What Was Chris Evans’ Age When He Started Acting?
It’s hard to imagine a time when Chris Evans wasn’t a household name. The original Captain America rose to new heights in the past decade in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. But he began acting years before that. So what was Chris Evans’ age when he got started in show business?
Chris Evans is best known as Captain America
Though he’s appeared in many films, Evans is far and away best known for his role in the MCU. He first portrayed Steve Rogers in Captain America: The First Avenger. Evans reprised the role in three more Captain America movies, four Avengers films, and made uncredited cameos in three other MCU flicks.
The actor was cast as the supersoldier at 28, signing a multi-picture deal with Marvel Studios. But Evans almost didn’t do it. “I was just scared,” he told Entertainment Weekly in 2010. “I can’t believe I was almost too chicken to play Captain America.” After nearly a decade, he left the character behind with Avengers: Endgame.
His first film was ‘The Newcomers’ in 2000
Long before the MCU, and even before his other Marvel role in the Fantastic Four franchise with Fox, Evans got his start in theater. He grew up attending acting camp and appearing in musical productions. He was introduced to the world through his mother, an artistic director in his home state of Massachusetts.
Like many aspiring actors, Evans moved to Los Angeles after graduating from high school. Aside from an educational film made a few years earlier, his first credited appearance was in the 2000 TV film The Newcomers opposite Kate Bosworth and Paul Dano. Evans was just 18 or 19 years old at the time.
Chris Evans’ age in ‘Not Another Teen Movie’
The early role that many of Evans’ fans recognize him for is that of Jake Wyler in Not Another Teen Movie. A parody of the popular teen romantic comedies of the time, like 10 Things I Hate About You and American Pie, the movie earned generally negative reviews but fared reasonably well at the box office.
Evans’ character exemplified the vain, popular jock character from movies such as She’s All That and Varsity Blues. He appeared alongside other rising stars of the time like Chyler Leigh (Supergirl), Jaime Pressly (Mom), and Eric Christian Olsen (NCIS: Los Angeles). When the film premiered in 2001, Evans was 20.
The actor turned 40 on June 13, 2021
Undoubtedly, Evans’ career has evolved a lot in the last 20 years. He’s dominated the superhero genre, of course. But he’s also taken on romantic comedies (like Playing It Cool), dramas (like Gifted), and mystery (like Knives Out). Evans even did his first limited series, Defending Jacob, on Apple TV+, and starred in a play.
The actor celebrated his 40th birthday on June 13, 2021. Notably, he shares the day with two fellow MCU actors: Aaron Taylor-Johnson, who he acted opposite in Avengers: Age of Ultron, and Kat Dennings, who appeared in Thor, Thor: The Dark World, and WandaVision. Speaking of WandaVision, star Elizabeth Olsen’s twin sisters, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, were also born on June 13.
