It can pay off if a teenage story resonates with a young audience. And always trying to put yourself back in the shoes of when you were that age and let that drive the character.” 'What is your thought process, because you think differently. “That was a constant thing, reminding Tom - and Tom reminding me, too, sometimes - that if you were 15, would you really do that?' Watts says. Producing a story that reflected a legitimate teenage experience was important to Homecoming director Jon Watts. The new Spider-Man film boasts a diverse cast, which producer Amy Pascal says was inspired by 'reality.' Also truer to teen life, Zendaya undergoes a makeunder for her role, sporting wavy hair and minimal makeup. Stockard Channing famously celebrated her 34th birthday the year she played Rizzo in the teen-centric musical Grease, and there are countless other examples.īut Hollywood is increasingly aware of the need for authenticity and representation. Gabrielle Carteris turned 30 a few months after high school-focused Beverly Hills, 90210 premiered in 1990. The earlier Spider-Man movies are far from the only projects guilty of casting actors several years older than their characters. 'Seeing a hero or heroine who is a young person is validating, but less so if you can tell that they’re actually 28 or 29.' “Being able to see that the culture is acknowledging your existence' matters to younger audiences, says social psychologist Eileen Zurbriggen, a professor of psychology at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Wearing hoodies and sneakers and assuming a higher-pitched American accent, the agile British actor believably pulls off the role of a pubescent teen. Holland, whose 15-year-old Parker balances saving the world and passing his Spanish class, celebrated his 21st birthday in June. Andrew Garfield neared 29 as The Amazing Spider-Man premiered in 2012. Weeks after the first Spider-Man movie opened in 2002, star Tobey Maguire turned 27. His relatively young age is something to marvel at. Holland was just 19 when Marvel announced he would don the red-and-blue second-skin suit as Spider-Man, the high-school superhero who owes his web-shooting and wall-climbing abilities to a bite from a radioactive spider. When doling out senior superlatives, Spider-Man: Homecoming star Tom Holland is most likely to succeed at playing a teenage Peter Parker. Watch Video: Trailer: 'Spider-Man: Homecoming'

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