# One actor playing twins: how do they do it? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 9, 2020, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-actor-playing-twins-how-do-they-do-it/917655 "2020-08-09T15:37:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2020, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-actor-playing-twins-how-do-they-do-it/917655/41 "2020-08-11T14:26:10Z")
Oh, good one, I forgot about them! ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2020, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-actor-playing-twins-how-do-they-do-it/917655/42 "2020-08-11T15:05:14Z")
> [@jsc1953](#): > > Now that CGI is here, that approach certainly seems simpler than the method in mikecurtis’ excellent video, involving elaborate camera-movement-replication technology. Just copy & paste somebody’s face onto someone else’s body. “Cutting and pasting” will do a great job replacing one face with another (and one voice with another), but it won’t make the star actor the one delivering the lines and body language, it’s still the double acting, which is either good enough for the purpose or you need to take additional steps. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2020, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-actor-playing-twins-how-do-they-do-it/917655/43 "2020-08-11T15:19:39Z")
Certainly cut and paste is as much of gimmick as split screen. But CGI allows the construction of the scenes without traditional split screen techniques like using a fire pole as mentioned above. Add green screen technology in and twin scenes are fairly easy to construct, but it remains a challenge for the actors who end up doing at least twice the work as their fellow singleton characters. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2020, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-actor-playing-twins-how-do-they-do-it/917655/44 "2020-08-11T15:21:23Z")
> [@Jonathan\_Chance](#): > > Jeremy Irons in 1988 with Dead Ringers. Hell of a task to get them both interacting as much as they did with just Irons playing both of a set of twins. Also in that movie were Jill and Jacqueline Hennessy; identical twins playing identical twin escorts. Jacqueline has not done much acting, but (according to IMDb) appeared once as Claire Kincaid on _Law & Order_ when Jill wasn’t available. It was a courtroom scene with Claire in the background, and she had no dialog. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2020, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-actor-playing-twins-how-do-they-do-it/917655/45 "2020-08-11T15:23:05Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > Also in that movie were Jill and Jacqueline Hennessy; identical twins playing identical twin escorts. Jacqueline has not done much acting, but (according to IMDb) appeared once as Claire Kincaid on _Law & Order_ when Jill wasn’t available. It was a courtroom scene with Claire in the background, and she had no dialog That’s no minor bit of trivia for a L&O fan like me. I have to find that episode now. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2020, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-actor-playing-twins-how-do-they-do-it/917655/46 "2020-08-11T15:32:40Z")
It had to be difficult for the HBO show I Know This Much is True. Mark Ruffalo plays twin brothers and had to gain 30 lbs to play one of them. Must have been tough to do that for each scene. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2020, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-actor-playing-twins-how-do-they-do-it/917655/47 "2020-08-11T15:51:02Z")
Here is Alec Guinness playing seven roles, all relatives, in _Kind Hearts and Coronets_ in 1949. They did multiple exposures over several days (starting at 0:31): [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4r-n2wZzeJk](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4r-n2wZzeJk) And, in _Dave_, Kevin Kline played both the President and a lookalike who fills in for him for awhile (at 0:12): [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTTe-rxTyh0](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTTe-rxTyh0) > [@Gyrate](#): > > I haven’t found of a clip of it yet but IIRC the ST:TNG episode in which Riker discovers his transporter duplicate had a scene in which one walked around the other. I remember thinking at the time it was a well-done effect but that may be imperfect memory. Here’s a scene with them together, but they don’t walk around each other: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0yaRZbki6U](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0yaRZbki6U) ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2020, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-actor-playing-twins-how-do-they-do-it/917655/48 "2020-08-11T15:55:45Z")
Just look up Jacqueline Hennessy on IMDb. I’ve seen that episode a few times, but never made a conscious effort to look for Claire in the background during trial scenes. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2020, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-actor-playing-twins-how-do-they-do-it/917655/49 "2020-08-11T17:06:48Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > Jacqueline has not done much acting, but (according to IMDb) appeared once as Claire Kincaid on _Law & Order_ when Jill wasn’t available. Jacqueline Hennessy has worked for Chatelaine magazine (a Canadian women’s magazine) for years, I believe. ---
**Author:** ![MrAtoz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@MrAtoz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrAtoz)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2020, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-actor-playing-twins-how-do-they-do-it/917655/50 "2020-08-11T17:26:23Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > Here is Alec Guinness playing seven roles, all relatives, in _Kind Hearts and Coronets_ in 1949. The musical _A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder_ is based on the same novel as _Kind Hearts_, and features the same actor playing eight roles. While they obviously don’t appear on stage at the same time, there are some quick changes. Here is a video showing the behind-the-scenes process for a couple of them: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E\_l75kLxBWI](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_l75kLxBWI) ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2020, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-actor-playing-twins-how-do-they-do-it/917655/51 "2020-08-11T19:05:00Z")
They can always hire your look alike to play your twin -like they did in the movie ‘Twins’. ---
**Author:** ![Kimera757](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kimera757/32/3765_2.png) [@Kimera757](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimera757)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2020, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-actor-playing-twins-how-do-they-do-it/917655/52 "2020-08-11T19:24:15Z")
Ha! I heard that in Terminator II they used Linda Hamilton’s identical twin, but earlier in the thread someone said they just used a camera trick. These are not quadruplets. His earlier videos had lots of scantily clad women, so critics claimed people were watching and not listening to his music. This music video made records when it was sold, so his critics were wrong. [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTIIMJ9tUc8) ---
**Author:** ![Skunkdog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c2a13f/32.png) [@Skunkdog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skunkdog)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2020, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-actor-playing-twins-how-do-they-do-it/917655/53 "2020-08-11T19:32:58Z")
The most impressive pre-CGI “twinning” I ever saw (and still can’t figure out how it was done) was the Bette Midler/Lily Tomlin film “Big Business”. They played two pairs of twins that were born at the same hospital and were mixed up at birth, one pair raised poor in the country and the other pair raised in the ivory towers of New York. Of course, fate brought them all together and hilarity ensues. ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2020, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-actor-playing-twins-how-do-they-do-it/917655/54 "2020-08-11T20:25:26Z")
I wonder if that is something actors put on their resume (special skills: SCUBA certified, horse riding, have an identical twin) Brian ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2020, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-actor-playing-twins-how-do-they-do-it/917655/55 "2020-08-11T20:34:44Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > Nitpick: Cathy and Patty were identical cousins. It was their fathers who were twins. > > Patty’s father was played by William Schallert; I don’t recall if they ever had an episode where he was his brother as well. Did they? Patty and Cathy also had another identical cousin - her characteristic was “Southerness” ---
**Author:** ![That\_Don\_Guy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/that_don_guy/32/538_2.png) [@That\_Don\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/That_Don_Guy)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2020, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-actor-playing-twins-how-do-they-do-it/917655/56 "2020-08-11T22:44:40Z")
There was an episode of _Newhart_ where they made a comedy pilot with Julia Duffy’s character playing twins; most of the time, one of the twins’ faces was hidden and was silent (I think Teri Polo played the double), but at one point, there is a split screen effect where you can clearly see the seam thanks to the floor’s checkerboard pattern. The link should be right at the split screen, but if it’s not, it’s at 9:14 of the video: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/LmAzTCSY4qQ/hqdefault.jpg "Newhart 816 Seein' Double YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LmAzTCSY4qQ) ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2020, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-actor-playing-twins-how-do-they-do-it/917655/57 "2020-08-11T22:57:05Z")
> [@Kimera757](#): > > I heard that in Terminator II they used Linda Hamilton’s identical twin, but earlier in the thread someone said they just used a camera trick. I think you may have misread. It was posted that the method used in her case was to use her real-life twin rather than camera work. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2020, 6:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-actor-playing-twins-how-do-they-do-it/917655/58 "2020-08-12T06:43:14Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > Here’s a scene with them together, but they don’t walk around each other: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0yaRZbki6U](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0yaRZbki6U) Found it in a video about remastering - [you can see it around the 1:36 mark](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYh-9aa8Gjk). ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2020, 7:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-actor-playing-twins-how-do-they-do-it/917655/59 "2020-08-12T07:16:02Z")
> [@Skunkdog](#): > > The most impressive pre-CGI “twinning” I ever saw (and still can’t figure out how it was done) was the Bette Midler/Lily Tomlin film “Big Business”. They played two pairs of twins that were born at the same hospital and were mixed up at birth, one pair raised poor in the country and the other pair raised in the ivory towers of New York. Of course, fate brought them all together and hilarity ensues. Sounds a lot like _ **Start the Revolution without Me** _. Were the Midler and Tomlin as good as Sutherland and Wilder? [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/g7pAZrOKQq4/maxresdefault.jpg "Start the Revolution Without Me (1970) Official Trailer - Gene Wilder, Donald Sutherland HD") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g7pAZrOKQq4) ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2020, 7:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-actor-playing-twins-how-do-they-do-it/917655/60 "2020-08-12T07:17:09Z")
BTW I’m surprised no one has mentioned the Tom Hardy film _Legend_ in which he plays both Ronnie and Reggie Kray. Mostly split screen with some CGI smoothing but still well done. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-actor-playing-twins-how-do-they-do-it/917655.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-actor-playing-twins-how-do-they-do-it/917655.md?page=4)