Why are they able to make young people look old in the movies, but they never make old people look young?

Question

I'm sure you've seen movies where there's an occasion ( through the use of makeup ) to make a young person look old, but there are also times when the scene calls for an old person to look young ( time travel, for instance ), yet it is never done. How come? Is this an impossibility? You'd think with the miracles they're able to pull off through the use of makeup, this would be possible. Any ideas on this?

Answer 1

You have obviously not watched enough movies --- many actors/actresses are centuries older than they appear on camera. STEINS maker of stage make-up has a tube of cream make-up called 'Juvenile' for use when a performer plays younger, the effect is more reddish than normal. Actually actors on stage often played younger as a rule, certain famous thespians played 'juvenile' roles well into their sixties. On screen a good example is Gary Cooper in 'The Lou Gehrig Story,' in certain scenes the then forty plus actor portrayed Lou Gehrig in his twenties and did so with a combination of make-up judicious camera angles and his own trim physique. Actually the secret to looking younger than ones years is in maintaining a trim slim body. Well into his fifties Charlie Chaplin could strip away the years and still be 'the tramp,' though he deliberately set aside that persona after 1941.

Peace...

Answer 2

Takes too much time. Haven't you ever heard that you can't turn back the hands of time? However, through computer graphics, they are able to do this quite successfully. With the use of make-up, it's not quite so easy. It's easier to create wrinkles than it is to erase them.

Answer 3

There are ways and most film stars already use these tricks anyway so they already look younger than the really are.
It is just easier to make people look older with make up too.

Answer 4

Plastic Surgery would cost too much money and time.