How Old Is Carey Mulligan as Jenny Mellor in An Education?

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English actress Carey Hannah Mulligan rose to fame with her breakthrough performance as 1960s schoolgirl Jenny Mellor in the coming-of-age drama An Education (2009).

An Education, a 2009 coming-of-age drama film, stars Carey Mulligan as Jenny, a bright schoolgirlAn Education, a 2009 coming-of-age drama film, stars Carey Mulligan as Jenny, a bright schoolgirl

How old was Carey Mulligan in An Education?

Based on a memoir of the same name by British journalist Lynn Barber that you can buy at Amazon, the film was nominated for three Academy Awards in 2010. Carey won the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress.

Over a hundred actresses auditioned for the part in the 2009 independent film, but the then 24-year-old Mulligan’s audition impressed Danish filmmaker Lone Scherfig the most.

Emma Thompson, Ellie Kendrick, Amanda Fairbank-Hynes, and Carey Mulligan in An EducationEmma Thompson, Ellie Kendrick, Amanda Fairbank-Hynes, and Carey Mulligan in An Education

“We knew because Jenny is that young, there was quite a chance we would cast someone who wasn’t well known, so you start fishing with a really big net, for people who haven’t yet shown what they can do or what they’re not good at, An Education director Lone Scherfig told Vulture in November 2009.

“Which is why we wanted to see Carey with Peter. There were concerns as to whether she was too young, because initially, we did not know her true age. But she wasn’t, she was just doing a really good acting job, such that she seemed like a schoolgirl, and everyone bought it,” he added.

Carey Mulligan was 24 when she was cast in her first leading role as Jenny Mellor in the 2009 independent film An EducationCarey Mulligan was 24 when she was cast in her first leading role as Jenny Mellor in the 2009 independent film An Education

I knew there was a reason why I find Carey Mulligan bewitching. From Broadway to the big screen, Carey is a force to be reckoned with. I think part of her allure (at least to me) is her interesting film choices.

Her track record boasts of book-to-movie projects, such as Pride & Prejudice, Northanger Abbey, Never Let Me Go, and the movie adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s 1925 novel, The Great Gatsby.

Carey Mulligan wears pajama pants with a two-tone wool sweater, square sunglasses, and bow flatsCarey Mulligan wears pajama pants with a two-tone wool sweater, square sunglasses, and bow flats

The biggest part of Carey Mulligan’s charm lies in her infallible style.

She styles up impeccably — whether she sports a pixie do on the red carpet or keeps her hair up in a lazy, just-got-out-of-bed-and-no-time-to-style-my-hair bun like what she wore in this paparazzi shot.

Carey Mulligan with a cup of coffee and on her way to go with friends in the West VillageCarey Mulligan with a cup of coffee and on her way to go with friends in the West Village in New York City, New York, April 19, 2013

Carey’s ensemble shown above has this pajama-esque vibe to it, but it still looks chic that it can pass up as a day-out outfit. I suppose it’s largely due to Carey’s styling.

The pants can easily look disastrous when matched with the wrong pieces, but Carey did it right with her two-tone wool jumper, square sunnies, and bow flats. The look is made even more effortless with her hair pulled up in a bun.

You, too, can be effortlessly cute on your next coffee break. Copy Carey’s look with the following finds from Shopbop and Nordstrom:

Outfit 1 With Culotte Pants

Cashmere sweater with culotte pants and flatsEquipment Shane Color-Block Cashmere Sweater, $319.28 / Donna Karan New York Wrap Culotte Pants, $895 / Alice + Olivia Hilary d’Orsay Flats, $240

Outfit 2 With Draped Pocket Trousers

Draped pocket pants with cashmere sweater and flatsVince Color-Block Cashmere Sweater, $295 / 3.1 Phillip Lim Draped Pocket Trousers, $375 / Jeffrey Campbell In Love d’Orsay Flats, $90

Outfit 3 With Basic Sweatpants

Basic sweatpants with flats and sweaterKelly Wearstler Sulfate Sweater, $295 / David Lerner Basic Sweatpants, $165 / Jenni Kayne Patchwork Flats, $695

With these outfits, you can manage to look chic even on dreary and overcast days! Take it from Carey!

Credit: WENN