Perhaps the most iconic of the TV shows to have ever aired in the early 2000s is Pokémon, and nothing about it was ordinary. This next fan theory might just ruin the show for you. Do remember all those cute, weird, and even violent Pokémon?

Well, we hate to break it to you, but none of them ever existed. What we mean is that the entire storyline takes place while Ash is in a coma. His entire journey is happening inside his head. At least those Pokémon were spared a life in captivity.

After appearing in comic books, the character of a friendly ghost named Casper became a popular protagonist in a variety of cartoons and television productions. While the following theory is related to a film that premiered decades after the Casper character was created, it’s still worth hearing out.

Despite the happy ending of Richie Rich, Richie’s parents run into some financial difficulties and choose to murder their son to collect his life insurance money. He then becomes the ghost of Casper. Sounds bizarre? They do look pretty similar …

If you have ever watched Pixar’s The Incredibles, then you probably know who designs superheroes’ costumes. Interestingly enough, this theme has barely been explored in superhero films, but that is just a side note.

Edna Mode, a fashion designer, designs superhero costumes in The Incredibles universe. For some reason, she gets very touchy whenever someone wants a costume with a cape attached to it. Probably because all her previous customers died while wearing capes. Sounds like some unresolved trauma to us.

While the 2008 film Wall-E was enjoyed by children and adults alike when the movie first came out, there is a lot to say about some of the unusual things depicted in the movie.

This Reddit user suggested taken aboard the Axiom is actually, well, other humans. The ship has been up in orbit for about seven centuries. That’s a long time even if you grow food onboard it. While this theory seems a bit grisly, there may actually be some truth to it!

In the 2002 Disney film, Lilo & Stitch, viewers are led to believe that Lilo lives with her older sibling following the death of her parents. This Reddit user believes that there was more to the parent’s back story than just a tragic car accident.

It does seem suspicious that the social worker, Cobra Bubbles, reveals himself to be a former CIA agent at the end of the film. Also suspicious is Bubbles’ drastic career switch – could it have been a way to keep an eye on his former coworkers’ children?

Myths about human-animal hybrids have always existed in civilizations around the world. One of the most chilling myths, though, is of a mythological creature called the siren. According to Greek mythology, Sirens use their hauntingly beautiful voice to lure sailors to their graves.

This Reddit user thinks that Ariel is no innocent Little Mermaid. They think the beloved Disney princess is really a siren, trying to lure Prince Eric to his death. While we don’t Ariel as the traditional half-bird half-human monster, there could actually be some truth to this theory.

Yes, Disney’s The Aristocats predates Fox’s animated classic, Anastasia, by close to three decades. Once you get over that fact, you realize that the two storylines could actually exist in the same universe.

In the film, Anastasia tries to get to Paris in order to reunite with her grandmother. It’s totally possible that she was able to finally get there, where she ends up living alone with her cats. The only reason why this theory doesn’t hold up is because of Anastasia’s love interest, Dimitri – what happened to him?

In one of Tarzan’s most pivotal scenes, Tarzan is able to defeat Sabor, the evil leopard responsible for killing his parents.

Knowing how powerful a real leopard is, compared to a human, this Reddit user did some digging. It turns out that Sabor would have been close to two decades at the time of the battle. Considering that the lifespan of a leopard is about 12-17 years, Sabor would have been dead or close to it.

We’ve heard weird theories about Cars and Thomas The Tank Engine actually taking place during WWII, but this is something else entirely. This fan theory is so strange that it actually might make sense the more you think about it.

The reason behind everyone being so friendly and obedient in Thomas the Tank Engine is because they were cowed into obedience. They were told horrific stories about the outside world and that they have no choice, but to obey the powers that be.

In the fourth book (and movie) of the Harry Potter series, Lord Voldemort comes back to life. In one scene, Wormtail holds what seems to be a baby version of Voldemort which he then places in a boiling cauldron in order to revive Voldemort.

According to this Reddit user, Voldermot took the shape of a twisted baby is because he killed Bertha Jorkins and possessed her unborn child’s body. This is so dark and twisted, but we still like it.

This theory has been circulating since the early 2000s when the BBC published an article about it. Basically, according to this theory, every character in Winnie the Pooh represents a different type of mental illness.

Winnie, for example, suffers from a compulsive eating disorder. Just think about his obsession with honey, that’s all he wants to eat. Piglet, on the other hand, suffers from generalized anxiety disorder, because he is always worrying about something and keeps saying “oh, dear” all the time.

This is probably the most bizarre theory we’ve read so far. We couldn’t really wrap our heads around it, but we still thought we should share it.

First, let’s begin by saying that we don’t actually recall a “crazy bowling alley guy” to have ever been featured in any of the episodes of Drake & Josh (and we watched every single one of them!). Assuming this is true, how does that help explain how Carly got her own show and movie? Weird!

This next theory sounds more like a literary critique rather than a dark fan theory, but bear with us. This person believes that Peter Pan chooses not to grow up because he refuses to give up the perks of childhood.

In addition to cutting Captain Hook’s hand off as part of a game, Pan’s refusal to be adopted by the Darlings might suggest that he’s scared to become an adult. After all, getting adopted would mean he would have to attend school and later get a job.

In what marked the end of the second wizarding war, Harry Potter and Lord Voldemort exchange harsh words that might have opened the possibility for a dark alternative ending to the famous tale.

If Harry had somehow gained immortality (just like Voldemort did), he would have never been able to see his dead parents again. This convoluted statement left us wondering what really happened there. Does this mean that Harry is actually immortal? Somebody must send an owl to Dumbledore!

The Lord of the Rings trilogy is notorious for being one of the most imaginative and detailed stories. In the Fellowship of the Ring, when the Orcs are closing in and it seems like all is lost, the eagles come to the rescue.

This raises the question – why didn’t they take Frodo and his gang straight to Mount Doom to destroy the ring, sparing us the rest of their endless adventures?

Anachronism stands for something that is placed outside its usual time. For example, if someone finds an iPhone in an ancient Egyptian tomb. This might be the case with Disney’s Aladdin.

The Genie, despite being locked in a golden lamp for 10,000 years knows quite a lot about the outside world. This leads to the conclusion that Aladdin takes place in the future, in a post-apocalyptic environment, and the Genie is actually some sort of sophisticated AI. Otherwise, how was he able to mimic modern actor Jack Nicholson?

Most fans of the 1996 film remember a scene in which satellite technician, David Levinson, uses a Mac computer to write a computer virus to disrupt the alien’s operating system. This is how he was able to upload the virus into the alien mothership.

Ever wondered though how he was able to use human technology to infiltrate an alien ship? It’s very simple actually. Apparently, the US government is able to reverse engineer alien tech. Yes, we dropped our jaws when we realized that. Sounds reasonable, though, don’t you think?

For those of you who watched the show and film as kids, you probably remember that the actual character who solves all the mysteries is not the hapless Inspector Gadget, but his niece Penny and her dog Brain.

While it is indeed possible that her real uncle has gone mad and replaced himself with a sophisticated cyborg, we are concerned about the possibility that Inspector Gadget is in fact the series’ antagonist, Dr. Claw. This would explain why can’t he solve a single mystery pertaining to Dr.Claw’s crime syndicate, M.A.D.

The classic movie featuring resurrected dinosaurs merits many dark theories. It seems though, that a crucial detail has been overlooked in considering some aspects of the plot – the creatures featured in the movie were not the exact replicas of their ancestors.

Yes, their genes were used in creating them, but let’s just say that a few other genes were added as well, to bridge gaps in the missing DNA sequence. The result? A bunch of murderous Frankenstein-like monsters that only vaguely look scientifically accurate.

We already presented a theory about Peter Pan, but here’s another one. Do you recall the name of the mysterious place that Peter Pan inhabits? Never Land – meaning land that doesn’t actually exist, at least in the physical realm.

Peter Pan is actually an angel who was entrusted with the task of accompanying the souls of departed children to the next world. Considering his ability to fly, and the generation descriptions made of heaven, the theory does actually make sense.

There is quite a disturbing scene in the first Shrek movie. Lord Maximus Farquaad, Shrek’s antagonist, captures three bears (presumably, the three bears from the Children’s fairytale Goldilocks and The Three Bears) and put them in cages.

Later, only two of them reappeared, sad and forlorn near Shrek’s shack. In one of the final scenes of the movie, which depicts a room in Farquaad’s castle, one could spot a fur rug that looks like a bear. We presume that’s what happened to mama bear. We were horrified to discover that!

If you think about it, Finding Nemo has a pretty rough and sad background story. Marlin has practically lost all of his children, except for Nemo. He is a father dealing with tremendous grief, which could explain why he is so overprotective of Nemo.

What if, however, Nemo’s egg didn’t survive the Barracuda attack either and he is nothing but a figment of Marlin’s imagination? This means that none of the events featuring Nemo has ever taken place.

We absolutely adore a play on words, especially when it supports a dark fan theory. Considering the fact that Up has a somewhat twisted and dark plot to it already, this would only reinforce it.

It seems like Jimmy Russell didn’t really come to help the old man in order to earn his badge. Instead, he came to “jimmy” his locks and break in. What for? Probably to steal some valuables. We weren’t fooled by his round boyish face!

Another great Disney movie that has a lot of hidden meaning to it is The Lion King. This Reddit user, however, has an entirely twisted take. It appears that, according to this theory, Scar is actually a revolutionary leader attempting to secure a better life for the supposedly oppressed people of the Pride Lands.

He allies himself with an oppressed group, the Hyenas, in exchange for hunting rights. The revolution succeeded, but it did more harm than good. The cycle of life continues with the restoration of the monarchy.

There is an interesting detail in Frozen that most viewers have probably overlooked. Kristoff, the iceman who meets Anna, has a reindeer named Sven. Now, what does he wear? That’s right, a coat made of an animal pelt that looks suspiciously like Sven’s fur.

This Reddit user’s theory surprisingly makes sense. Apparently, Kristoff’s people killed a female reindeer but adopted her fawn who grows to be a mature reindeer named Sven. This theory definitely adds a dark twist to Frozen.

Remember Disney’s movie from 1999, Tarzan? Apparently, this Reddit user came up with this pretty dark and crazy idea that links it to Frozen. If you recall, Anna and Elsa’s parents supposedly died in a terrible shipwreck when a storm took place at sea.

This theory asks, what if they had washed up on some tropical island and brought another child into the world who grew up to be Tarzan? Too bad Tarzan appeared some 12 years before Frozen, otherwise we might have actually believed it.

We wrote earlier about Wall-E, claiming that the people on board the spaceship Axiom are cannibals. In case that theory wasn’t enough, we brought you additional proof that Wall-E has even more dark aspects to it. If you think of it, the only people who survived are the ones on board the spaceship.

What happened to the rest of humanity? They were left to die on planet Earth, of course. This means that only the uberwealthy survived, and became cannibals if you followed the previous theory.

Pixar films often have hidden details in the background of many scenes. Many think that these little surprises were left on purpose for the really sharp-eyed viewers. In the case of Toy Story, we have reason to believe that Andy’s parents are getting a divorce. To corroborate our theory, we bought evidence from Reddit.

When you come to think of it, Andy is really dependent on his male toys – Sheriff Woody at first and then Buzz. This might clearly suggest that he lacks a father figure and is searching for a substitute.

Few fans of The Iron Giant know that two of the film’s scenes were never animated … until the release of the movie’s signature version. One of the scenes sheds more light on the nature of the alien metal giant.

It appears, according to the description provided on Reddit, that the Iron Giant was equipped with a chest cannon that had the potential to destroy entire planets. We assume that this cannon was part of the giant’s defensive system that was activated when it was threatened.

In Home Alone, Kevin gets unexpected help from someone he thought is actually a murderous serial killer. While his significance to the plot is relatively minor, there is still a chance that it is part of a greater plan — one that spills well into the next movies in the franchise.

According to this Reddit user, “Shovel Slayer” or “Old Man Marley” is actually the adult version of Kevin who travels back in time to alter the course of his childhood.

Being hurt by the people that love us most is not an uncommon theme in many books and movies. This might also be true in the case of Rapunzel from Tangled. The poor child was kidnapped and kept in a tower for 18 years by a person she learned to think of as her “mother.”

Even when Rapunzel discovers the truth about her “mother,” she is still willing to sacrifice herself for her in order to save her. Definitely sounds like Stockholm Syndrome to us!

There is, as you have guessed, a murderous and dark twist to this famous story. In between the delicious candies and other sweets, is a dark underbelly to this chocolate factory.

What if the kids that were invited to the factory were actually meant to serve a more sinister purpose rather than just getting a free tour of the premise? Technically, four of them sustained various deformities because they ate “experimental” sweets. What if the plan all along was to use them to make new candies?

Purgatory, or limbo, is a place in which the souls of the perished are supposedly cleansed of their past indiscretions before they can move on and enter heaven. At least, that’s what many people believe.

This person believes that the cartoon characters of the popular television series and movie are in this in-between world. Considering how weird and lifeless their neighborhood looks, there might be some truth to this dark theory.

Have you ever wondered how come a bunch of random sea creatures (and a yellow sponge) can talk, look, and act like humans? It appears that our favorite sponge and his fellow sea creatures are the product of nuclear testing conducted by the United States government during the Cold War, specifically in an area called Bikini Atoll in the Marshall Islands in the Pacific Ocean.

In testing one of these nuclear arms, the area was contaminated with radiation, causing sea animals to morph into human-like creatures.

Disney’s 1940 version of Pinocchio featured a place called Pleasure Island. As you might have suspected, the pleasures that are offered come with a hefty price tag. This cursed island is a place for lost boys who are later turned into donkeys.

According to this theory that we found on Reddit, Donkey from Shrek could actually be one of those lost boys. Given the fact that Pinocchio appears in the Shrek movie, and consequently, in the Shrek universe, this might actually be true!

Let’s kick things off with teen mystery drama Pretty Little Liars. In this super popular show, a clique’s leader goes missing, and a shady figure named “A” threatens to expose its members. At the time the show first aired in 2010, its lead cast was far from school girls.

Well, Sasha Pieterse was actually 14 years old, so that tracks. However, her castmate Shay Mitchell was actually 23 when season one aired! That’s an age gap of nine years for Emison!

Here’s the first of many parent-child relationships with questionable age gaps on this list. In the world of TV and movies, directors understandably cast people based on their skills and appearance. However, this can lead to parent-child depictions that are essentially impossible based on the actors’ real-life ages.

In prison dramedy Orange Is the New Black, actress Elizabeth Rodriguez plays Aleida, the mother of Dascha Polanco’s Daya. In real life, there’s only one year, 11 months, and six days between them.

Look, we loved miniseries WandaVision as much as the next person, but did you notice the age gap between the titular couple? This happens lots on screen, where older men are paired with younger women and it’s presented without comment.

In real life, English actor Paul Bettany is 50 years old, while his on-screen wife Elizabeth Olsen is just 32. This gives them an age gap of 18 years. In real life, Bettany’s wife, actress Jennifer Connelly, is also 50.

Now it’s time for a set of siblings with inconsistent ages. On sitcom 8 Simple Rules, popular sister Bridget is supposedly older than straight-A younger sister Kerry. However, in real life, actress Kaley Cuoco is six years younger than Amy Davidson.

As is common on TV, these full-grown adults played children that still lived at home. At the time of filming, Kaley Cuoco was 17, while Amy Davidson was 25. This full-grown adult woman didn’t even play the younger sister!

OK — actor Cole Sprouse has been a kid on TV way longer than seems possible. Firstly, he played little Ben Geller in Friends, then one of the title characters in The Suite Life of Zack and Cody. In that show, a 16-year-old Sprouse played a high school student.

However, now over a decade later, Cole Sprouse is still playing a teenager on TV! As Jughead on Riverdale, Sprouse is the oldest cast member that’s supposed to be a teenager. There are five years between him and Reinhart.

Primetime TV likes a love triangle, and sci-fi mystery drama Lost was no different. As is often the case, the show paired a younger actress with two older men. In real life, we’re pretty sure people would address the 10-year age gap between them and their potential partner.

When Lost first started, Evangeline Lily was 25 years old. Her action hero love interest Jack was played by Matthew Fox, who was 38. Meanwhile, cowboy conman Sawyer was played by Josh Holloway, age 35.

Sasha Pieterse and Shay Mitchell aren’t the only people on the Pretty Little Liars cast to have confusing age gaps. Troian Bellisario, who plays perfectionist Spencer Hastings, was 24 during the show’s first season. Yep, that’s another 16-year-old on TV played by an adult.

Meanwhile, Spencer’s mom, Veronica, is played by Lesley Fera. When the show premiered, Fera was 38, making her just 14 years older than her TV daughter. Hey, we can’t say we’re all that surprised.

In Mindy Kaling’s coming of age series Never Have I Ever, Canadian actress Maitreyi Ramakrishnan played Indian-American teenager Devi. Unusually for these shows, Ramakrishnan was actually 17 when she was cast. By the time the series was released, she was 18.

Darren Barnet was 28 when he was first cast as Paxton, and just a year off 30 when the show aired. There was over a 10-year gap then between the actress and her on-screen love interest.

When it comes to casting parents, TV shows are more interested in dynamic, star power, and making sure people look related than their ages. This means that we often get parent-child relationships that make no sense. Just take George Lopez as an example.

On the sitcom, George Lopez’s mom was played by actress Belita Moreno. In real life, there are just 11 years between the stars, so Benny would have had to be pretty young to give birth to George. Yikes.

In ’90s sitcom The Nanny, Jewish fashionista Fran becomes the nanny of three well-to-do children. The show was created by lead actress Fran Drescher and her then-husband, Peter Marc Jacobson, and based on her own life in Queens.

On the show, actress Renée Taylor played Fran’s mom, Sylvia Fine. Her mom, Fran’s grandmother, was played by Ann Moran Guilbert. In real life, there’s just one year between the actresses. Plus, Renée Taylor is the elder of the two!

We know that sitcom stars Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher eventually ended up together, but the pair go way, way back. Before Ashton was married to Demi Moore (remember that?), he was a TV actor on That ‘70s Show.

Young Mila Kunis actually lied about her age to land her role on the show. She was just 14 years old when she auditioned, and 15 when the pilot aired. There are only five years between Kunis and Kutcher, but those five years count when someone is just 14!

It’s time for another teen show that’s jam-packed full of adults. Seriously, no one is the appropriate age in Glee, and the kids are all very close in age to their teacher, played by Matthew Morrison.

The most extreme age gap is between Cory Monteith, who played Finn, and Chris Colfer, who played Kurt. These two eventually became brothers, though Cory was 27 when the show first aired, and Chris just 19. Monteith was just two years younger than Morrison, who played Mr. Schuester.

Now, here’s a TV age gap for you. Award-winning Canadian comedy-drama Northern Exposure initially followed a New York City doctor who relocated to a remote Alaskan town. The acclaimed show featured Cynthia Geary as Shelly Tambo, a pageant queen who fell for the town’s much older mayor.

At the time, Cynthia Geary was 25 years old, and John Cullum was 60. That’s right — that’s a real-life age gap of 35 years. In the show, it was even larger!

The Mary Tyler Moore Show was pioneering for its depiction of an independent, working woman. But, that doesn’t mean the show didn’t rely on the old trick of using an older actor paired with a younger actress.

On the show, Ted Knight, who played Ted Baxter, felt that his character was too one-note, and in need of a wife. The wife, in this case, was Georgette — played by Georgia Engel. In real life, these two had an age gap of 25 years.

Next up is a bizarre age gap that surely could have been avoided! In Disney series Hannah Montana, Jason Earles plays Miley Cyrus’ brother. At the time, the future pop star was a tender 13 years old, while Earles was 28. That’s right, that’s an age gap of 15 years!

Of course, Jason Earles’ advanced age also made him close in age to his on-screen parents. There’s a 16-year gap between him and Billy Ray Cyrus, and a 12-year gap between him and Brooke Shields.

Naturally, teen drama One Tree Hill was also jam-packed full of adults playing high schoolers. One of the show’s main characters, Lucas, was played by Chad Michael Murray, who was 22 when the series began.

Lucas’ mom is played by Moira Kelly, who is just 14 years older than her on-screen son. In the show, Karen is a single mom who had Lucas when she was just a teen. This partly explains the small age gap between the two, but it’s still too small!

Hilariously, actor Tom Welling was 24 years old when he played 14-year-old Clark Kent in Smallville. And look, Tom Welling simply does not look 14. However, the showrunners felt Welling had the handsomeness and stature to be Superman, so they overlooked his slightly advanced years.

Tom Welling’s castmate, Kristen Kreuk, was just 18 at the time of filming. By using actors that are slightly older than their characters, TV shows don’t need to stop for actual study breaks!

Many TV shows have storylines that feature a teacher and a student in a romantic relationship. In literally every case this is problematic, mainly because teachers are supposed to educate and look out for their students. Also, those students are minors.

In Dawson’s Creek, everyone is famously older than their teenage character is supposed to be. Joshua Jackson was 20 when he filmed this storyline, while Leann Hunley was 43. Now, Jackson is 43, and Hunley is 66.

Apparently, Tom Selleck was only supposed to make a brief appearance in sitcom Friends. However, because of his and Courteney Cox’s chemistry, they kept the seasoned actor around. This led to an on-screen relationship with a pretty hefty age gap.

There are 19 years between these actors in real life, and their on-screen counterparts also came from different generations. In fact, Selleck’s character Richard knew Monica when she was a baby, and was friends with her parents. Now, that’s all kinds of wrong.

Sitcom Boy Meets World aired from 1993 to 2000, and followed the life of Cory Matthews. On the show, Rider Strong played Shawn, Cory’s best friend, and Trina McGee played Angela, Shawn’s love interest. When McGee joined the cast in season five, she was already 28 years old. That’s only two years off 30!

Meanwhile, Rider Strong was just 17 at the time, so over a decade younger than his on-screen crush. This relationship was pretty culturally significant, particularly because an interracial couple was still uncommon on TV.

Period drama is another place where age gaps are pretty common. Think about it — there are always crusty, withered men paired with radiant lively ladies, and never the opposite. In Downton Abbey, there’s a 26-year age gap between characters Lady Edith and Sir Anthony.

In real life, there are almost 30 years between the couple. English actor Robert Bathurst was 53 during filming, while English actress Laura Carmichael was just 24. Unlike some others on this list, the couple does address their age gap in the series.

It’s time for another on-screen parent-child relationship that wouldn’t work in real life. In The Golden Girls, Estelle Getty played Sophia Petrillo, the mother of Bea Arthur’s Dorothy Zbornak. To play the part, actress, and comedian Estelle Getty spent 45 minutes in hair and makeup so she could look 20 years older than her real age.

Interestingly, there’s only one year between these actresses in real life. Even more interesting is that Estelle Getty is actually the younger of the two.

In The Big Bang Theory, we’re led to believe that the gang is all more or less the same age. However, that isn’t strictly true in real life. Johnny Galecki, who plays Leonard, was 32 when the sitcom started, while Kaley Cuoco was just 22. Perhaps that’s why Penny doesn’t get any of the gang’s pop-culture references!

The other cast members are closer in age to Johnny Galecki. Jim Parsons, who plays Sheldon, was 35 when the show started, while Kunal Nayyar and Simon Helberg were both 26.

There are various reasons teen shows don’t cast real teenagers. For one, you don’t have to stop shooting for school work when your actors are adults. Secondly, older actors have more experience, and are more likely to get the job done efficiently and professionally.

Perhaps that’s why 25-year-old Benjamin McKenzie was cast as a teenager in The O.C. His TV mom, Kelly Rowan, was 38 when the show first aired, making her only 13 years older than her supposed son.

On post-apocalyptic horror series The Walking Dead, Abrasita emerges as a couple in both the TV series and the comics. Of course, Abrasita is the couple name for Abraham Ford and Rosita Espinosa, played by Michael Cudlitz and Christian Serratos.

In real life, American actress Christian Serrato was 24 when she started working on the series. Her on-screen other half, Michael Cudlitz, was 50. This works out as a real-life age gap of 26 years. We know it’s the end of the world, but still…

Grey’s Anatomy spin-off Station 19, set in a Seattle fire station, premiered in 2018. In the show, Barrett Doss plays the energetic and tough Victoria Hughes, part of the fire-fighting team at Station 19. When the show premiered, Doss was 29 years old.

One of Vic’s love interests in the early seasons of the drama was Fire Chief Lucas Ripley. The brooding man in charge was played by Australian actor Brett Tucker, who was 46 at the time of filming. That’s 17 years!

We’re back to teen drama Riverdale for another couple with a sizeable age gap. The show, which premiered in 2017, follows Archie Andrews in the small town of Riverdale. New Zealand actor KJ Apa stars as the high school football player, and was 20 when the series started.

One of Archie’s love interests is Josie McCoy, played by American actress Ashleigh Murray. When she first appeared on the show, she was 29 — over a decade older than her co-star.

We’re back to the Grey’s Anatomy universe for another couple with an unmentioned age gap. While Jo Wilson and Alex Karev initially bond over their troubled pasts, the medical drama never acknowledges the generational difference between them. Well, except that she’s a resident and he’s an attending.

In real life, actors Justin Chambers and Camilla Luddington have 14 years between them. While we might still think of Karev as a baby surgeon, he’s actually a man in his 50s!

Ok, our next two entries definitely do acknowledge their age gaps. In the Friends episode, “The One Where Ross Dates a student,” paleontology professor Ross Gellar goes on a date with his student, Elizabeth. On the show, there were 12 years between this couple.

In real life, there’s a decade between David Schwimmer and Alexandra Holden. Of course, the whole point of Elizabeth as a character was her taboo relationship with the uptight Ross. After five episodes, she was gone!

We couldn’t talk about Ross and Elizabeth without giving a shout-out to Rachel and Elizabeth’s dad. In the episode, “The One Where Ross Meets Elizabeth’s Dad,” Rachel Green also comes upon the dashing dad, played by movie star Bruce Willis.

Apparently, Bruce Willis lost a bet with Matthew Perry, leading to this guest spot. In fact, Willis did the three-episode arc for free. In real life, there are 14 years between the Die Hard star and Jennifer Aniston.

When Japanese-American actress Keiko Agena was cast in the Gilmore Girls, she was already much older than her on-screen character. At 27 years old, Agena was to play Lane Kim, the Korean-American best friend of Rory Gilmore. At the time, castmate Alexis Bledel was just 19.

This means that Lane and Rory had a real-life age gap of eight years. Plus, after seven years of the series, Keiko Agena was 34 by the time the show wrapped! Looking good, Lane!

And right away here’s another actress that was 27 when she was cast to play a high school student. Well, Charisma Carpenter was technically 26, but she was almost 27! In supernatural drama Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Carpenter plays Cordelia Chase, a popular student at Sunnydale High.

One of the teachers at Sunnydale High is Jenny Calendar, played by Robia Scott. Going by their real-life ages, these two have only a 16-day age gap between them.

The age gap between Ed O’Neill and Sofía Vergara’s characters on Modern Family is maybe the most well-known of all. In the series, Jay Pritchett is married to the much younger Gloria Delgado, a beautiful Colombian immigrant. The show regularly makes reference to the couple’s large age gap, and what others see as their attractiveness gap.

In real life, Ed O’Neill is 26 years older than Sofía Vergara. When the mockumentary sitcom first premiered, O’Neill was 63 years old, while Vergara was 37.

We return to Stars Hollow for our last surprising on-screen age gap. It’s another of those awful teacher-student situations, so brace yourselves. This time we have Paris Geller, played by American actress Liza Weil, and Asher Fleming, played by English actor Michael York.

When these two get together at Yale, Paris was around 18 years old, and Asher 60! In real life, York was 61 years old, and Weil was 26. That’s a fictional gap of 42 years, and a real-life gap of 35.