How often do you think about how many years separate leading actors in a film? A lot has certainly changed over the years and if you look back at some of the older films, it’s not without a reaction from time to time.
Something that Laura Dern herself took note of when she was interviewed by The Time magazine the other year and talked about her reflections on Jurassic Park, a classic that is now more than 30 years old.
Dern was 23 years old at the time of filming, which is perhaps hard to believe as she both looks and feels much older, and which can be compared to Neill, who was almost twice her age.
She told the Times:
“Well, it felt completely appropriate to fall in love with Sam Neill. And it was only now, when we returned in a moment of cultural awareness about the patriarchy, that I was, like, ‘Wow! We’re not the same age?'”
She continued and said:
“Which at the time was a completely appropriate age difference for a leading man and lady! It never occurred to me until I opened a magazine and there was an article called ‘Old geezers and gals’. People like Harrison Ford and Sean Connery acting with much younger people.”
“And there I was, on the list. I thought, ‘Come on. It can’t be true.'”
It should be noted, however, that the age difference between the characters is the same in the film as in the book it is based on.
Have you thought about the age difference between Dern and Neill’s characters, and is it something you take note of in films today?
Thanks, The Times.