Seeing double! 20 actors who played identical twins

These stars took on twice the work to play twins.

Stepping into a character's shoes is already demanding enough for actors, but portraying twins requires an entirely different skill level. While some productions cast real-life identical twins, others opt for one actor to pull double duty. This impressive feat deserves recognition — even Lindsay Lohan's father believes she deserved an Oscar for playing twins Annie and Hallie in The Parent Trap (1998) at such a young age — as do the many players working behind the scenes to bring this on-screen magic to life.

"[Playing twins] was a learning curve, for me and for all departments on the production: Hair and makeup, costumes, set dressing, props, script editor — for eyelines — and lighting," Rachel Weisz, who played both Elliot and Beverly Mantle on Dead Ringers, told EW in April 2023. "Literally every department was involved. It was like a group swap. We all swapped together and then the other actors had to adjust as well."

With multiple hands on deck, these performances deserve twice the spotlight. Read below for 20 actors who played twins on screen.

Hayley Mills as Sharon McKendrick and Susan Evers in The Parent Trap (1961)

Preceding Lindsay Lohan in the role of The Parent Trap twins, Hayley Mills played Sharon McKendrick and Susan Evers in the original 1961 film.

Lindsay Lohan as Hallie Parker and Annie James in The Parent Trap (1998)

Lindsay Lohan made her big-screen debut in the dual roles. The breakout star, who was just 11 years old when she filmed her scenes, played twin sisters Hallie Parker and Annie James in a successful remake of The Parent Trap.

Lisa Kudrow as Phoebe and Ursula Buffay on Friends (1994–2004)

On Friends, Lisa Kudrow played identical twins with polar opposite personalities: the quirky, free-spirited Phoebe and the blunt, unpleasant Ursula (a character Kudrow originally portrayed on NBC's Mad About You).

Troian Bellisario as Spencer Hastings and Alexandra "Alex" Drake on Pretty Little Liars (2010–2017)

Troian Bellisario played Spencer Hastings for seven years before she was handed a second role in the Pretty Little Liars series finale: Alexandra "Alex" Drake, Spencer's evil twin.

Armie Hammer as Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss in The Social Network (2010)

Landing one of his first major film roles, Armie Hammer portrayed real-life twins Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss in The Social Network.

Rachel Weisz as Beverly and Elliot Mantle in Dead Ringers (2023)

Based on the 1988 psychological thriller starring Jeremy Irons, this Amazon Prime Video miniseries features Rachel Weisz in dual roles as twin gynecologists Beverly and Elliot Mantle, who strive to build their own birthing center.

Tom Hardy as Reginald "Reggie" and Ronald "Ronnie" Kray in Legend (2015)

Tom Hardy took on two roles in the crime thriller Legend. The Mad Max: Fury Road actor played real-life gangster twins Reginald "Reggie" and Ronald "Ronnie" Kray.

Nicolas Cage as Charlie and Donald Kaufman in Adaptation (2002)

Nicolas Cage joined Spike Jonze's Oscar-winning film Adaptation as Charlie and Donald Kaufman.

Janelle Monaé as Cassandra "Andi" and Helen Brand in Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022)

Janelle Monaé delivers a masterclass in acting in Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, portraying the sophisticated Cassandra "Andi" Brand, her down-to-earth Southern twin sister Helen, who also poses as Andi.

Leonardo DiCaprio as King Louis XIV and Philippe Bourbon in The Man in the Iron Mask (1998)

Early in his career, Leonardo DiCaprio brought two characters to The Man in the Iron Mask. The future Oscar winner played twins King Louis XIV and Philippe Bourbon.

Jean-Claude Van Damme as Alex and Chad Wagner in Double Impact (1991)

Jean-Claude Van Damme was double the fun in Double Impact. The action star appeared as twins Alex and Chad Wagner.

Mark Ruffalo as Thomas and Dominick Birdsey in I Know This Much Is True (2020)

Giving an Emmy-, Golden Globe-, and SAG Award-winning performance, Mark Ruffalo stars in the HBO miniseries I Know This Much Is True as twin brothers Dominick and Thomas Birdsey — the former of whom lives with paranoid schizophrenia.

Marion Cotillard as Marie and Lucie in Pretty Things (2001)

Marion Cotillard played twins Marie and Lucie in the French film Pretty Things.

Bette Midler as Sadie Shelton and Sadie Ratliff in Big Business (1988)

There was a double dose of twins in Big Business. Bette Midler took on the first set of identical sisters, playing Sadie Shelton and Sadie Ratliff.

Lily Tomlin as Rose Ratliff and Rose Shelton in Big Business (1988)

Lily Tomlin brought the second set of identical twins to Big Business, appearing as sisters Rose Ratliff and Rose Shelton.

Tilda Swinton as Thora and Thessaly Thacker in Hail, Caesar! (2016)

In the Coen brothers' ensemble comedy set in 1950s Hollywood, Tilda Swinton plays rivaling gossip columnists Thora and Thessaly Thacker, who are constantly competing for stories and confusing people about who they're talking to.

Bette Davis as Margaret DeLorca and Edith Phillips in Dead Ringer (1964)

Bette Davis was a dead ringer for herself in Dead Ringer. The famed actress played twins Margaret DeLorca and Edith Phillips in the thriller.

Blake Lively as Hope "Emily Nelson" and Faith McLanden in A Simple Favor (2018)

In A Simple Favor, Blake Lively's confident, successful Emily Nelson is actually a con artist named Hope McLanden. Spoiler alert: She has a twin named Faith, who helped her in burning down their family home when they were 16 years old.

Paul Dano as Paul and Eli Sunday in There Will Be Blood (2007)

There Will Be Blood found its twins in Paul Dano, who played brothers Paul and Eli Sunday.

Edward Norton as Bill and Brady Kincaid in Leaves of Grass (2009)

Appearing alongside Keri Russell, Richard Dreyfuss, and Susan Sarandon, Edward Norton played identical twins Bill and Brady Kincaid in Leaves of Grass.

Related content:

• Lisa Ann Walter's identical twins were born on the same day as Parent Trap twins: 'It's weird!'

• How Janelle Monáe perfected her 'rich bitch' accent for Glass Onion

• Friends star Lisa Kudrow hated playing Ursula and 4 more things you didn't know about the NBC comedy
  

Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly.