The Secret to Becoming Better Looking as You Age?: Become a Television Star!

Is this just another one of my conspiracy theories, or do actors and especially actresses seem to get better looking throughout the duration of a television series even as they (supposedly and logically) get older? Granted, I probably don't watch enough serialized television to do this topic justice, as I am only familiar with a few popular shows (The Office, Parks and Recreation, Seinfeld, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and The X-Files, more or less). Nor am I versed enough in aesthetics to have a debate about beauty. Still, I think there is a point to be made here.

Case #1 - Cheryl David (played by Cheryl Hines) on Curb Your Enthusiasm:

Recently, I have been rewatching Curb Your Enthusiasm, and I have slowly noticed how Cheryl seems to become better looking at the show progresses:

Cheryl, left, in the first season of Curb Your Enthusiasm

Cheryl in a later season of the show

In the top picture, from season 1 (which debuted in 2000), Cheryl is probably about 35 years old, whereas in the bottom one, she is at least 40 or older. Admittedly, I probably can't make my point across with Cheryl alone, if only because it's not her beauty that has improved so much as her surface appearance. In the bottom picture, she is, I would say, more stylish, better dressed, etc. And this pattern is one that accompanies many characters on television.

Now, I certainly don't want to give off the impression that I think a person cannot be beautiful once they reach a certain age, or even as they get older. Again, this post is not, at least for me, a discussion about an individual's beauty. Rather, it is a discussion about television, and what television tells us about the way actors and actresses age. (In fact, I should mention how difficult it was for me to find a picture of Cheryl from season 1 on the internet, even though there was no shortage of images of her from later seasons.)

Case #2 - Dana Scully (played by Gillian Anderson) on The X-Files:

As a kid, I grew up watching The X-Files, and I loved it. I thought that it was one of the best shows on television. But as I've gotten older and watched through episodes again and again, I've started to notice how Dana Scully, one of the two main characters on the show, aged throughout the television series:

Scully in an early season of X-Files

Scully in a later season of X-Files

Personally, I find Scully to be attractive in both pictures (not that it matters!), but the bottom one demonstrates how television can transform the appearances of actors and actresses (especially the latter). Look, even the color of her eyes has changed in the bottom picture! 

Admittedly, I understand that someone could object to the Scully example on these grounds: This is a show from the 90s, and the styles were just different back then. In other words, what I am calling attention to is "the trends" rather than anything significant about Scully's appearance. (Indeed, for this reason alone I have refrained from including the transformation of Elaine on Seinfeld in this post.) Whatever position you take is up to you. If you decide that Scully is not the case-in-point for this topic, then surely this next one will convince you.

Case #3 - Jim Halpert and Pam Beasley (played by John Krasinski and Jenna Fischer, respectively) on The Office:

Need I even argue this?

Jim from an early season of The Office

Jim from a later season of The Office

The early (and younger) version of Pam Beasley

The later (and older) version of Pam Beasley

It was probably the later seasons of the show that earned Jenna Fischer this modeling job

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So, that about wraps this post up. I would like to hear thoughts from others.