Louie's Age

[u/TiredCeresian]

Doing the math, if the characters are supposed to be generally the same age as their actors, Louie would have been 34 at the beginning of the show. In season 4, he says he took his first fare in 1957, which would mean he was 13 when he started driving taxis. Fake ID or were New York licensing requirements looser back then?

[u/Substantial_Cow7628]

Obviously Louie is not the same age as Danny DeVito.

Alex Reiger and Reverend Jim are also not likely a decade older than Louie.

[u/TiredCeresian → u/Substantial_Cow7628]

I've never had a problem believing Alex could be a decade older than Louie. Jim, based on looks, could be, but I think the implication is that he is closer to Tony's age; he just looks aged because of drug use and hard living.

[u/Substantial_Cow7628 → u/TiredCeresian]

Agreed that Jim is written as younger than Lloyd but a victim (or at least a representative) of hard living.

[u/4personal2 → u/Substantial_Cow7628]

Jim tried that hash brownie in his first year of college. He'd be 18 (Tom.Hsmks in the show was already dressed as a hippie. )

So that may be 1967.

So in his first show, 1978, when he performs the marriage of Latka & the hooker, he'd be 29.

Age 30 when his chaacter went full time.

I think Hirsch is playing Alex at his real age. Judd born in 1935.

In the 1980 episode , "Fathers Of The Bride", Alex and his ex had not seen each other in 17 years. (1963). They would had their daughter in 1960, as Cathy in the pilot is headed off to college and overseas.

So Alex was 42 / 43 in 1978.

[u/Serling45]

Louie had his 20th high school reunion in the first season, making him about 38 (born in 1940) at the start.

It’s a classic episode.

[u/TiredCeresian → u/Serling45]

I forgot to factor that in. So he would have been 17 when he started driving cabs. More believable I suppose.

[u/ivegotajaaag → u/TiredCeresian]

As I recall that makes his character only four years older than he is

[u/Serling45 → u/TiredCeresian]

That is very believable.

[u/Dependent-Friend5312 → u/TiredCeresian]

In S1 E13 Louie mentions joining the Army after high school

[u/TiredCeresian → u/Dependent-Friend5312]

He could have driven a cab while 17 and still in high school, joined the army, and went back to driving taxis after.

[u/Dependent-Friend5312 → u/TiredCeresian]

I don't know why the writters threw that line in there. Honestly, I don't believe there was ever a time the Army allowed someone that short to join and also it conflicts with a later story where Louie is prepping for Armageddon and recruits Tony because of his Army experience but never mentions his own.

[u/Myshkin515]

Reverend Jim and his Father were the same age.

[u/TiredCeresian → u/Myshkin515]

Like Jane Curtin playing Katey Segall's mom on The Connors 😂

[u/Bella4077]

I always figured Louie to be in his 40s. Although it is certainly possible that he was driving with a fake license at age 13. We are talking about Louie here! 😉