Many people have seen Fallout by now, and between the excitement for its Season 2 renewal and the discourse among the new location featured in the Season 1 ending, I have another big shock to deliver. Johnny Pemberton's Thaddeus was one of the most fun additions to the show, but I had some real questions about how old he and Maximus were supposed to be while watching. After some research, I uncovered Pemberton's actual age and was shocked to learn he is 42 years old.
If you've watched the new Amazon series, the Squire who accompanied Maximus for part of his journey and underwent a major change at the end of the series looks much younger than he is--and it's not just because of some super serum. I'm not the only one surprised by this, as @Vvarkor on X confirmed the actor appears decades younger than he actually is:
Johnny Pemberton looks in his early 20s and he's actually 42.
There's a lot of talk here lately about how Paul Rudd looks ageless in the latest Ghostbusters, but I think after looking at Johnny Pemberton, I'm having second thoughts. Rudd has aged well and looks younger than his actual age, but I never would've believed without actual evidence that Pemberton is not in his early to mid-twenties. Some people are just blessed with good genetics, I suppose, so I echo what @saulnipolz had to say on the matter:
Insane that Johnny Pemberton (Thaddeus in Fallout) is 42 years old. Good for him.
I think that it also helps that in Fallout, which is available to stream with a Prime Video subscription, he plays a squire. To me, this implied he wasn't experienced in the Brotherhood and was therefore young. That seems to be the general consensus on the internet, though it is noted that Thaddeus and Maximus' ages aren't ever revealed. Nevertheless, I would guess Pemberton was cast simply because he looks super young, as emphasized by @carinthecreek:
Johnny Pemberton is the most 22-year-old-looking 42-year-old I've ever seen in my life.
Fallout isn't the first role that Johnny Pemberton has played in his career that had him playing a younger character. Superstore, a vastly underrated NBC comedy that ended before this, had him playing the 17-year-old Bo. That show aired a few years ago, but still.
He may be supposed to look even younger than what some fans may be guessing. I can't think too heavily about that, however, because the simple fact is he's almost a decade older than me but looks much younger. It's blowing my mind. It's also blowing the Internet's mind, as evidenced by @shxdowbroker:
how the FUCK is johnny pemberton 42.
While Johnny Pemberton has a youthful look in Season 1 of Fallout, there might be questions about whether or not he'll stay that way moving forward. Spoiler Alert for those who haven't completed the series: Thaddeus acquires a healing ability when injected with an unknown serum from the Snake Oil salesman.
Thaddeus openly suggests that he has become a Ghoul, but those familiar with the games have also guessed he could become a Super Mutant. If either were true, they'd drastically change his looks and strip him of his youthful human face. We'll see if that happens and what may happen with Thaddeus going forward in the series.
Of course we'll have to wait for Season 2 to hit the TV schedule, but they'll be plenty to still talk about while we wait.
