Why are the actresses in Pen15 so old? (& How it perfectly fits the show's narrative)

Pen15 is one of the unique television series based on the lives of middle schoolers in America. The Hulu television series ran for two seasons between 2019 and 2021. Maya Erskine created the series (known for Man Seeking Woman, Mr. & Mrs. Smith) and Anna Konkle (known for The Drop, Rosewood).

The Pen15 cast has garnered attention for portraying middle school teenagers as the complex people they are in real life. However, one of the most notable quirks was how two Pen15 actresses were people in their 30s. Namely, the show's creators Maya Erskine and Anna Konkle play the roles of Maya and Anna, two close friends, as their teenage avatars.

Erskine and Konkle are both 33 years old, which made the Pen15 actresses too old to play teenagers. However, their adulthood is an important aspect of the show's unique idea. Erskine and Konkle claimed in an exclusive interview with Vulture that the idea was to emphasize the fact that the two of them did not fit into their high school (as high schoolers themselves), and two adults portraying teens would help visually emphasize the fact too.

Disclaimer: The article reflects the author's opinions. Individual opinions may vary.

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How the old leading actresses made sense for the Pen15 Cast

Casting two 30-year-olds in the role of 13-year-olds would push the boundaries for any television series or film. No amount of makeup and prosthetic work can make two grown women fit in between a bunch of teenagers. Two Pen15 actresses, however, decided that standing out among the young Pen15 cast would be the best decision for the series.

Erskine and Konkle portray two isolated outcasts in seventh grade. The duo struggled heavily with the concept of portraying themselves as middle-schoolers and went through a variety of narratives to make the characters fit. According to them, it was the director and writer of the series Sam Zvibleman who suggested that they should not explain why two 30-year-olds are playing teenagers and just let that remain as a quirk in the series.

Maya Erskine expanded upon the following during her conversation with Vulture where she said:

"If you saw an actual 13-year-old going through some of these traumatic experiences, it might not be as fun to watch, because you're like, 'That poor kid.' Whereas if you have us as adults playing it, they can be like, 'Oh, that's uncomfortable, but you are not actually experiencing this. Or you did, but you got through it'."

The ill-fitting clothes, awkward getup, and standing out among other teenagers made perfect sense for the show, as it wanted to highlight the oddities of the two women in their teenage years.

Given that the two women were in their early thirties, the preparation required to get into character was a lot. In an interview with IndieWire, Erskine and Anna Konle said:

"Our bodies, for years to come, will probably have issues"

Prosthetics played a major role in transforming adults into somewhat teenagers. Anna Konkle had to strap on braces and Maya Erskine sported a rather clunky retainer. The actors had to fit into tight clothes and hunch over to get into character. Period-appropriate outfits for the year 2000 were picked carefully. They got awkward haircuts associated with teenagers and also had to strap down their chests.

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Pen15 had a short stint of two seasons, but it remains one of the most popular Hulu series. Both seasons of Pen15 are available for streaming on Hulu.