MovieChat Forums > Sports Night (1998) Discussion > Dan Rydell's age

Dan Rydell's age

posted 14 years ago by NotThatJamesHolmes
7 replies | jump to latest

I've been rewatching the whole series on DVD lately, and I was stunned to discover that Josh Charles, who plays Dan, was born in September 1971. That would have made him 26 in 1998 when this show began production and premiered. I haven't heard any ages mentioned on the show yet and I realize that an actor's age is never meant to be taken as their character's, but that struck me as peculiar considering the rest of the main cast members are presumably in their early 30s (only Natalie is presented as being very young).

It's strange if you consider the episode when Dan mentions it's the 10th anniversary of he and Casey's first broadcast of their original show. That would make sense for Casey who would've probably been in college (and it's also mentioned he got married at 23), but Dan would have been 16/17. Anyway, I just found this curious and thought somebody else might know what age his character is intended to be.

[–] CatFoley16 14 years ago

I think Dan's about the same age as Casey, maybe a year or two younger at most. He actually mentions that it's his and Casey's 5th anniversary of their first broadcast together, not 10th. I checked a transcript of the episode to be sure. All the transcripts can be found here:
http://community.livejournal.com/sntranscripts/

[–] nscmovieguyj 14 years ago

He's gotta be 29. It was the 11th anniversary of his brother's death in the second episode, and Sam died the day Dan went off to college, when he would have been 18

[–] 14 years ago

[deleted]

[–] fidelio1980 14 years ago

Sorkin, brilliant writer though he may be, is terrible with this kind of continuity. (That is, if The West Wing is any indication.) He must have intended Dan to be 29 in The Apology, but I wouldn't necessarily assume that it means that Dan is actually supposed to be a few years younger than Casey.

[–] Glozone 14 years ago

Dan has said flat-out that he's younger than Casey. "You're like a much, much older brother to me." Obviously the "much much" was probably humor, but I do take that as an idication that Casey's a little older than Dan. Plus, in additon to Peter Krause being six years older than Josh Charles, Casey just seems older. Married with a kid when the show began, more settled and less of a "go out on the town and party" kind of guy.

Dan's older than both Jeremy and Natalie though, who are supposed to be mid-20s. I think Jeremy was mentioned as being 26 in Season 1 and Natalie mentioned as being 26 in Season 2.

So yeah, I'd say age order is:

Isaac
Casey/Dana
Dan
Jeremy
Natalie

[–] jean-t-gilliland 13 years ago

Dan is 29 in "The Apology" (his 16-year-old brother Sam was killed on the day Dan left for college, eleven years ago).

Also, several episodes mention the fact that Casey married Lisa at 23, and that they were married for ten years, making Casey 33 at the beginning of SportsNight. Plus, Casey and Dana went to college together, and in "Thespis", Dana is 33.

In "Ten Wickets", a slightly inebriated Dan refers to Casey as a "much, much older brother", the "much, much" obviously intended as humor, but Casey's life experience suggests he's a bit older. (In an interview at the time, Peter Krause, in describing the characters' relationship, said Casey was supposed to be a bit older and more experienced than Dan.)

[–] sarah-103 13 years ago

Actors play characters different ages all the time. Many actors on teen dramas who are in their twenties play characters in high-school. It's the same kind of thing. An actor can look older or younger than their chronological age. The difference between 26 and 30 in terms of looks is very different from the difference between 4 and 8, even though it's only a four year difference.

"Forget reality, give me a picture"-Remington Steele