One of the worst miscasts of all time

It's a hard one for me. I liked him in the film and would have preferred a younger actor, closer looking to Alan's age but he played the part well and thing he was very sexy and attractive in the role. The only part that really bothers me is when they are at the picnic and he decides to randomly climb Madge's swing. Like...'what are you doing, you weirdo?' lol A younger man might be able to pull that off, but it looked odd for Holden to do it.

Well, Holden's character was suppose to be a former College football star that went into the Army and then tried a shot at Hollywood before becoming a drifter for a while. He would've had to have been at least early to middle 30's which is pretty much on the mark (Holden was about 37 when it was released which means he was probably about 35-36 when filming).
I do think Holden looks old for his age. I think he always did but so did a lot of other actors and actresses from that era. Or maybe "mature" is the right word.

I'm not sure that it's all about hard living or different styles as I tend to believe that humans are evolving to age slower from one generation to the next. Or at least that's the way that it appears to me.

He was miscast but made it work. By the last 30 minutes I felt he owned the role.

Being in his thirties makes it better. At that age, it's even more pathetic that he has just wasted his life and doesn't seem to have any future.

Not one of the worst miscasts of all time, just an ordinary miscast typical of Hollywood, where male stars are always allowed to play people 2/3 of their age and be matched with leading ladies 1/2 their age.

It's just that this story really did require the principals to be *young*, because they're doing really stupid hormonal things, which just aren't believable or sympathetic if they appear to be old enough to know better. Hal should be 25 tops, and an immature 25 at that, and also, Madge should be 19 and look 19! Holden looks 40 and Novak looks like she's in her late 20s, for that matter.

Under those standards, the entire cast of Grease (1978)

Also, not so implausible for him to be around 25-26 years old:

4 years of college: 17-20 if he had a fall birthday. Lots of kids start college at 17, then turn 18 by the end of first term.
2 years Army: 20-22+. Elvis’s draft service was two years.
2 years as a drifter (including a few months in there trying for that Hollywood shot): 23-25+