“Young Sheldon” star Montana Jordan had the good fortune of playing one of the few characters on the show who hadn’t previously appeared on “The Big Bang Theory,” giving him a chance to make the character his own. Of course, “The Big Bang Theory” brought in Georgie, now just George (or Dr. Tire), after the character’s debut on “Young Sheldon” in the Season 11 episode “The Sibling Realignment.” The adult version of the character was played by Jerry O’Connell.

Jordan told Glitter that he wanted the role because he and Georgie are very much alike. “Everything lined up [with] my life back in Texas. I played football, and I always got in trouble for having a messy room,” Jordan said. “I mean I could sit here and name 100 things that me and Georgie have in common.” But do the similarities between Georgie and Jordan extend to their age, or is it one of those times when the actor is significantly older than the character they play?

He’s two years older than Georgie

In the Season 5 episode “Babies, Lies and a Resplendent Cannoli,” Georgie says he’s 17 but that he’s going to turn 18 in March. That episode aired in April 2022. According to Montana Jordan’s bio on CBS, he was born on March 8, 2003, making him 19 years old at the same time. That means Jordan is two years older than his character on “Young Sheldon.” The casting website Spotlight discusses how to play characters of different ages, explaining that it’s very common for actors to play characters younger than they are, especially if there’s likely to be mature content in the role. In fact, two years is a pretty small age gap for  television. As Spotlight points out, the British sitcom “Derry Girls” has actors who range from 25 to 32 playing teenagers.

Jordan has grown up so much on the show that he finds himself far removed from the age he was when he first started playing Georgie (via CBS). “I personally cannot watch the first season because I don’t like seeing my 13-year-old self,” he said. “I just can’t do it.” Of course, everyone knew the young actors would grow quickly, but it’s still a sight to see.

Jordan definitely looks more like an adult these days. Lance Barber, who plays Georgie’s dad, George Sr., on “Young Sheldon,” told Great Day Washington in a 2022 interview that he and Jordan had a contest to see which one of them could grow better facial hair. It looks like Barber’s beard got him the win, but Jordan’s was nothing to sneeze at either.