Most actors say they are younger than they really are. They usually lie by anywhere from a few years to a decade or more. This is often because they don’t want to be deemed too old for a particular role. However, lying about your age can lead to embarrassing situations, like when you are caught lying on national television. In reality, being older can actually benefit an actor.

In the film industry, beauty is certainly in the eye of the beholder. But that doesn’t mean people always use their eyes to judge beauty. Just as often, people use their ears, which is why that phrase is so popular and so often used out of context.

The fact is, many actors have lied about their age for one reason or another: maybe they were trying to get into a movie that had age restrictions; maybe they wanted to appear mature enough for a role; or maybe they just didn’t want people to know how old they really were. There are also those who have lied about their age because it makes them feel better about themselves (that’s called ‘ageism’). Whatever the reason, most actors lie about their age at least once in their lifetime.

Why do actors lie about their age? I’ve been asking around. Hollywood people give me the same answer: “Because they can.”

The story of how this came to be is a fascinating example of how our culture has evolved to reflect both the reality and mythology of aging.

For most of human history, average life spans were short, and age was usually related to power. The older you were, the more likely you had survived to become a leader or elder. Age was associated with wisdom and authority. But in the last century, life expectancy has gone up dramatically, while the population has exploded. The result is that people live longer but there are more and more of them, so it’s harder to distinguish yourself as an individual.

So we have changed our cultural attitudes towards aging: We glorify youth because it’s rarer than ever before. Youth represents potential rather than experience; for a celebrity, being young also means having more time ahead of them to earn money by working. And in a world where most people work into old age, youth has become associated with beauty and vibrancy as well as potential. This shift in cultural values towards youth over experience has filtered down from Hollywood into mainstream American culture and around the world. It’s reflected in our entertainment

Why do actors lie about their age? It’s a question I hear often. From time to time, an actor will be exposed in the media for lying about their age. And usually, the accusations of lying are followed by a public apology. But why do they lie in the first place?

I think some people lie because they feel like ageism is still prevalent in Hollywood. They fear that if they tell their true age, they’ll lose jobs to younger actors (or get typecast in roles for older characters).

I’d like to take a moment to address that concern. I’m here to say that you don’t have to be ashamed of your age.

The problem is not the number of years you’ve been alive; it’s how you look and sound for your particular role. When people watch a movie or TV show, most don’t care how old the actor is. All people want to know is if the actor can pull off their role convincingly. If an actress looks and sounds like she could be a mother to one character while also looking and sounding like she could be a grandmother to another character, then whether or not she lies about her age becomes inconsequential!

If you’re an actor who lies about your age, consider this:

Why do actors lie about their age?

I guess it’s because they’re in the business of beauty and youth, and they want to be perceived as young. I mean, who wants the world to know they’re getting old? In fact, who wants the world to know they’re not young anymore? It’s hard enough getting older, but when you’re in show business, it’s a whole ‘nother ball game.

Does it really matter if an actor is 30s/40s vs. 50s/60s?

It matters a lot to them. It may not matter that much to us. I’m sure we’ve all heard that many stars have had a little “help” in restoring their youth. Fillers, Botox, chemical peels (the list goes on). And if you haven’t noticed by now most of these stars are over 40 – some are over 50!

I think it’s time we had a discussion about age in Hollywood. I have been working as an actor for 25 years, and I have been acutely aware of age and its relationship to the business since I was 18 years old. It is with this in mind that I would like to discuss age and the business of acting.

The first reason actors lie about their age is to get work. The second reason actors lie about their age is because they are ashamed of being older than they should be.

In the last five years I have witnessed a shift in the way the industry perceives me, from “a young woman” to “a woman.” In the past year alone, I have lost a handful of jobs due to my age, which has only made me more conscious of how much of an issue it is.

There are so many reasons for actors to lie about their age. The most common one is fear of being typecast, or even worse, not being cast at all.

In the film business, you are going to be told your entire career that if you do this project, you will change your life forever. This can lead actors to a very insecure existence. They’re constantly wondering: “Am I as good as they tell me? Am I going to get that part? What’s going to happen next?” Most people who get into acting live on the emotional rollercoaster of this business. It’s not easy, but most actors wouldn’t have it any other way.

In addition, youth is so coveted in our culture that it can make someone feel quite vulnerable if his or her age is “exposed.” And some actors do not want to be associated with their actual age because they feel like they should be able to play a younger person.

It’s not easy growing older in an industry that values youth so much, but lying about your age does nothing but add more stress and insecurity in an already difficult world.

“Age is just a number” is a quote that was probably first said by someone who was in their 30’s. Once you get into your 40’s, 50’s, 60’s and beyond, you realize that age is not just a number. It’s an ache, a pain, a sag, a wrinkle, a crease and sometimes it’s a number you’d prefer not to reveal.

Actresses lie about their age all the time. There are many sites on the web that will tell you the real age of celebrities and make comments like “she looks great for her age!” or “it must be hard to be in the spotlight at his age” or “she’s lucky she hasn’t been discovered as an older woman yet.” If this is true of women in Hollywood, why don’t actors do the same thing?

When I worked in the industry, I never heard of any men lying about their age. I’m sure it happens; it just doesn’t seem to happen as often as it does with women. Why is that?

I think part of it has to do with ageism and sexism. The bias against older women is much stronger than it is against older men. Female actresses are held to much higher standards of beauty than male