26

Billy Loomis (Scream)

Year: 1996

Played by: Skeet Ulrich

Character's Age: 18

Real Age: 26

Michelle Flaherty (American Pie)

Year: 1999

Played by: Alyson Hannigan

Character's Age: 18

Real Age: 25

Denis Cooverman (I Love You Beth Cooper)

Year: 2009

Played by: Paul Rust

Character's Age: 18

Real Age: 28

Carrie White (Carrie)

Year: 1976

Played by: Sissy Spacek

Character's Age: 18

Real Age: 27

Peter Parker (Spider-Man)

Year: 2002

Played by: Tobey Maguire

Character's Age: 17

Real Age: 27

Cecile Caldwell (Cruel Intentions)

Year: 1999

Played by: Selma Blair

Character's Age: 16

Real Age: 26

Steve Andrews (The Blob)

Year: 1958

Played by: Steve McQueen

Character's Age: 16

Real Age: 28

Kelly Van Ryan (Wild Things)

Year: 1998

Played by: Denize Richards

Character's Age: 18

Real Age: 27

John Bender (The Breakfast Club)

Year: 1985

Played by: Judd Nelson

Character's Age: 17

Real Age: 26

Curt (American Graffiti)

Year: 1973

Played by: Richard Dreyfuss

Character's Age: 18

Real Age: 26

Regina George (Mean Girls)

Year: 2004

Played by: Rachel McAdams

Character's Age: 16

Real Age: 26

Jack Stall (A History Of Violence)

Year: 2005

Played by: Ashton Holmes

Character's Age: 16

Real Age: 27

Marty McFly (Back to the Future III)

Year: 1990

Played by: Michael J Fox

Character's Age: 17

Real Age: 29

Jess Kaur Bhamra (Bend It Like Beckham)

Year: 2002

Played by: Parminder Nagra

Character's Age: 18

Real Age: 27

Dionne Davenport (Clueless)

Year: 1995

Played by: Stacey Dash

Character's Age: 15

Real Age: 29

Frank Abagnale Jr (Catch Me If You Can)

Year: 2002

Played by: Leonardo DiCaprio

Character's Age: 16

Real Age: 28

Ted Stroehmann (There's Something About Mary)

Year: 1998

Played by: Ben Stiller

Character's Age: 16

Real Age: 33

Keith Nelson (Some Kind Of Wonderful)

Year: 1987

Played by: Eric Stoltz

Character's Age: 18

Real Age: 26

Julie (Jawbreaker)

Year: 1999

Played by: Rebecca Gayheart

Character's Age: 18

Real Age: 28

Daniel LaRusso (The Karate Kid III)

Year: 1989

Played by: Ralph Macchio

Character's Age: 18

Real Age: 28

Kim (Taken)

Year: 2008

Played by: Maggie Grace

Character's Age: 17

Real Age: 25

Han (Better Luck Tomorrow)

Year: 2002

Played by: Sung Kang

Character's Age: 18

Real Age: 29

Alan 'Mollymauk' Musgrave (Lord Love A Duck)

Year: 1966

Played by: Roddy McDowell

Character's Age: 18

Real Age: 37

Carter Horton (Final Destination)

Year: 2000

Played by: Kerr Smith

Character's Age: 18

Real Age: 28

Riff Randell (Rock N Roll High School)

Year: 1979

Played by: P.J. Soles

Character's Age: 18

Real Age: 29

Shawn Colfax (Fired Up!)

Year: 2009

Played by: Nicholas D'Agosto

Character's Age: 18

Real Age: 30