This article offers an intriguing look into the real and on-screen ages of the main cast and their magical characters. We also list all the birthdays of all the main characters.
Immerse yourself in a captivating exploration of time as we delve into the Fantastic Beasts trilogy, released in 2016, 2018, and 2022, and set in the spellbinding eras of 1926, 1927, and 1932, respectively. With each shift in time, the narrative, characters, and ambiance evolve, lending each film its unique charm.
Whether you’re a fan of Newt Scamander or Albus Dumbledore, get ready for a fascinating journey through time and age in the enthralling world of Fantastic Beasts.
You can find a timeline of when each movie was set as a reference point.
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016)
Set in: 1926
“Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” began filming in August 2015 and wrapped up in January 2016. Here are the actors’ and characters’ ages during filming and the film (1926) itself.
| Actor | Age during filming | Character | Character’s Age in the Film |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eddie Redmayne | 33-34 | Newt Scamander | 29 |
| Katherine Waterston | 35-36 | Tina Goldstein | 24-25 |
| Dan Fogler | 38-39 | Jacob Kowalski | 25-26 |
| Alison Sudol | 30-31 | Queenie Goldstein | 23 |
| Ezra Miller | 23-24 | Credence Barebone/Aurelius Dumbledore | 26 |
| Zoë Kravitz | 26-27 | Leta Lestrange | 28-29 |
| Johnny Depp | 52-53 | Gellert Grindelwald | 42-44 |
| N/A | N/A | Albus Dumbledore | 44-45 |
The table presents an intriguing comparison between the actors’ real ages during the filming of the Fantastic Beasts movie and the ages of the characters they portray. A distinctive pattern emerges – most of the actors are slightly older than their on-screen counterparts.
Take Eddie Redmayne, who was 33-34 during filming, but his character, Newt Scamander, is slightly younger at 29. Similarly, Katherine Waterston and Dan Fogler, who play Tina Goldstein and Jacob Kowalski, respectively, are about a decade older than their characters. The age difference becomes more pronounced with Johnny Depp, who at 52-53 played Gellert Grindelwald, who is 42-44 in the film.
Ezra Miller, portraying Credence Barebone/Aurelius Dumbledore, and Zoë Kravitz, playing Leta Lestrange, are almost the same age as their characters.
This age discrepancy between the actors and their characters is not uncommon in the film industry, and it speaks to the actors’ abilities to convincingly portray characters of different ages.
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (2018)
Set in: 1927
Given that filming for “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald” took place between July and December 2017, here are the actors’ and characters’ ages during filming and the film (1927) itself.
| Actor | Age | Character | Age |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eddie Redmayne | 35-36 | Newt Scamander | 30 |
| Katherine Waterston | 37-38 | Tina Goldstein | 25-26 |
| Dan Fogler | 40-41 | Jacob Kowalski | 26-27 |
| Alison Sudol | 32-33 | Queenie Goldstein | 24 |
| Ezra Miller | 24-25 | Credence Barebone/Aurelius Dumbledore | 27 |
| Zoë Kravitz | 28-29 | Leta Lestrange | 29-30 |
| Johnny Depp | 54-55 | Gellert Grindelwald | 43-45 |
| Jude Law | 44-45 | Albus Dumbledore | 45-46 |
| Callum Turner | 27-28 | Theseus Scamander | 38-39 |
| Claudia Kim | 32-33 | Nagini | Unknown |
| Oliver Masucci | 49-50 | Anton Vogel | Unknown |
| William Nadylam | 52-53 | Yusuf Kama | 43 |
| Poppy Corby-Tuech | 25-26 | Vinda Rosier | Unknown |
Like the first film, the table reveals some disparities between the actors’ ages during filming and the ages of the characters they represent.
For the recurring characters, the actors aged along with their on-screen personas. Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston, and Dan Fogler remained approximately five to ten years older than their characters. A similar trend is observed with Johnny Depp as Gellert Grindelwald, with Depp being roughly ten years older than his character.
For Ezra Miller and Zoë Kravitz, the real and character ages continue to closely align. Newcomer Jude Law, playing Albus Dumbledore, also followed this trend.
Callum Turner, playing Theseus Scamander, and William Nadylam, portraying Yusuf Kama, present a unique case. Their real ages during filming were significantly less and more, respectively, than their characters’. It’s an impressive task for any actor to convincingly portray an age much different from their own.
Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore (2022)
Set in: 1932
Given the main phase of filming for “Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore” took place from July 18, 2020 to February 20, 2021, here are the actors’ and characters’ ages during filming and the film (1932) itself.
| Actor | Age during Filming | Character | Age in the Film |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eddie Redmayne | 38-39 | Newt Scamander | 35 |
| Katherine Waterston | 40-41 | Tina Goldstein | 30-31 |
| Dan Fogler | 43-44 | Jacob Kowalski | 31-32 |
| Alison Sudol | 35-36 | Queenie Goldstein | 29 |
| Ezra Miller | 27-28 | Credence Barebone/Aurelius Dumbledore | 32 |
| Mads Mikkelsen | 54-55 | Gellert Grindelwald | 48-50 |
| Jude Law | 47-48 | Albus Dumbledore | 50-51 |
| Jessica Williams | 30-31 | Eulalie Hicks | Early 30’s or 40s |
| Callum Turner | 30-31 | Theseus Scamander | 44-45 |
| Claudia Kim | 35-36 | Nagini | Unknown |
| Oliver Masucci | 52-53 | Anton Vogel | Unknown |
| William Nadylam | 52-53 | Yusuf Kama | 48 |
| Victoria Yeates | 36-37 | Bunty Broadacre | 25+ |
| Richard Coyle | 48-49 | Abernathy | Unknown |
Staying consistent with the previous films, Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston, Dan Fogler, and Alison Sudol all maintain an age gap with their characters. Redmayne and Waterston, who play Newt and Tina, remain around five to ten years older than their characters, while Fogler’s Jacob Kowalski and Sudol’s Queenie Goldstein keep a similar age difference.
Ezra Miller’s portrayal of Credence Barebone, now also known as Aurelius Dumbledore, brings him almost in line with his character’s age. Jude Law, as Albus Dumbledore, is closely aligned with his character’s age.
Newcomer Mads Mikkelsen, replacing Johnny Depp as Gellert Grindelwald, also stays relatively close to his character’s age, maintaining the age depiction of the powerful dark wizard.
Read more: How to Watch Fantastic Beasts and Harry Potter Chronologically
Fantastic Beasts Character Birthdays
With knowledge of the time setting for each film, we utilized the birthday information of the characters provided below to estimate their respective ages across all three movies.
| Character | Birthday |
|---|---|
| Newt Scamander | 24 February 1987 |
| Tina Goldstein | 19 August 1901 |
| Jacob Kowalski | Between 6 December 1899 and 5 December 1900 |
| Queenie Goldstein | 6 January 1903 |
| Credence Barebone | Spring 1900 |
| Leta Lestrange | Between September 1896 and late April 1897 |
| Gellert Grindelwald | Between summer 1882 and summer 1883 |
| Albus Dumbledore | Late August 1881 |
| Theseus Scamander | Between 25 February 1888 and 23 February 1889 |
| Nagini | Before 1927 |
| Anton Vogel | Unknown |
| Yusuf Kama | 1884 |
| Vinda Rosier | Before 1927 |
| Eulalie Hicks | 1890s – 1900s |
| Bunty Broadacre | Before 1907 |
| Abernathy | Before 1909 |
Read more: Harry Potter Cast and Character Ages during The Movies