How old was Fred?

[nightshade]

How old was she when she left Pylea/Season 3?

 

[WillowFromBuffy]

She attended grad school when she vanished, so she would have to be at least around 28. She may be the oldest human on the crew. She's much older than Cordy, Gunn and Doyle.

Doyle got separated from Harry at 21. I don't remember if they say how long the separation has lasted, but I doubt it is more than a few years. Wesley seems fresh out of the watchers academy when he comes to Sunnydale, and Giles doesn't seem all that bothered about his thing with Cordelia. It seems likely to me that he was still in his early twenties when he came to Sunnydale, making him a little bit younger than Fred.

 

[Priceless]

Wasn't Fred meant to be some kind of prodigy, so I think she may be younger than we think.

I always thought Doyle and Wes were about the same age. As half demon it's probably not easy to age Doyle, but Wes has got to be early 30's?

 

[Bluebird]

Early 20's. 24 I'd guess. Gone for 5 years in Pylea, and I imagine she enrolled at university at around 18, and was studying when she got pulled into the portal. I'd guess she wasn't that many years into her degree when she got snatched.
No matter how you look at it, it's canon she spent 5 years in Pylea and was in college at the time, meaning she's older than Cordelia. Which is kind of funny to imagine.

 

[WillowFromBuffy]

I'd guess she wasn't that many years into her degree when she got snatched.

She was in grad school when she vanished, so she was either working on a master or a doctor's degree. Considering that she writes that groundbreaking paper when she gets back, it would make more sense if it was the latter.

 

[Bluebird]

She was in grad school when she vanished, so she was either working on a master or a doctor's degree. Considering that she writes that groundbreaking paper when she gets back, it would make more sense if it was the latter.

I believe she was quite gifted beyond her years, so could be she wrote the paper regardless of how far into her schooling she was. I also said I'd guess and I'd imagine like four times, cos we can't know for sure. 24 was my guess.

 

[Taake]

She was in grad school when she vanished, so she was either working on a master or a doctor's degree. Considering that she writes that groundbreaking paper when she gets back, it would make more sense if it was the latter.

I agree, but, then again, my sister studies biology and they’ve an American in the lab who got his PhD in his mid-20’s because he skipped doing a master, according to him its not required in all fields or programs in the States. So Fred could’ve just leaped over master and landed strait at doctoral, maybe.

 

[Bluebird]

A friend I used to know, who was naturally gifted at sciences, started uni courses at age 15 and therefore was a lot younger than most in her classes as she progressed.

 

[WillowFromBuffy]

I believe she was quite gifted beyond her years, so could be she wrote the paper regardless of how far into her schooling she was.

I guess. That's always been one of my gripes with AtS. Wesley and Fred are just effortlessly experts at everything. I am sure it takes more to start uni at 15 than eating some tacos.

 

[Bluebird]

I guess. That's always been one of my gripes with AtS. Wesley and Fred are just effortlessly experts at everything. I am sure it takes more to start uni at 15 than eating some tacos.

The shows tend to bend reality to breaking point anyway. Not to be taken too literally.

 

[nightshade]

What episode was that flashback scene in? Where she's packing up to go to Uni?

 

[Taake]

What episode was that flashback scene in? Where she's packing up to go to Uni?

A hole in the world, maybe?

 

[Mr Trick]

She does play as really young when she first shows up. But I'd place her around 22-23. Amy Acker in real life is about mid-40's now I think so that lines up quite well.

 

[Give Us A Kiss]

At least mid to late 20's as she was already in grad school, but she did have some young mannerisms so I could see how she is a prodigy in her early 20's that finished college early.

 

[AlphaFoxtrot]

We know how Fred was like at age 16, insecure pothead. Nothing about already being in College. Frankly, the problem is with the casting, not the character. Fred should have been cast with a woman in her mid-30s, as she should look prematurely aged and older than Cordelia. Instead, Joss choose an actress who was the same age as Sarah Gellar, looked younger, and still hasn't aged a day in twenty years.

 

[Mr Trick]

We know how Fred was like at age 16, insecure pothead. Nothing about already being in College. Frankly, the problem is with the casting, not the character. Fred should have been cast with a woman in her mid-30s, as she should look prematurely aged and older than Cordelia. Instead, Joss choose an actress who was the same age as Sarah Gellar, looked younger, and still hasn't aged a day in twenty years.

Not sure I agree with that. Some people just look young no matter how old they get Its not a big deal anyway. When you watch the series you believe this is a confused young girl, so job done really. You have to cast on how good the actress is and how she fits the role. I can't see me liking Fred as much as I did without Acker playing her.

 

[AlphaFoxtrot]

@ Mr Trick; Ms. Acker did a fine job as Fred, and a great job as Illyria. But, she doesn't look like a girl in her late twenties who just spent five years a slave in Alfheim while in the middle of her doctorate studies. That's still a plot oversight.

 

[DeadlyDuo]

@ Mr Trick; Ms. Acker did a fine job as Fred, and a great job as Illyria. But, she doesn't look like a girl in her late twenties who just spent five years a slave in Alfheim while in the middle of her doctorate studies. That's still a plot oversight.

Dawn doesn't eat ice cream like a teenager. 4 year olds can eat yogurt neater than Dawn eats that ice cream.

 

[Wesxfred]

Always figured she was around 24/25 ish which was Acker's age when playing her. Any older and it would be kinda weird cuz she's so often treated like a child (especially in season 3) and I tend to ignore the fact that she's older than Cordelia and probably Gunn too. Say she was about 20 when she got sucked into Pylea - I feel like she wasn't actually able to age mentally, which would explain her more cutesy, innocent behaviour cuz she is still mentally younger than the other cast members, So even though her actual age would be older, she still has the same mindset she has before Pylea.
Does that make sense? x

 

[Joan the Vampire Slayer]

If she graduated from college at, say, 22, went straight into grad school, which seems like a Fred thing to do - and let's say she was in her second year of grad school when she disappeared. So she's 24-25?