Summary
- Neve Campbell was older than her character in "Party of Five," but her performance as a teenage Julia Salinger was still believable and praised by critics.
- Campbell was 20 years old when the show premiered, and her character's age ranged from 15 to 20 years old throughout the series.
- Despite her success as a teenager on the show, Campbell was concerned about being typecast and has since played adult roles in various projects.
Neve Campbell was one of the breakout stars of the family drama Party of Five, but despite playing a relatable teen, the actor was a little older than her character’s age during the production of the show. Set in San Francisco, Party of Five revolves around the five Salinger siblings, the five-person party that the title refers to. When their parents are killed by a drunk driver, the orphaned Salingers are placed in the care of the eldest sibling, Charlie, played by Matthew Fox. Charlie is 24 years old at the beginning of the series and struggles to adapt to his responsibilities as the new head of the family.
Campbell and Fox starred alongside Scott Wolf as Bailey and Lacey Chabert as Claudia. All the cast’s performances were well-received by critics, but Campbell was singled out for praise for giving a fully convincing turn as an angsty, sensitive teenager. Before she played Sidney Prescott in the Scream franchise, Julia Salinger was the role that defined Campbell’s career and launched her to stardom. Since Campbell was a few years older than her character, and her own teen years were a distant memory, her believable performance as a teenager is even more impressive.
Neve Campbell Was 20 Years Old When Party Of Five Started
Campbell was 20 years old when Party of Five premiered in September 1994. Campbell isn’t the only cast member from Party of Five who was older than her character. Fox was 28 when his character was supposed to be 24 while Wolf was 26 when his character was supposed to be just 16 years old. Chabert is the only one who was the same age as her character, as she was 11 years old when her 11-year-old character first appeared on-screen (although she turned 12 just a couple of weeks after the show premiered).
When the series concluded in May 2000, Campbell was 26 years old. Although the role of Julia earned her plenty of fame and acclaim, the now-26-year-old Campbell was worried about being typecast as a teenager. When she was asked about being dubbed “television’s most believable teenager” (via Interview Magazine), Campbell said that the acclaim was “flattering,” but added, “Hopefully, I won’t be a teenager forever.” Campbell managed to avoid that typecasting, as she’s since played grown-up roles in House of Cards, The Lincoln Lawyer, and Twisted Metal.
How Old Was Neve Campbell's Julia Supposed To Be In Party Of Five
Julia was the middle child of the Salinger family, younger than Charlie and Bailey but older than Claudia and Owen. She was supposed to be 15 years old in the first season and 20 years old in the final season, with each of the show’s six seasons covering one year of her life. The writers of Party of Five used the Julia character to explore a number of important issues, including a teen pregnancy arc in season 2 and a domestic violence arc in season 5. Julia’s role in Party of Five paved the way for more teen dramas to explore serious subjects.
Source: Interview Magazine