The age of actors and characters

In 1999, at 10, Daniel Radcliffe played David Copperfield as a child in a BBC production of the Dickens novel, with Ciarán McMenamin taking over the adult role. When Radcliffe became Harry Potter in 2001, though, he grew older with his character as eight films were made in ten years – which had to be finished before he and his co-stars were too old to play teenagers. With adult characters, this isn't a problem – but it could eventually be one for "The Old Guard", if the sequels are made that are teased at the end of the movie: the performers will age, but the characters are immortals who always look the same. (Andrew Shields, #111words, 15 August)