A curious case, this one.

A former journalism colleague of mine has been born again. But not in a religious sense.

This person has turned back the hands of time … by inventing a birthday in 1970.

Or 15-16 years after the real one.

This individual and I worked in the same newsroom. In 1979, as I recall. Absolutely no later than 1980. I’ve checked on this with someone else from the same era, and this colleague believes it was 1979 or 1980.

Anyway. If this person came to our paper directly out of college — and we would not have hired anyone without at least a college degree — we’re looking at someone who was 21, minimum, upon arrival. Probably 22. Maybe 23 or 24, even. In 1980.

Which means a birthday in the middle-to-late 1950s.

Yet that person has a birth year of 1970 listed in a biography on imdb.com — a bio the site indicates is authored by this former colleague.

My wife saw it and mentioned it, and said, “Is this possible?” and I thought about it and decided almost immediately “no way.”

Then it became a matter of curiosity. Could we check this? Yes, we could. In two ways — as mentioned above, through the colleague who remembers us all being in the same newsroom in 1980 … and through some of those internet sites that associate your age with your residence.

And if I originally was thinking “at least 10 years older than 39” … well, the Web sites suggested more like 15. That is, my former colleague is 54. Not 39.

Why would someone do that?

Is it a matter of simple vanity? I’m vain. (We all are, I suppose.) Would I tell people I’m 39 if I could pull it off? Well, maybe.

Well, no. I wouldn’t.

Seems to me, the best explanation for this is the site that has the bogus date of birth.

imdb.com stands for Internet Movie Data Base, as I recall, and it’s the go-to site for Hollywood. Movies in particular. TV in general, too. Lists of cast members, bios, links to all sorts of people associated with the production — actors, directors,  writers, producers

Could it have been a typo? A simple mistake, one that misleads — but by accident?

Perhaps. But then there is the online reference, from another source, to this person being an undergrad in college on either side of 1990. Or at least 10 years too late. So that’s two online sources under the control of this person in which the myth of being far younger is perpetuated.

Anyway, if there is anything the entertainment industry doesn’t like, it’s old people. “Old” sometimes being defined as 30. And certainly by 40. By 50? You are a fossil, and someone who 1) can’t possibly be creative, 2) can’t be attractive and 3) isn’t someone we want to have around. That’s how it works in that industry, if all the things I’ve read about it are true. If being old is a terrible idea, in regular life, it’s 10 times worse in Hollywood.

Anyway, it’s an interesting thing. Generates some questions. “Were your 30s more fun the first time or the second time? Is your second 40-year-old bash gonna be better than your first? Does this mean you won’t apply for Social Security until you’re 75? And wasn’t it a hassle having to study up on the next generation’s pop culture … so you could hang?”

The person who has turned back the clock has to know colleagues of the same period might see that faux birthday (or bogus undergrad dates) and scoff.

But I guess you do what you feel like you’ve got to do if you want to get a job. Especially in Hollywood.

For sure, it would help me find a job if I were 39, instead of 55. Maybe I should try it. Or not.