I'm talking about Shaun, of course. He doesn't look or sound like a 60-year-old to me. Instead, he looks like what some youngsters *think* 60-year-olds look like, haha. To me, Shaun looks, acts and sounds more like an 80-year-old.

To illustrate, think of these fellows. All were born in 1956 and are (or soon will be) 60 years old:

• Tom Hanks


• Bryan Cranston


• Mel Gibson


• Joe Montana


• Bob Saget

Contrast that with these fellows, all of whom were born in 1936 and are (or soon will be) 80 years old:

• Alan Alda (oooo he'd make a great Shaun in the movie...)


• Bruce Dern


• John Madden


• John McCain


• Robert Redford

Keep in mind, too, that lifespans have grown as time goes on. I imagine a 50-year-old in the 1800s (200 years ago) would probably look like today's 80-year-old. 200 years from now, I imagine people who look like 80 today will actually be in their 120s.

Could it be that living in The Institute prematurely ages people? Or could it be blamed on his health situation? I don't know, but I know it's hard for me to look at and listen to Shaun and think of him as being (just ) 60.

Shaun doesn't look that old to me at all. He looks like your usual man entering his sixties, maybe living a stressful life.

Though I take it that he might look older to some players depending on his parent's appearances.

Well he's a leader of a major faction, not an actor who probably dedicates half his time to looking good. All that stress does tend to http://i.imgur.com/zTdCov5.png a bit quickly.

Damn, people like Bruce Dern and Robert Redford are now getting cast for "old people" parts,, guess there goes my final (faint) hope of Hollywood recognition

Brain cancer.

He looks 60 to me. My dad is 59 this year and he has the same silvery hair, although much shorter, that Father has. His voice, I agree, sounds like that of a much older man, but that is just the actor's actual voice. Tony Amendola is only 65 but he does tend to sound much older.

Tony Amendola played Master Bra-tac in Stargate SG-1 so I'm always happy to see and hear him!

Shaun's the head of the Institute, a position that I imagine is very stressful indeed. It's no wonder he looks and sounds the way he does. The mere fact he's not crawling in on a walker wheezing, “Dad gummit, get out o' mah science lab-oh, oh it's you...It's you, Father/Mother! Uh...where did I put my lab keys again?” is a wonder in and of itself.

Shaun is what a sixty year old man looked like in the 1950s. Even with his responsibilities, Shaun has had a comfortable life in The Institute.

Hmmmm interesting thought. Hadn't considered it that way. I was basing my thoughts on 60-year-olds in 2016. It would be interesting to find some examples.

Anyway, look at how wrinkly he is. A man who has never spent any time in the sun (save maybe two or three trips as an infant) shouldn't be anywhere near that wrinkly. And another point: during your first meeting with him, Shaun says "With old age comes regrets...". To me, that sounds more like what an older person would say. But again, perhaps he's saying it because he knows his time is limited, not by age so much as by illness.

Mel Gibson? You're right most old people are yelling awkward racist nonsense. I guess "Synths have no souls" kind of counts.

Heh I'm no fan of Mel Gibson, believe me. I was just trying to grab a few names that I thought people might recognize internationally.

He has full white hair too. So probably he's just overstressed over his struggle to be the best of the Institute and when he got his position, it's just another stress stacked up.

Well, would be interesting also knowing how he got into that position, at first.

He had better/easier life down there than would anybody have it on the surface but that doesn't exclude that his studies would reveal to be overly stressing and weakening to his body.

Asserting his position after the previous director would've required lots of work (way more we're showed when it comes down to us) and talks and deals among all departments as well.

And don't forget that life expectations in a post nuclear scenario wouldn't be that high, anyway, so even without his sickness he would be gone shortly after anyway.

I`d say he looks good for his age. White hair is mostly a genetical thing.

And he is not an actor .I believe all actors go through numerous facial surgeries to look younger. And politicans do it too. Plus all magazines that post their faces make them look even younger with photoshop.

In real life they do not look so good usually.

[Deacon]Aaaaaand, as if that weren't enough...[/Deacon]

He's also dying of cancer and is anticipating the meeting with the parent he never met. That's bound to add some more stress on his grey-hair count.