When you think of actor twins, you probably envision Tia and Tamera Mowry, Cole and Dylan Sprouse, or the Olsen twins, right? But twinning in Hollywood runs far deeper than you might realize.
Several A-list actors have twin siblings who don’t work in the entertainment business at all, or work behind the scenes. In some cases, they’re fraternal and of the opposite gender. In others, the twin will make you do a double take.
Here are actors that you might not know have a twin sibling.
Rami Malek
Currently one of Hollywood’s hottest actors, the star of the USA Network series Mr. Robot is fresh off an Oscar win for his role as Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody and is also in talks to play the villain in the upcoming James Bond film. Rami has a twin brother named Sami who works as a teacher in Los Angeles. Rami brought Sami to the Golden Globes with him earlier this year, and although they look slightly different, there’s no mistaking that they are identical bros.
Giovanni Ribisi
Marissa Ribisi has done some acting in films like Dazed and Confused and Pleasantville, but hasn’t appeared in anything since the early 2000s. Her famous actor brother, meanwhile, is known for some pretty big movie projects, including Saving Private Ryan and Avatar. He currently stars in the Amazon Prime Video series Sneaky Pete, which has been renewed for a third season. It’s unknown what Marissa, a prominent Scientologist alongside her brother and ex-husband musician Beck, is up to these days.
Scarlett Johansson
While still just 34 years old, Johansson has already had a lengthy and successful career in Hollywood, most notably playing Black Widow in the Avengers films, including the upcoming Avengers: Endgame. But did you know that Scarlett has a twin brother named Hunter? He has often appeared on red carpets with his much shorter sister (she’s 5-foot, 3 inches, while he’s a full foot taller!), but opted to pursue another career route. Hunter has worked with political campaigns, including having served as a campaign adviser for President Barack Obama. The siblings did appear in one movie together, Manny & Lo, way back in 1996.
Vin Diesel
Paul Vincent is the nonidentical twin of this actor, whose real name is Mark Sinclair Vincent. Like many other twin siblings on this list, Paul tends to stay out of the spotlight, living a much quieter life than his action movie star brother, who is best known for his role in the Fast & Furious franchise films. But Paul does dabble in the business, reportedly working as an editor or producer. Back in 2004, Vin posted a photo of his twin with his late co-star Fast & Furious Paul Walker, calling them “the two Pauls.”
Kiefer Sutherland
Bearing a striking resemblance to her famous Canadian twin, Rachel Sutherland works behind the scenes in the movie biz as a post-production supervisor. She’s worked on series like Mary Kills People and Burden of Proof, and most recently worked on a Canadian comedy-drama called Little Dog, about a former boxer looking for redemption.
Laverne Cox
The transgender performer, best known for her role as Sophia in Orange is the New Black, has a twin brother, M Lamar, who is a musician. A pair of flashback episodes of Orange is the New Black feature a pre-trans Sophia, and M Lamar was the perfect person to call on to play the role, since he literally looks the part. That’s him you see in those scenes.
Ashton Kutcher
Kutcher often refers to his brother, Michael, who has cerebral palsy, as his best friend. Michael, a fraternal twin, looks nothing like the famous actor who is known for his roles in TV series like That ’70s Show, Two and a Half Men, and Netflix’s The Ranch, as well as comedic films like Dude, Where’s My Car? and No Strings Attached. Michael, meanwhile, works in sales and does motivational speaking gigs, talking to youths with disabilities.
Linda Hamilton
Known for her role as Sarah Connor in the Terminator films, Hamilton has a twin sister named Leslie, who has taken the surname of Gearren and actually worked on one of the films in that series. She played Sarah Connor’s clone in Terminator 2: Judgment Day in three scenes, each time as the version of Sarah that was further from the camera, so her pro acting sis could take the lead. Instead of pursuing a career in acting like her sis, Leslie followed another path and became a nurse.
Parker Posey
Having appeared in a number of indie cult classic films in the 1990s, like Kicking and Screaming and Clockwatchers, Posey, who’s often referred to as the “queen of the indies,” made a Hollywood comeback with her role in Netflix’s reimagining of Lost in Space. Meanwhile, her twin brother, Christopher, lives in Atlanta, where he works as a lawyer.
Joseph Fiennes
Among his five biological siblings, four work in the arts, including older brother and Academy Award-nominated actor Ralph. But the one who didn’t pursue a career in acting or music is Joseph’s twin, Jacob, who works as a conservationist. Joseph, meanwhile, is at the top of his game playing the despicable Fred Waterford in Hulu’s The Handmaid’s Tale, a role that earned him an Emmy nomination last year.
Jon Heder
Catapulting to fame after his role as the title character in Napoleon Dynamite, Heder has an identical twin, Dan, who also works in the entertainment business. Dan mainly works behind the scenes in animation and visual effects, and has top films like Avengers: Infinity War, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, and Godzilla on his résumé. The two worked together, albeit in different capacities, on the animated film Monster House: Jon provided the voice for the character of Reginald “Skull” Skulinski while Dan worked as an animator.
Billy Dee Williams
The original Lando Calrissian in the Star Wars films, the 81-year-old Williams has had a decades-long career in acting and music. But did you know that he has a twin sister named Loretta? Both are juniors, with Billy named after his father, William, and Loretta named after their mother. Donald Glover plays a younger version of the Lando character in the prequel film Solo: A Star Wars Story.
