Although, this summer in AFGM, his appearance was younger with the longer hair. Enough so that I took note. So who knows.

AFGM?

I think JA looks different off-set, a little sweeter, possibly a little younger, when he's doing the almost-beard and baseball cap thing. (Which is a look I ADORE, for the record.) It's amazing how clearly he's *not* Dean off-camera.

Dean says, "I'm 26, dude!" you believe him.

To be fair, what with the pilot being shot about a year before the series actually aired, this wasn't far from true at the time. (Personally I always find it more remarkable when actors play their own ages, because they so often don't. I wouldn't ascribe any overarching forward-thinking in re actors' ages to the Supernatural crowd, because they turned around and cast somebody who had to have had his first son at the age of twelve.)

Not but ten years ago, a 30 y.o. actor on a highschool show would have been totally normal! Not even counting poor, benighted 90210; Dawson's Crick had its fair share! I mean, that doesn't make a 30 y.o. magically regain a 17 y.o. body and face, and it's a little irritating to see teenagers in the full flower of their snotty years without the concomitant coltishness, but it wasn't all that weird pretty recently.

I was thinking about that watching Grease last week. (What?!) Stockard Channing was, like, thirty-something. Yet, when I was ten, and seeing it once a week (what?!), it never occurred to me that they didn't look *right* because at that age, any over the age of about seventeen looks *old*. Or at least, grown-up.

They shot the pilot that much earlier? I didn't know that.

AFGM?

A Few Good Men, yes?

Yeah, shaving strips JA of probably at least a year. The slicked-back hair made him appear younger as well.

Looking back, I see a difference in JA. His face was much thinner, and Dean was wearing his hair a bit longer than he does now. I think there's even some difference by the end of S1. JP's transformation was more dramatic, though.

But frankly, JA's just lost some of his "jailbait pretty boy" factor. (I'm thinking specifically of "Pollo Loco" from Dark Angel, where he... oh, I'm just going to say it, he kinda looks like a rentboy.) I'm not complaining, because I think age is being very kind to him. Lucky bastard.

IMO, JA needs the age, the harder lines, the scruff, because I'm more about that than the pretty boy. He's really just ... almost too pretty otherwise.

I'm so jealous. My friend S's dvds have shipped! Mine are still scheduled to ship on the 16th. . .

They shot the pilot that much earlier? I didn't know that.

This is normal for pilots, I think. You cast the pilot, you shoot it, you show it to executives, blah blah blah, you find out you're being picked up, you start shooting the first season, and then finally a long time later the pilot airs, followed immediately by the first-season episodes.

The date-stamp in the pilot of The X-Files is spring 1992, although the show premiered in the fall of 1993. I think that's just the nature of pilots, and the timing can get compressed, but not very far and not without running the actors/crew/writers into the ground from exhaustion.

David B. had the same problem in Angel. Season five of AtS it would have been kinda icky if he had been hanging out at the high school.

Frankly, it was kind of icky in seasons 2 and 3 because DB could have passed for 20 in 1997 but looked his actual age in 1998.

AFGM?

A Few Good Men, yes?

Yeah, shaving strips JA of probably at least a year. The slicked-back hair made him appear younger as well.

Yes, sorry. I think the shaving and the hair did make a difference. I was expecting some of that and still found him younger looking in person than on the series. I'm not complaining. I enjoyed every second of it and thanked the gods above for the opportunity to stare at his ass in a socially acceptable arena. But he looks better with the short hair and scruff because, even live

JA's just lost some of his "jailbait pretty boy" factor. (I'm thinking specifically of "Pollo Loco" from Dark Angel, where he... oh, I'm just going to say it, he kinda looks like a rentboy.) I'm not complaining, because I think age is being very kind to him. Lucky bastard.

This. Its all relative. He still is better looking than most people have a right to be.

Frankly, it was kind of icky in seasons 2 and 3 because DB could have passed for 20 in 1997 but looked his actual age in 1998.

Yes. I agree. I was being generous, but really was thinking by the time AtS even started this was already in play. It was believable that Joyce was concerned he was hanging out with her high school daughter.

Aww, Austin, did you get to see the play? I've heard it was good, though I'm staunchly boycotting videos of it on the internet because filming live theater is JUST NOT ON.

He still is better looking than most people have a right to be.

Word. (Though, again, not complaining.)