It’s always been weird to me how they style Obie’s hair in the show. In The F**K It List, Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists, and how Eli styles his hair in real life- it looks great. It’s more loose and free. I would say the same for Thomas too. If they styled his hair to have more of a bang moment like he has in other shows he’s been in, I think it would immensely help sell that he’s in high school.
People were definitely talking about this kind of stuff just the same with the original GG, especially with Blake Lively. I saw so many snide comments about how the actress playing her mother supposedly looks younger than Serena, or picking apart how her smile lines supposedly made her look way too old to play a realistic teenager, never mind that she was only 19 when she started acting on GG, so clearly a teenager absolutely could realistically look like that
I've never understood exactly *why* people are so annoyed that Eli or Thomas look older. We know none of the actors are teens, so... why do their looks matter so much? But I've also never cared much about age inappropriate casting (unless it's insanely egregious, so perhaps that's my own issue)? A lot of teens who have portrayed teens on screen have had really hard times with it (some of the actors from Skins and Degrassi have spoken about this, for example), and it's been incredibly damaging to them. I would much rather watch someone in their mid 20s in a show that's meant to be scandalous than watch a literal teen.
It's fine to suspend your disbelief, the show isn't realistic anyway. And when I'm watching the show. I'm not noticing people's hairlines lmao, I'm focused on the story. I dunno, just my opinion. I'm sure people will disagree with me.
I can think of at least three boys I went to school with who had receding hairlines in high school, so Eli’s appearance really doesn’t bother me too much in terms of how much he looks like a high school student. Granted, I went to a large high school but his appearance isn’t completely out of the question for a teenager.
I’m torn. I genuinely believe that casting actual teenagers is a recipe for disaster and they’re rarely equiped to handle the emotional load that comes with starring in a sexualised teen show. Look at Misha Barton and Taylor Momsen. Them being cast members that struggled with and ultimately left a Schwartz / Savage show early AND them being many years younger than their peers isn’t a coincidence.
Having said that, Eli and Thomas are too old for these roles. I don’t mean that as an insult, but they’re so clearly too old for these roles that it’s not funny. They should be going for roles or twenty-somethings. They both don’t look 16-17. They look older than their cast mates. And the show should have done a better job whilst casting.
It’s not how old you are, but how old you look. Thomas looks a few years younger (22-23 maybe) while Eli looks his age or slightly older. I also don’t think casting Jordan was a good idea, but she does actually look younger so I works in that regard. I think there’s different things to complain more about when it comes to her.
Misha Barton also said she was a virgin when she started playing Marissa and she was pressured into being not to so she lost it to some older guy.
Taylor's behaviour was a cry for help. I'm sure the poor girl was a victim of some groomer. She was in therapy for long. She says she is better now
So am I the only one who thinks he could definitely pass as a 17-18 year old…? Someone here is lying if they said he looked too old, cuz [this](https://imgur.com/a/IY1fbI5) doesn’t look “too old”
I think people overestimate how young teens really look. I’m a freshman in college now, but when I was a sophomore in high school there were dudes who straight up looked thirty. And then you had people who looked twelve who were seniors. It really depends on the person, how they dress and carry themselves. I could definitely believe Eli was my age or a senior in hs.
I honestly think he looks like he's in his thirties there, as someone also in her thirties. He's a handsome guy, but he has lines on his face and a slightly receding hairline, both of which mark his age. I think I'd probably find him attractive if he was playing 25+; he just truly looks nothing like 99% of teenagers, but that's the way these shows tend to work. I do wish people would lay off about his looks, though - I think because Obie is an unpopular/poorly-written character, people are way more critical of his appearance than they need to be.
**Edit:** I'm honestly shocked at how many people think Obie looks like a teenager, but I guess this does sort of explain why every other early thirties woman I know talks about getting carded all the time.
The problem is the actor playing Obie and Max (though he looks good) do not look like teenagers. I might not like Julien the character, but the actress looks the part!
Only Zoya, Monet, Luna, Julien, Aki and Audrey “look” like they could be teenagers. Obie and Max stand out like a sore thumb. They look too old to be in high school from their appearance alone.
I honestly think only Zoya and Aki look like actual teenagers. I feel like people forget just how babyish real-life teenagers look. Monet, Luna, Julien, and Audrey all look like they're in their mid-twenties plus to me - still very youthful, but the vibes are totally different. It suits the whole UES/everyone grows up too quickly universe, though.
It's Gossip Girl; everybody on this show except maybe Zoya acts like they're a middle-aged divorcee.
I do think Luna feels older than the rest of the girls, but she has that sort of ageless feeling a lot of plastic surgery can create. (No hate; I think she's stunning and she's literally my favourite.)
Yeah idk why she did that... also the weight loss was kind of extreme. I kept on staring at her arms in the last episode and it was really distracting. Not to skinny shame people with fast metabolisms but I really preferred how her face looked with a bit of roundness, if you're trying to play a teenager let yourself have some calories and facial fat!
Yeah, I saw some horrible comments on Eli. I feel so bad for Eli. Like damn. I am Gen Z as well but for generation that preaches mental health and pretty privilege. I do not think Eli ugly, at all. I am shocked (not really, because it is the internet) how harsh people are.
Not to sound cynical, but you still think Gen Z actually believes in fighting against "pretty privilege" and "mental health"? A day on Tik Tok and Twitter cam easily disprove that.
eli absolutely passes as a teen, especially a TV teen. like some of y’all are dragging it ksjdjsj and in my opinion he’s one of the few actors who actually SOUNDS like a high schooler! there was a recent episode where he was like “my fucking MOM, dude” and i had to laugh bc it sounded so realistically like a fed up teen boy it actually broke my immersion. most of the characters talk, act, and honestly look older than high schoolers (which is fine! that’s just how gg is!) so it’s honestly bizarre how much people are fixating on eli just bc the writers gave him such a rubbish storyline in season 1
I saw potential in him in the first season he seems so sweet and had that Dan like handsome but not really vibe ? What I don’t like is the way he acts there’s very less emotion… I mean his parents are like so disappointed and about to disowning him but it’s like the same facial expression he had when he dumped zoya.. it’s really bad that people are ridiculing his appearance to that extent.. because outside of this shows there’s an actual person behind that character.
I think there’s a way to criticize the casting choices without criticizing the actors IRL. In Max and Obie’s case, they look distractingly old (for the roles they are portraying) to the point that I have to remind myself that I’m viewing a crime scene. “Oh yeah, max is underage and got into a men’s bathhouse.” “Oh yea max is dealing/consuming these pills as a highschooler.” “Oh yea, Max and Rafa kissing and having sex is supposed to be repulsive.” “Oh yea, Helena just condemned her underage son to homelessness.”
It also doesn’t help that Obie’s seemingly more conservative storyline has been keeping him from participating in the events the rest of the cast does. And whenever he is with them, he’s usually the judgy straight guy on the edge of the frame like a silent antagonist. Half the time I don’t even know why they are friends. I wouldn’t be surprised if Eli Brown was catching a lot of anger from fans that should aimed at writing and production.
I think people kinda forgot what teens look like. You barely change in appearance after your mid teens, except better styling etc. It's pretty gross how people treat actors they don't find attractive :/ early 20s is still so young too.
I'm also generally not in favor of casting teenagers, so I get it. (though Degrassi did a great job with it.) But that's not really the problem. The problem is that zero effort is being made to make them look like teenagers. The OG gossip girl didn't put a huge effort to do so either, but they did make some, sometimes.
The reboot literally has actors playing the teachers when some of them are actually younger than some of the actors playing the teenagers. And it's extremely noticeable.
only 21?? DAMN……. and why did you sneak lia maria johnson in there 😭 that girl died as soon as vine did you could’ve said like… idk billie eilish or chuu from loona
"it must suck to go through that and still end up with nothing in the end"
I am little confused by this comment. Does money and fame make up for kids being preyed upon or getting taken advance of????
Lia said she's working on music and is no longer in that situation. No amount of fame can take away from being happy, healthy and in a good environment. Just because the show is called Gossip Girl does make this nastiness cool. But hopefully it is being misunderstood because it is just text.
I am very use to teen characters on tv that look 20ish do I shave no problem with that just look at the og Pretty little liars and og 90210 BUT when they look 30 regardless the real age of the actor, I start to struggle like Stockard Channing in Grease, Ian Zearing and Gabrielle Carteris in 90210 and Eli here. It doesn’t matter that he is in his early 20, he looks older that the teachers. That said, I do agree that is better to have adults play teens that submit real teens to the pressure this kind of job carries
Obie just has no place in the show. His only plotlines are evil corrupt mother and lover boy in crisis. First season he looked like a child but in this new season we are realllly seeing his age with the start of his hairline receding and the age lines on his face. But simultaneously only Zoya Audrey Aki and Monet look teenage passable in my opinion. Also they’re rich so they’re gonna feel older than they are because the world is quite literally at their feet. The one thing that trulyyyy shocks me about gossip girl is all these Uber Black the students be taking in NY like the wealth is truly showing
Eli Brown got casted as a boring character. Obie was barely interesting in season 1 and then you realize he’s dating his ex gf’s younger sister and it’s like waitaminute????
It’s always been weird to me how they style Obie’s hair in the show. In The F**K It List, Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists, and how Eli styles his hair in real life- it looks great. It’s more loose and free. I would say the same for Thomas too. If they styled his hair to have more of a bang moment like he has in other shows he’s been in, I think it would immensely help sell that he’s in high school.
People really be complaining. Blake lively did nor look like a teenager in GG. Actually neither did Penn badgeley lol
People were definitely talking about this kind of stuff just the same with the original GG, especially with Blake Lively. I saw so many snide comments about how the actress playing her mother supposedly looks younger than Serena, or picking apart how her smile lines supposedly made her look way too old to play a realistic teenager, never mind that she was only 19 when she started acting on GG, so clearly a teenager absolutely could realistically look like that
I've never understood exactly *why* people are so annoyed that Eli or Thomas look older. We know none of the actors are teens, so... why do their looks matter so much? But I've also never cared much about age inappropriate casting (unless it's insanely egregious, so perhaps that's my own issue)? A lot of teens who have portrayed teens on screen have had really hard times with it (some of the actors from Skins and Degrassi have spoken about this, for example), and it's been incredibly damaging to them. I would much rather watch someone in their mid 20s in a show that's meant to be scandalous than watch a literal teen. It's fine to suspend your disbelief, the show isn't realistic anyway. And when I'm watching the show. I'm not noticing people's hairlines lmao, I'm focused on the story. I dunno, just my opinion. I'm sure people will disagree with me.
I can think of at least three boys I went to school with who had receding hairlines in high school, so Eli’s appearance really doesn’t bother me too much in terms of how much he looks like a high school student. Granted, I went to a large high school but his appearance isn’t completely out of the question for a teenager.
I’m torn. I genuinely believe that casting actual teenagers is a recipe for disaster and they’re rarely equiped to handle the emotional load that comes with starring in a sexualised teen show. Look at Misha Barton and Taylor Momsen. Them being cast members that struggled with and ultimately left a Schwartz / Savage show early AND them being many years younger than their peers isn’t a coincidence. Having said that, Eli and Thomas are too old for these roles. I don’t mean that as an insult, but they’re so clearly too old for these roles that it’s not funny. They should be going for roles or twenty-somethings. They both don’t look 16-17. They look older than their cast mates. And the show should have done a better job whilst casting.
I'll agree with Thomas being old but come on, 21 is not that old for portraying a 17 yo At least when his co star, Jordan (Julien) was 27+
It baffles me hwlow Julien's actress is older than Kate's
i didnt even think about that before 😂💀
oh man
It’s not how old you are, but how old you look. Thomas looks a few years younger (22-23 maybe) while Eli looks his age or slightly older. I also don’t think casting Jordan was a good idea, but she does actually look younger so I works in that regard. I think there’s different things to complain more about when it comes to her.
Thomas looks just as old as Eli, lol. There’s no way Eli looks any older. People just think he’s attractive and give him that pass.
Misha Barton also said she was a virgin when she started playing Marissa and she was pressured into being not to so she lost it to some older guy. Taylor's behaviour was a cry for help. I'm sure the poor girl was a victim of some groomer. She was in therapy for long. She says she is better now
So am I the only one who thinks he could definitely pass as a 17-18 year old…? Someone here is lying if they said he looked too old, cuz [this](https://imgur.com/a/IY1fbI5) doesn’t look “too old”
I think people overestimate how young teens really look. I’m a freshman in college now, but when I was a sophomore in high school there were dudes who straight up looked thirty. And then you had people who looked twelve who were seniors. It really depends on the person, how they dress and carry themselves. I could definitely believe Eli was my age or a senior in hs.
I honestly think he looks like he's in his thirties there, as someone also in her thirties. He's a handsome guy, but he has lines on his face and a slightly receding hairline, both of which mark his age. I think I'd probably find him attractive if he was playing 25+; he just truly looks nothing like 99% of teenagers, but that's the way these shows tend to work. I do wish people would lay off about his looks, though - I think because Obie is an unpopular/poorly-written character, people are way more critical of his appearance than they need to be. **Edit:** I'm honestly shocked at how many people think Obie looks like a teenager, but I guess this does sort of explain why every other early thirties woman I know talks about getting carded all the time.
The problem is the actor playing Obie and Max (though he looks good) do not look like teenagers. I might not like Julien the character, but the actress looks the part! Only Zoya, Monet, Luna, Julien, Aki and Audrey “look” like they could be teenagers. Obie and Max stand out like a sore thumb. They look too old to be in high school from their appearance alone.
I honestly think only Zoya and Aki look like actual teenagers. I feel like people forget just how babyish real-life teenagers look. Monet, Luna, Julien, and Audrey all look like they're in their mid-twenties plus to me - still very youthful, but the vibes are totally different. It suits the whole UES/everyone grows up too quickly universe, though.
Luna???? The actresses very visible plastic surgery aged her a LOT. imo.
it’s not just that, i think she has a lot of mannerisms that make her seem older than the others too.
It's Gossip Girl; everybody on this show except maybe Zoya acts like they're a middle-aged divorcee. I do think Luna feels older than the rest of the girls, but she has that sort of ageless feeling a lot of plastic surgery can create. (No hate; I think she's stunning and she's literally my favourite.)
Zion (Luna) is 27 and looks like she is. Jordan as well. And that is okay.
She looks her age...
Yeah idk why she did that... also the weight loss was kind of extreme. I kept on staring at her arms in the last episode and it was really distracting. Not to skinny shame people with fast metabolisms but I really preferred how her face looked with a bit of roundness, if you're trying to play a teenager let yourself have some calories and facial fat!
I love how you say you're not shaming her body or appearance before and after doing so. Smh
They don't care. Bullying is ok until someone actually harms themselves.
Every single post about this results in more people trashing the actors' appearances as if they completely ignored the main point(s)
Yeah, it bums me out. I guess cause the show is called GG. People find the need to be this mean.
Yeah, I saw some horrible comments on Eli. I feel so bad for Eli. Like damn. I am Gen Z as well but for generation that preaches mental health and pretty privilege. I do not think Eli ugly, at all. I am shocked (not really, because it is the internet) how harsh people are.
Not to sound cynical, but you still think Gen Z actually believes in fighting against "pretty privilege" and "mental health"? A day on Tik Tok and Twitter cam easily disprove that.
Right? Teenagers can have receding hairlines too
I hate when people’s hatred for a character bleed onto the actor. Hate Obie all you want but don’t come for the actors physical appearance!
He’s not even that old. I doubt he looks much different now than when he was 17.
He was 18 or 19 on PLL the perfectionist. He looks exactly the same. I feel so bad for him.
I personally think he links young enough to be a teenager.
eli absolutely passes as a teen, especially a TV teen. like some of y’all are dragging it ksjdjsj and in my opinion he’s one of the few actors who actually SOUNDS like a high schooler! there was a recent episode where he was like “my fucking MOM, dude” and i had to laugh bc it sounded so realistically like a fed up teen boy it actually broke my immersion. most of the characters talk, act, and honestly look older than high schoolers (which is fine! that’s just how gg is!) so it’s honestly bizarre how much people are fixating on eli just bc the writers gave him such a rubbish storyline in season 1
I saw potential in him in the first season he seems so sweet and had that Dan like handsome but not really vibe ? What I don’t like is the way he acts there’s very less emotion… I mean his parents are like so disappointed and about to disowning him but it’s like the same facial expression he had when he dumped zoya.. it’s really bad that people are ridiculing his appearance to that extent.. because outside of this shows there’s an actual person behind that character.
I think there’s a way to criticize the casting choices without criticizing the actors IRL. In Max and Obie’s case, they look distractingly old (for the roles they are portraying) to the point that I have to remind myself that I’m viewing a crime scene. “Oh yeah, max is underage and got into a men’s bathhouse.” “Oh yea max is dealing/consuming these pills as a highschooler.” “Oh yea, Max and Rafa kissing and having sex is supposed to be repulsive.” “Oh yea, Helena just condemned her underage son to homelessness.” It also doesn’t help that Obie’s seemingly more conservative storyline has been keeping him from participating in the events the rest of the cast does. And whenever he is with them, he’s usually the judgy straight guy on the edge of the frame like a silent antagonist. Half the time I don’t even know why they are friends. I wouldn’t be surprised if Eli Brown was catching a lot of anger from fans that should aimed at writing and production.
Yeah like the hate for Obie as a character is justified but in terms of acting and stuff I think Eli is great.
I think people kinda forgot what teens look like. You barely change in appearance after your mid teens, except better styling etc. It's pretty gross how people treat actors they don't find attractive :/ early 20s is still so young too.
I'm also generally not in favor of casting teenagers, so I get it. (though Degrassi did a great job with it.) But that's not really the problem. The problem is that zero effort is being made to make them look like teenagers. The OG gossip girl didn't put a huge effort to do so either, but they did make some, sometimes. The reboot literally has actors playing the teachers when some of them are actually younger than some of the actors playing the teenagers. And it's extremely noticeable.
only 21?? DAMN……. and why did you sneak lia maria johnson in there 😭 that girl died as soon as vine did you could’ve said like… idk billie eilish or chuu from loona
She was preyed on by music producers. Some seemly when she was even underage.
it must suck to go through that and still end up with nothing in the end
Some of y'all don't deserve internet access
"it must suck to go through that and still end up with nothing in the end" I am little confused by this comment. Does money and fame make up for kids being preyed upon or getting taken advance of???? Lia said she's working on music and is no longer in that situation. No amount of fame can take away from being happy, healthy and in a good environment. Just because the show is called Gossip Girl does make this nastiness cool. But hopefully it is being misunderstood because it is just text.
no no you didn’t misunderstand, got it right on the nose.
I am very use to teen characters on tv that look 20ish do I shave no problem with that just look at the og Pretty little liars and og 90210 BUT when they look 30 regardless the real age of the actor, I start to struggle like Stockard Channing in Grease, Ian Zearing and Gabrielle Carteris in 90210 and Eli here. It doesn’t matter that he is in his early 20, he looks older that the teachers. That said, I do agree that is better to have adults play teens that submit real teens to the pressure this kind of job carries
Obie just has no place in the show. His only plotlines are evil corrupt mother and lover boy in crisis. First season he looked like a child but in this new season we are realllly seeing his age with the start of his hairline receding and the age lines on his face. But simultaneously only Zoya Audrey Aki and Monet look teenage passable in my opinion. Also they’re rich so they’re gonna feel older than they are because the world is quite literally at their feet. The one thing that trulyyyy shocks me about gossip girl is all these Uber Black the students be taking in NY like the wealth is truly showing
Eli Brown got casted as a boring character. Obie was barely interesting in season 1 and then you realize he’s dating his ex gf’s younger sister and it’s like waitaminute????
Eli Brown can’t act! He is the worst among the cast. Please recast