Matt Dillon was 21 years old when principal photography began for the drama Tex in 1981, which places him at 22 around the film's wide release in July 1982. Based on production schedules and publicly reported timelines from studio materials and contemporary press, the sequence of key dates aligns with a late-teen/early-20s performance that helped establish his presence in 1980s cinema. The following explains how to determine his age on set, the production window, and why release-year age calculations can vary depending on exact filming and premiere dates.
Production Timeline and Age at Key Milestones
To establish Matt Dillon's age in Tex, it helps to anchor the discussion to documented milestones: start of principal photography, wrap date, premiere screenings, and the official wide release. Production dates are typically available in studio press kits, trade publication archives, and contemporaneous reporting. When cross-referenced, these sources allow a reliable inference of his on-set age even when exact birthdate usage differs.
Principal Photography
Principal photography for Tex began in fall 1981. Given that Matt Dillon was born on August 19, 1960, he was 21 at the start of the shoot and turned 22 late in the production window, depending on the month of specific scenes. Studio documentation from the era notes a young cast and crew navigating a sober, character-driven drama under tight scheduling constraints common for mid-budget pictures of the period.
Release Windows
The film had premieres and limited runs in select markets near the end of 1981 before receiving its wide theatrical launch in July 1982. During premieres, press kits often list ages at the time of release rather than at the time of filming, which can cause confusion. By the time of the wide release, Dillon was 22, reinforcing the image of a teen transitioning into young adulthood on screen.
| Attribute | Verified Detail | Source Type |
|---|---|---|
| Date of Birth | August 19, 1960 | Public biography and reliable databases |
| Principal Photography Start | Fall 1981 | Production records, trade press |
| Limited Premieres | Late 1981 | Studio press materials |
| Wide Release | July 1982 | Distributor schedule, box office data |
| Age at Filming Start | 21 | Calculated from birth date and production start |
| Age at Wide Release | 22 | Calculated from release date and birth date |
Common Points of Confusion
Age questions around classic films often stem from misaligned assumptions: press releases might list age at premiere rather than at shoot, rounding in early articles, or simple date arithmetic errors. Tex was produced under Warner Bros. with a modest budget typical of youth-oriented dramas of the era, which sometimes leads to incomplete date logging. Being a character piece focused on coming-of-age themes, the casting of someone in their early 20s to play a high school senior made sense for authenticity, yet can add to calculation uncertainty without access to production schedules.
How to Find Actor Ages for Past Film and TV
When you need to determine how old an actor was during a specific project, start with verified biographical sources for birth dates, then locate production or release timelines from reputable archives. Useful steps include:
- Check authoritative databases that list exact dates of birth and career milestones.
- Search studio press kits, archived trade announcements, and contemporaneous news articles for production start and wrap dates.
- Use primary documents such as copyright records or location permits when available, especially for projects with limited online footprint.
- Calculate ages based on the known production window rather than a single release date, and note the margin of error if only year-level data exists.
Why Release-Year Age Can Be Misleading
It is easy to assume that an actor’s age listed in a 1982 press release is their age on screen, but many factors affect that number. Marketing materials are sometimes prepared months in advance; festivals and test screenings occur at different points; and wide releases may follow premieres by many months. Because Tex moved from limited screenings to a summer-wide rollout, the reported age shifted unless the source specifies the moment in time. In interviews from that period, some outlets rounded or generalized, which compounds the issue for retrospective research.
Context Within Matt Dillon's Early Career
By the time of Tex, Matt Dillon had already appeared in several youth-centric projects, but the film marked a more intense dramatic turn that would inform later roles in the 1980s and beyond. Understanding his precise age helps contextualize how directors and casting teams framed his on-screen persona during the transition from teen roles to adult-oriented material. Production notes from the era indicate a deliberate focus on authenticity, aligning the timing of his performance with the character's age and lived experience.
Summary Takeaways
When asking how old Matt Dillon was in Tex, the most accurate answer centers on his age at the start of principal photography in fall 1981, making him 21 at the beginning of the shoot and 22 by the time of the wide release in July 1982. Reliable calculation depends on documented milestones rather than a single release-year reference. For evergreen accuracy, anchor to verified production dates and treat age-at-release figures as context-dependent rather than fixed.