# Actors who played their own twin **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 23, 2007, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-played-their-own-twin/416630 "2007-08-23T12:48:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2007, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-played-their-own-twin/416630/21 "2007-08-23T13:42:36Z")
John Lithgow played the “new” High Commander on an episode of 3rd Rock From The Sun Bart Simpson had an evil Siamese twin in a Threehouse of Horror episode. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2007, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-played-their-own-twin/416630/22 "2007-08-23T13:45:42Z")
Lee Marvin in _Cat Ballou_ was at least his own brother, if not twin. It’s been a while. ---
**Author:** ![vetbridge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5e925/32.png) [@vetbridge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vetbridge)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2007, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-played-their-own-twin/416630/23 "2007-08-23T13:47:38Z")
[QUOTE=twickster] They were cousins (identical cousins all the way…), though, not sisters. Which of course doesn’t mean it doesn’t count. [/QUOTE] You are correct. It has been awhile, although at one time I had this fantasy. . . ---
**Author:** ![Dunderman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecb155/32.png) [@Dunderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dunderman)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2007, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-played-their-own-twin/416630/24 "2007-08-23T13:55:01Z")
Jean-Claude van Damme did it in a crappy movie of some sort… there it is, _Double Impact_. Renee O’Connor (Gabrielle on _Xena_) played her daughter, identical to herself, if that counts. ---
**Author:** ![fishbicycle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aeb1de/32.png) [@fishbicycle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fishbicycle)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2007, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-played-their-own-twin/416630/25 "2007-08-23T13:59:26Z")
Richard Sanders played Les Nessman and his mom in an episode of WKRP. Does that count? ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2007, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-played-their-own-twin/416630/26 "2007-08-23T14:00:16Z")
Do you consider Alton Brown of the Food Network show “Good Eats” to be an actor? If so, he has played his twin “B.A.” several times. ---
**Author:** ![Elret](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Elret](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elret)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2007, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-played-their-own-twin/416630/27 "2007-08-23T14:07:33Z")
Bette Midler and Lily Tomlin played their own twins in **Big Business**. ---
**Author:** ![Kokopilau](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Kokopilau](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kokopilau)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2007, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-played-their-own-twin/416630/28 "2007-08-23T14:08:19Z")
Film name from 2006 film: The Prestige. Just saying that is kind of a spoiler, and saying any more is REALLY spoileriffic. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2007, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-played-their-own-twin/416630/29 "2007-08-23T14:09:14Z")
[QUOTE=Alessan] There’s always the Buffybot. [/QUOTE] And if one wanted to get hyper-technical, Nicholas Brendon and his actual twin appeared together in an ep when Xander was split into duplicates, and each actor played both halves, even if only momentarily. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2007, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-played-their-own-twin/416630/30 "2007-08-23T14:17:18Z")
Also from the Buffyverse and again being hyper-technical, Boreanas played both Angel and Angelus, including both appearing on-screen together in one episode. I know you don’t want soap operas, but Anne Heche is pretty well known outside the soaps; she won a daytime Emmy playing twins Vicky and Marley. And I can’t believe I’ve forgotten about Twin Peaks before now. Sheryl Lee played Laura Palmer and her near-identical cousin Maddie. And again being hyper-technical, Kyle McLaghlin played Dale Cooper and, briefly, his own evil doppelganger. ---
**Author:** ![Jenny\_Haniver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Jenny\_Haniver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jenny_Haniver)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2007, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-played-their-own-twin/416630/31 "2007-08-23T14:18:13Z")
Any interest in turning that premise around a little? What about actual twins? Nicolas Brendan’s twin brother, Kelly, played the second copy of Xander Harris in the Buffy episode _The Replacement_. There’s a scene in _Terminator 2_ Linda Hamilton’s twin sister, Leslie, plays the T-1000 impersonating Sarah Connor. There’s also a cut scene where Linda looks into a mirror while talking to the Terminator - except she’s actually looking through an empty frame at Leslie, who mirrored Linda’s movements so the scene could be filmed without the camera’s reflection getting in the shot. ---
**Author:** ![Dunderman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecb155/32.png) [@Dunderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dunderman)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2007, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-played-their-own-twin/416630/32 "2007-08-23T14:24:35Z")
[QUOTE=Jenny Haniver] Any interest in turning that premise around a little? What about actual twins? [/QUOTE] Then we have _Ed_, where we have twins Lauren Thomas and Morgan Thomas both playing the part of Sarah Burton. This creeped me out when I found out about it. “You mean that woman isn’t always the same woman?” ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2007, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-played-their-own-twin/416630/33 "2007-08-23T14:28:21Z")
[QUOTE=Priceguy] Then we have _Ed_, where we have twins Lauren Thomas and Morgan Thomas both playing the part of Sarah Burton. This creeped me out when I found out about it. “You mean that woman isn’t always the same woman?” [/QUOTE] I don’t remember that character. Kids are often played by twins, because of child labor laws – that’s how the Olsens got their start. ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2007, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-played-their-own-twin/416630/34 "2007-08-23T14:31:16Z")
[QUOTE=Otto] Also from the Buffyverse and again being hyper-technical, Boreanas played both Angel and Angelus, including both appearing on-screen together in one episode… [/QUOTE] Another addition to the Buffyverse hijack (since someone complained about all the Startrek references)… Amy Acker played Fred on _Angel_. And she played Illyria–the ancient demon who took over Fred’s body. Illyria was able to “channel” Fred. It’s said that Fred would have returned in _Angel_’s 6th season, allowing Acker to play both parts. But Fox decided that 5 seasons were enough… ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2007, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-played-their-own-twin/416630/35 "2007-08-23T14:32:45Z")
[QUOTE=Bridget Burke] Another addition to the Buffyverse hijack (since someone complained about all the Startrek references)… [/QUOTE] I’m the OP. I’m allowed to complain. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2007, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-played-their-own-twin/416630/36 "2007-08-23T14:33:27Z")
George Hamilton, _Zorro, the Gay Blade_. ---
**Author:** ![Enderw24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba9def/32.png) [@Enderw24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enderw24)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2007, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-played-their-own-twin/416630/37 "2007-08-23T14:35:15Z")
Remeber when Mary Kate was shoved into rehab for anorexia a day before her 18th birthday by Ashley and her parents? Probably said they were going to an excercise camp. Man Mary Kate was really played by her twin. ---
**Author:** ![Dunderman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecb155/32.png) [@Dunderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dunderman)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2007, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-played-their-own-twin/416630/38 "2007-08-23T14:36:53Z")
[QUOTE=twickster] I don’t remember that character. [/quote] The wife of Mike Burton, Ed’s doctor friend. > [@](#): > > Kids are often played by twins, because of child labor laws – that’s how the Olsens got their start. Yeah, sure, but this was an adult woman. Well, two, but you know what I mean. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2007, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-played-their-own-twin/416630/39 "2007-08-23T14:40:18Z")
[QUOTE=Priceguy] The wife of Mike Burton, Ed’s doctor friend. [/QUOTE] Ew!That was two different women? During the same season? Ew! ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2007, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-played-their-own-twin/416630/40 "2007-08-23T14:40:48Z")
[QUOTE=Jenny Haniver] Any interest in turning that premise around a little? What about actual twins? Nicolas Brendan’s twin brother, Kelly, played the second copy of Xander Harris in the Buffy episode _The Replacement_. There’s a scene in _Terminator 2_ Linda Hamilton’s twin sister, Leslie, plays the T-1000 impersonating Sarah Connor. There’s also a cut scene where Linda looks into a mirror while talking to the Terminator - except she’s actually looking through an empty frame at Leslie, who mirrored Linda’s movements so the scene could be filmed without the camera’s reflection getting in the shot. [/QUOTE] Also in Terminator 2 - Don and Dan Stanton played the night guard and his T-1000 clone at the mental hospital where Sarah Connor was held. Looking at their imdb pages - they’ve never appeared in anything separately. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-played-their-own-twin/416630.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-played-their-own-twin/416630.md?page=3)