See 17 Actors Who Have Played College Students On-Screen
See 17 Actors Who Have Played College Students On-Screen
Jane LaCroixMon, June 22, 2026 at 11:00 AM UTC
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Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill in '22 Jump Street' (2014).Credit: Columbia/Mgm/Mrc/Cannell/Kobal/Shutterstock
College life on-screen is usually a mish-mash of lectures, parties and figuring life out — but the actors bringing those stories to life are often a few years (or decades) removed from that reality.
It’s a long-standing Hollywood habit: casting seasoned performers as undergrads to carry major roles with confidence when clearly they’re much older. And while audiences usually go along with it, looking back at some of these ages can be a little surprising.
Take Alison Brie, who was 26 while playing a 19-year-old in Community, or Dave Franco, who played a frat brother in Neighbors at 27. Then there’s the iconic funnyman duo Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill, who were 33 and 30, respectively, while going undercover as students in 22 Jump Street.
Whether it’s for practical reasons or just part of a director's vision, casting older actors as college students has become the norm across generations and genres.
Here’s a closer look at the actors who have played college students on-screen — and how old they really were when they stepped into those fictional classrooms.
01 of 17
Alison Brie in Community
Alison Brie in Community.Credit: Lewis Jacobs/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty
Character: Annie Edison, 19-22
Alison Brie’s Actual Age at Filming: 26
02 of 17
Ali MacGraw in Love Story
Ali MacGraw in Love Story.Credit: Santi Visalli/Getty
Character: Jennifer "Jenny" Cavilleri, 19-25
Ali MacGraw's Actual Age at Filming: 30
03 of 17
Brendan Fraser in With Honors
Brendan Fraser in With Honors.Credit: Moviestore/Shutterstock
Character: Monty Kessler, early 20s
Brendan Fraser’s Actual Age at Filming: 25
04 of 17
Channing Tatum in 22 Jump Street
Channing Tatum in 22 Jump Street.Credit: Columbia/Mgm/Mrc/Cannell/Kobal/Shutterstock
Character: Greg Jenko, 24
Channing Tatum’s Actual Age at Filming: 33
05 of 17
Dave Franco in Neighbors
Dave Franco in Neighbors.Credit: Good Universe/Point Grey/Kobal/Shutterstock
Character: Pete Regazolli, early 20s
Dave Franco’s Actual Age at Filming: 27
06 of 17
David Spade in PCU
David Spade in PCU.Credit: Everett
Character: Rand McPherson, early 20s
David Spade’s Actual Age at Filming: 29
07 of 17
Francia Raisa in Grown-ish
Francia Raisa in Grown-ish.Credit: Everett
Character: Ana Torres, 18-25
Francia Raisa’s Actual Age at Filming: 29-36
08 of 17
Jeremy Piven in PCU
Jeremy Piven in PCU.Credit: Everett
Character: James "Droz" Andrews, early 20s
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Jeremy Piven’s Actual Age at Filming: 28
09 of 17
John Belushi in Animal House
John Belushi in Animal House.Credit: Universal/Kobal/Shutterstock
Character: John "Bluto" Blutarsky, early 20s
John Belushi’s Actual Age at Filming: 28
10 of 17
Jonah Hill in 22 Jump Street
Jonah Hill in 22 Jump Street.Credit: Columbia/Mgm/Mrc/Cannell/Kobal/Shutterstock
Character: Morton Schmidt, mid 20s
Jonah Hill’s Actual Age at Filming: 30
11 of 17
Justin Long in Accepted
Justin Long in Accepted.Credit: Everett
Character: Bartleby Gaines, 18
Justin Long’s Actual Age at Filming: 27
12 of 17
Moira Kelly in With Honors
Moira Kelly in With Honors.Credit: Peter Iovino/Warner Bros/Kobal/Shutterstock
Character: Courtney Blumenthal, early 20s
Moira Kelly’s Actual Age at Filming: 25
13 of 17
Patrick Dempsey in With Honors
Patrick Dempsey in With Honors.Credit: Peter Iovino/Warner Bros/Kobal/Shutterstock
Character: Everett Calloway, early 20s
Patrick Dempsey’s Actual Age at Filming: 27
14 of 17
Robert Carradine in Revenge of the Nerds
Robert Carradine in Revenge of the Nerds.Credit: 20th Century Fox/Kobal/Shutterstock
Character: Lewis Skolnick, 18-19
Robert Carradine’s Actual Age at Filming: 29
15 of 17
Ryan O’Neal in Love Story
Ryan O’Neal in Love Story.Credit: Screen Archives/Getty
Character: Oliver Barrett IV, early 20s
Ryan O’Neal’s Actual Age at Filming: 28
16 of 17
Val Kilmer in Real Genius
Val Kilmer in Real Genius.Credit: Tri-Star Pictures/Getty
Character: Chris Knight, early 20s
Val Kilmer’s Actual Age at Filming: 25
17 of 17
Winona Ryder in Girl, Interrupted
Winona Ryder in Girl, Interrupted.Credit: Getty
Character: Susanna Kaysen, 18
Winona Ryder’s Actual Age at Filming: 27
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