10 Biggest Lies Actors Told To Get Movie Roles
7. ...And Even More Have Lied About Their Age
The difference that shaving a few years off your age can make is amazing. Even adding a few years can be useful, too. The evidence? Some actors have been able to get away with saying that they're younger or older than they actually are, a lie that helps them land a role in a movie.
This is exactly what young Laurence Fishburne did in order to join the cast of Apocalypse Now. When he was in the running for the role of Tyrone "Mr. Clean" Miller (a 17 year old character), 14 year old Fishburne told director Francis Ford Coppola that he was 16, and this helped him get the job.
Carla Gugino adopted a similar tactic in order to land her first ever film role in 1989's Troop Beverly Hills. The actress is taller than most of her young cast-mates, and that's because she's older than them. Gugino was 16 at the time, but told director Jeff Kanew that she was 14. She eventually came clean midway through production, which prompted Kanew to say that he would never have cast her if he knew the truth.
Lastly, Sandra Bullock added a few years to her age in order to be cast as a scientist in Love Potion #9. The actress said that she was 29, despite being 27 at the time. Luckily, her ploy worked and she got the part.