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Olivia Hussey and Leonard Whiting in 'Romeo and Juliet' (1968) -

Olivia Hussey was 15 when she starred opposite 16-year-old Leonard Whiting in the 1968 version of 'Romeo and Juliet.' In 2023, Hussey and Whiting sued Paramount for child abuse over a bedroom scene.

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Ryan Gosling in 'Barbie' (2023) -

The actor plays the iconic Ken in 'Barbie.' While technically the doll itself would be in his early sixties, the film portraits a youthful version of Ken.

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Chloë Grace Moretz in 'Kick-A**' (2010) -

The actress was 13 when she played comic book character Hit-Girl. Because it was so violent, the film was rated R, so, technically, Chloë Grace Moretz couldn't actually watch her own movie.

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Brooke Shields in 'Pretty Baby' (1978) -

The child star was only 11 when she played a girl who lives in a brothel, and whose virginity is auctioned away by her prostitute mother.

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Brooke Shields in 'Blue Lagoon' (1980) -

The actress then went on to play the role of shipwrecked girl Emmeline Lestrange in 'The Blue Lagoon' (1980). Yet another heavily sexualized role, which included nudity. Brooke Shields was 14 at the time.

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Evan Rachel Wood and Nikki Reed in 'Thirteen' (2003) -

Both actresses were 14 when they costarred in 'Thirteen.' The movie tackles many adult themes, including sex, substance abuse, and crime.

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Elle Fanning in 'The Beguiled' (2017) -

Elle Fanning was 19 when she played a young woman in a boarding school who becomes involved with a much older soldier (Colin Farrell).

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Jodie Foster in 'Taxi Driver' (1976) -

Jodie Foster was just 12 years old when she played a young prostitute in Martin Scorsese's film. Foster's older sister stepped in to film racier scenes, but playing a child prostitute is never an easy role for a 12-year-old.

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Jodie Foster in 'Taxi Driver' (1976) -

Foster's role was so impactful that one man became obsessed with her. We're talking about a stalker named John Hinckley Jr., who later attempted to assassinate President Ronald Reagan in an effort to impress the actress.

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Abigail Breslin in 'Little Miss Sunshine' (2006) -

There is one scene where Abigail Breslin's character Olive Hoover enters a child's beauty pageant and performs a provocative dance. While she remained mostly clothed, it was still rather inappropriate for her age.

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Claire Danes in 'Romeo + Juliet' (1996) -

Claire Danes was 16 when she starred opposite 21-year-old Leonardo DiCaprio in this  Shakespeare adaptation. It should be noted that there were scenes of nudity.

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Kirsten Dunst in 'Interview with the Vampire' (1994) -

Kirsten Dunst, who was 11 at the time, played a young vampire in the movie. The actress had her first kiss on screen with Brad Pitt, who was about 20 years her senior. "I was a little girl and he was like a brother to me and it was very weird even though it was a peck. I was very not into it," recalled Dunst.

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Linda Blair in 'The Exorcist' (1973) -

Linda Blair was 13 when she played the possessed Regan MacNeil. The young actress was subjected to some of the most disturbing scenes in movie history at that point.

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Mariel Hemingway in 'Manhattan' (1979) -

Both Mariel Hemingway and her character were just aged 17. Things do get a bit weird when we realize her love interest was a 40-something Woody Allen.

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Angelina Jolie in 'Alexander' (2004) -

Angelina Jolie played Colin Farrell's mother in 'Alexander,' but in real life the actress is just one year older than him. Not quite the matriarchal figure one would expect, right?

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Dafne Keen in 'Logan' (2017) -

Dafne Keen was 12 years old when she played Laura, a character with similar powers to Wolverine. In the comics, the character is supposed to be in her twenties, but despite Laura being much younger in the movie, it is still pretty violent.

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Carla Gugino in 'Spy Kids' (2001) -

Carla Gugino and Antonio Banderas played retired spies with pre-teen children, but the actress was a bit too young for the role.

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Carla Gugino in 'Spy Kids' (2001) -

"I was at least 10 years too young for the role because I was supposed to have been a spy for 10 years, then had two children who were now 10 and 12. I was 28 years old," said Gugino.

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Thora Birch in 'American Beauty' (1999) -

Thora Birch was 16 when she played a teen who undresses by the window, knowing she's being watched.

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Sally Field in 'Forrest Gump' (1994) -

Sally Field plays Tom Hanks' mother in 'Forrest Gump,' but the actress is just 10 years older than him.

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Dakota Fanning in 'Hounddog' (2007) -

A 12-year-old Dakota Fanning plays a poor Elvis Presley fan from the Deep South. Her performance included a much-criticized rape scene.

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Dakota Fanning in 'The Runaways' (2010) -

Dakota Fanning was 16 when she played aspiring rocker Cherie Currie. A bit too young for the whole "sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll" lifestyle, don't you think?

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Natalie Portman in 'Léon: The Professional' (1994) -

Natalie Portman was just 11 years old when she played a girl who is taken under the wing of a hit man. Portman's character does a lot of inappropriate things for her age, including smoking and handling guns.

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Christian Bale in 'Empire of the Sun' (1987) -

Christian Bale was 13 when he starred in Steven Spielberg's iconic war movie. He had to endure very realistic scenes, which were pretty challenging for someone his age.

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Tatum O'Neal in 'Paper Moon' (1973) -

The actress was just nine when she played a smoking and drinking con artist. As inappropriate as it was for her age, the role won O'Neal the Oscar of Best Supporting Actress, making her the youngest Academy Award winner in history.

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Macaulay Culkin in 'The Good Son' (1993) -

You probably remember the actor best as Kevin in the 'Home Alone' movies, but in this film Culkin plays a psychopathic evil child. The actor was 12 when starred in 'The Good Son.'

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The cast of 'Kids' (1995) -

This movie about teenage life set in New York City was highly controversial at the time due to its scenes involving sex and drug abuse. They were all, after all, kids.

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Jacob Reynolds in 'Gummo' (1997) -

The actor was 13 when he played a disturbing character who huffed glue, was cruel to animals, and paid for sex with a girl with Down's syndrome.

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Dominique Swain in 'Lolita' (1997) -

It's never comfortable to watch such a young girl having a relationship with an older man. In this case, the actress was 14. The more graphic scenes were played by an adult body double, but still...

Sources: (IMDb) (TheRichest) (Diply) (TheThings) (BuzzFeed News)

See also: Celebrity friendships with massive age gaps

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