20 Famous Child Star Twins Who Are Totally Unrecognizable Today

The Mataras twins Tiffany and Krystle debuted on the big screen in the Arnold Schwarzenegger comedy-drama Kindergarten Cop. In that 1990 movie, the identical twins from California played Tina and Rina. They followed that up with roles together in Problem Child 2, Single White Female, and Camp Nowhere in the next four years.

After 1994, the Mataras appeared together in the TV series High Incident and movies Journey of Redemption and 100,000 Zombie Heads. The latter from 2012 is their last acting credit listed on IMDb. Today, the twins run a joint Instagram account in which they describe themselves as “Identical mirror twins, business owners, artists, L.A. natives, [and] sometimes actors.”

Imagine starring on arguably the biggest sitcom of all time and not remembering a single thing about it. Well, that’s what twins Cali and Noelle Sheldon did. But it’s not because they were wasted, or anything. It’s because they both portrayed baby Emma on Friends, the little daughter of Rachel and Ross. Adorably, they changed places when the other was having a nap.

Now young adults, the identical twins haven’t given up on this show business lark. The sisters have appeared together in a number of short films, before landing roles in the acclaimed horror thriller Us. That movie hit screens in 2019 to great success, so be sure to keep an eye out for these talented young ladies in the future.

Twins Scarlett and Hunter Johansson were welcomed into the world on November 22, 1984. They joined an arty family that included their producer mother Melanie Sloan and their screenwriter and director grandfather. So, it was hardly surprising that the brother and sister caught the acting bug from an early age. They appeared together in the 1996 movie Manny & Lo, in which Scarlett played her first lead role.

Since that movie, however, the Johansson twins have taken very different paths in life. Scarlett has gone on to be one of the biggest stars in Hollywood and a bona fide beauty icon to rival Marilyn Monroe. Hunter, meanwhile, has moved into political campaigning and community organizing. Still, the siblings remain close and are often seen together at red carpet events. Aww.

Remember Ron Weasley’s elder brothers Fred and George from the Harry Potter films? Of course you do. Well, those roguish twins were portrayed by real-life bros James and Oliver Phelps. They first appeared in the role in the opening movie in the franchise, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.

But that movie was released way back in 2001. So, what’s become of the brothers in the two decades since? Well, they’ve been quite busy pursuing their acting careers. James and Oliver have worked together in the movies Last Night in Soho and Own Worst Enemy. They also host a podcast entitled Normal Not Normal that’s seen them get back in touch with various Potter alumni.

The Cheaper by the Dozen movies were big hits with kids and parents alike. And that popularity was in no small part down to the impish on-screen twins Nigel and Kyle Baker. Those memorable characters were portrayed by real-life identical twins Shane and Brent Kinsman, who were discovered aged just four at a baseball game. But what are they up to now?

The first thing to say is that the Kinsman brothers are no longer the gawky kids of yesteryear. No, fast-forward to today, and they’re two dapper young men with degrees from California Polytechnic State University. They’ve not been on screens since 2011, when they appeared as Porter and Preston Scavo in Desperate Housewives. But they both plan to return soon, with a stated goal to make it into the Star Wars franchise.

Never heard of Sama and Haya Khadara? Erm, us neither — but Google is our friend. It informs us that they’re two Palestinian fashionistas born in Saudi Arabia, who are often jointly referred to as SimiHaze. The twins were discovered in Paris when they were just 14, before being recruited by Chanel to walk the runway at the next Fashion Week in the French capital.

Since they exploded onto the fashion scene, the girls have made big strides in the industry. They’ve relocated to Los Angeles, amassed over a million Instagram followers, and made friends with the likes of Selena Gomez and Bella Hadid. After founding the company SimiHaze Beauty and studying film and art, the world appears to be their oyster.

Twin sisters Brittany and Cynthia Daniel rose to fame in the mid-1990s on Sweet Valley High, a TV show adapted from a series of novels by Francine Pascal. The blonde siblings portrayed Jessica and Elizabeth Wakefield on the program, characters who tried to negotiate high school and consequently became favorites among teens all across America.

The Daniels continued to act after Sweet Valley High, appearing in That ’80s Show together before Cynthia quit acting in the early 2000s to focus on other things. Namely, photography and a lifestyle website that she ran with her sis known as Sweet Collection XO. Brittany carried on acting, before taking a break to fight and beat cancer in 2012. Cynthia has since been tempted back to acting, and along with her beloved sister is set to appear in the new Cheaper By The Dozen movie, due in 2022.

Those of you who watched TV in the ’90s will likely have seen Tia and Tamera Mowry on the sitcom Sister, Sister. The real-life identical siblings portrayed long-separated twins on the popular teen show. But that was three decades ago now, so you might be wondering what they’ve been up to since.

Well, after starring as reunited twins again in Disney’s Twitches and Twitches Too, the sisters halted their acting careers to study psychology at Pepperdine University. They then returned to acting, with Tia appearing in the movie Baggage Claim and on the TV series Family Reunion. Tamera showed up in A Christmas Miracle, and for seven years hosted daytime talk show The Real. Finally, together they’ve created a book series called Twintuition.

Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen might be the most famous celebrity twins of all, originally finding stardom on the hugely popular TV series Full House. They were just infants when it began in 1987, and audiences saw them grow up to be girls of nine. Then, of course, followed their very own show The Adventures of Mary-Kate & Ashley and Two of a Kind, not to mention a bunch of films.

Yet we don’t hear much about the Olsen twins these days, so what have they been up to? Well, the sisters have largely stepped back from Hollywood since 2012, instead channeling their energy into their fashion line, Elizabeth and James. The twins’ respective relationships have been of interest, though. Mary-Kate was married to former French president Nicolas Sarkozy’s half-sibling Olivier until 2021. And Ashley is currently with artist Louis Eisner.

Canadian brothers Aaron and Shawn Ashmore went into show business at a very early age. The identical twins appeared together as students in the 1991 comedy-drama Married to It. They then repeated the feat in the 1993 TV movie Gross Misconduct: The Life of Brian Spencer. But what’s become of them since those early days?

Well, the brothers have stayed in the acting game — and they’ve had considerable success in it, too. They’ve both starred in Smallville. And Aaron has appeared regularly in the TV series Warehouse 13 and Killjoys. Shawn, meanwhile, has starred as Bobby Drake/Iceman in the X-Men movies, and he also landed a recurring role on The Following as Agent Mike Weston.

Who can forget the Grady daughters from horror classic The Shining? The terrifying twins scare the life out of poor Danny Torrance — and they’re still in our nightmares to this day. But what happened to Louise and Lisa Burns, the identical British sisters who portrayed them, in the decades that followed?

The answer is that the pair largely retreated from the spotlight, with neither sister acting after The Shining. They’ve made sporadic TV appearances related to the horror classic, such as on an episode of the VH-1 Where Are They Now? Nowadays, the twins actually keep a joint Twitter and Facebook account, so committed fans can keep up with their antics there.

If you watched Full House during its late ’80s and early ’90s heyday, then you’ll no doubt remember Uncle Jesse and Aunt Becky’s ultra-cute twin kids. Those characters — Nicky and Alex Katsopolis — were portrayed by real-life twins Blake and Dylan Tuomy-Wilhoit. But now they’re all grown up. So, what do they look like? And what have they been up to?

Perhaps unsurprisingly, they’ve grown into handsome young men. But the pair ditched acting soon after Full House to follow their passions, with Blake choosing to be a firefighter and Dylan a foley artist. The latter even picked up an Emmy nomination for his work on Game of Thrones. In 2015 Fuller House was announced — and the Tuomy-Wilhoits reprised their roles in the franchise for two episodes. Awesome!

Bewitched was one of the biggest TV shows in America by the late 1960s, with twins Diane and Erin Murphy helping to generate its gargantuan success. As toddlers, they were spotted by a talent agent and were recruited to portray Tabitha Stephens from 1966 to 1968. They then went on to numerous other roles soon after.

Erin ultimately stayed in show business, continuing the role of Tabitha without her sister, before appearing in episodes of TV series such as Lassie and in more than 100 commercials. She’s also been everything from a TV host to reality TV star, stunt double, makeup artist, businessperson, casting director, acting teacher, and motivational speaker. Phew. Diane, however, shunned the limelight following a few more TV appearances and ads. She later studied psychology and sociology at the University of California.

British people of a certain vintage will likely remember twins Melanie and Martina Grant fondly. The sisters appeared on the kid-centric game show Fun House, alongside the magnificently mulleted main host, Pat Sharp. It ran from 1989 to 1999, making contestants battle it out on a range of challenges — from go-karting to completing obstacle courses.

The twins are now settling into middle age, having both started families and enjoyed mostly regular lives. Martina has worked as an account manager for beauty brand Clarins, while Melanie has run a pub. But the ladies haven’t given up on Fun House or nostalgia, as they can actually be hired for live events!

Kristopher and Jason Simmons gained a high level of fame at a very young age when they appeared as Wyatt Halliwell on supernatural series Charmed. The American twins — who are half Ecuadorian through their mother — first appeared on the show in season five, when they were just seven months old. Kristopher and Jason continued in the role until the series concluded in 2006.

The Simmons brothers later appeared together in the 2008 movie Pushing Daisies and a 2013 episode of How I Met Your Mother. Since then, though, they’ve largely moved out of the limelight. They appear to be based in California and have earned youth soccer referee awards. Interestingly, Kristopher and Jason have two younger brothers, who, as fate would have it, are also twins. What are the odds?

Kindergarten Cop follows Arnold Schwarzenegger’s undercover police officer as he pretends to be a teacher in order to foil a plot by a criminal father to kidnap his child. That particular boy, Dominic, was portrayed by identical twin brothers Christian and Joseph Cousins. They got their break as toddlers playing Bobby Ewing on Knots Landing from 1987.

Since those early days in show business over 30 years ago, the Cousins boys have grown gracefully into adulthood. Both stayed in the acting game to an extent, appearing in the movies Critters 3 and The Babysitters. Their last joint credit was the 1995 TV series Dream On. Since then, Joseph has worked as a stylist, while Christian has worked at a furniture store.

Identical twins Wendi and Brenda Turnbaugh rose to fame on the hugely popular and wholesome ’70s TV show Little House on the Prairie. Like many child actor twins, they worked together to play one role — that of Grace Ingalls. But that was a long time ago, so what are they up to now?

The Turnbaugh sisters turned their back on acting after Little House on the Prairie. Brenda got married in 1996 and has two children, while Wendi became a student of psychology at college. She then also married and had two little ones of her own. Wendi also fought bravely against a brain tumor, later writing a book about it. Despite taking different paths, the two sisters usually attend any Little House on the Prairie reunions.

Arriving into the world in 1998, Peyton and Spencer List were thrown into acting at a very tender age. We’re not talking 10 or 11 here, but rather two or three. The twins’ first big-screen appearance together was in the superhero blockbuster hit Spider-Man 2. They were extras, depicting a boy and girl playing on some steps.

Nowadays, though, the twins are twenty-somethings and much more than child extras. Peyton has starred in Bunk’d, Happy Together, and Diary of a Wimpy Kid. Plus, she’s also shown her musical prowess and released the singles “Liar Liar” and “Dance Till We Die.” Spencer, meanwhile, has turned up in the film The Bachelors and TV shows The Fosters and Good Trouble. The twins have also appeared on Saturday Night Live together, as well as the movie Bereavement.

Wendi and Brenda Turnbaugh weren’t the only twins acting in Little House on the Prairie. They weren’t even the only twin girls! No, the show also featured Lindsay and Sidney Greenbush, who both took it in turns to portray Carrie Ingalls from 1974 until 1982. So, what became of them?

The sisters — who were curiously credited as a single actor named Lindsay Sidney Greenbush on Little House on the Prairie — stepped away from acting after that iconic show finished. They’ve largely kept out of the public eye ever since. They have, however, shown up in reunions for the series on occasion.

Dylan and Cole Sprouse shot to fame in the early 1990s on Grace Under Fire, when they were barely out of diapers. The brothers both portrayed Patrick Kelly on the sitcom from 1993 until 1998. They later went on to star together in numerous films and TV shows, including the Adam Sandler vehicle Big Daddy and the popular Disney Channel show The Suite Life of Zack & Cody. Cole also portrayed Ross’ kid Ben on Friends.

These days, the Sprouses have developed into leading adult actors. Cole — who paused acting to study at New York University — is best known for his role as Jughead Jones on the teen drama Riverdale and his on-off romance with co-star Lili Reinhart. Dylan, meanwhile, has starred in several films and tried his hand at business. Not bad, guys! But, of course, there are plenty of child stars without a twin, and their transformations are just as jaw-dropping. You won't believe what Abigail Breslin looks like today.

Fred Savage was a star on The Wonder Years. He played the show’s main character Kevin and is still working in sitcoms today. However, his taste in humor has grown noticeably darker with age, having served as a producer and director on several black comedies such as It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.

Prior to landing her break in music, Demi Lovato found fame via a recurring role on Barney and Friends. And roles in several Disney productions soon followed – including the show Sonny with a Chance – before the “Skyscrape” hitmaker turned her back on acting to become the fiery singer we know and love today.

Elijah Wood made his film debut aged eight in Back to the Future II, and he’s since forged a steady career in adulthood thanks to his role as Frodo in Lord of the Rings. And as if that wasn't enough, he’s also made a successful move into the music industry, having started the label Simian Records in 2006.

Playing a Mousketeer may not have earned a 13-year-old Ryan Gosling many cool points, but the Canadian actor has certainly made up for it with age. Since leaving the Mickey Mouse Club in 1995, Gosling has become one of the most stylish film stars on the planet thanks to roles in The Notebook and Drive.

Jonathan Lipnicki is most recognizable as the adorable son George in Stuart Little, but he’s done much to erase his formerly cute image since that role. In fact, the former child star now coaches jiu-jitsu and mixed martial arts, and his buff physique is a far cry from the appearance of the child we knew on screen.

Although she became famous for roles in the 1989 video game-themed movie The Wizard, Jenny Lewis ultimately decided that a career in music was the best path for her. And so at age 20, Lewis quit acting completely and formed the band Rilo Kiley two years later. Since then, she’s released three solo albums and also performs in the duo Jenny & Johnny.

Undoubtedly, the best part of 1985’s The Goonies was the portly Chunk, whose iconic “truffle shuffle” helped secure the film a place in the pop culture pantheon. These days, however, actor Jeff Cohen is looking considerably leaner and he’s enjoying a top-notch career as the co-founder of law firm Cohen Gardner LLP.

Danica McKellar is best known for her role as love-interest Winnie in The Wonder Years, and she has grown up into one seriously smart person. In fact, while she was still working as an actress, the star managed to earn a BSc in Mathematics from UCLA on the side. Plus, she’s since penned numerous books on the subject for teenagers.

Contrary to popular belief, Wonder Years star Josh Saviano didn’t grow up to be Marilyn Manson, although the truth is just as impressive. Following the show’s 1993 end, Saviano – aka Paul Pfeiffer – quit acting and began studying political science at Yale. And now he’s a celebrated lawyer who has his own firm, JDS Legal.

Big things were expected of Emma Watson when she was cast as Harry Potter’s Hermoine at age nine, and if anything the actress has exceeded all expectations in adult life. Besides maintaining her success as an actress, Watson has worked as a UN Goodwill Ambassador and continues to promote gender equality around the world.

As Jurassic Park’s tech-savvy Lex, Ariana Richards left an indelible impression on audiences that’s still remembered to this day. But despite her obvious acting skills, Richards decided to quit the profession in order to train as an artist. And the career move certainly paid off; now she’s an accomplished painter with multiple awards to her name.

Like his former Mickey Mouse Club co-star Ryan Gosling, Justin Timberlake has worked hard to ensure his Disney days are a long forgotten memory. And so after gaining teen-idol status as a member of N*SYNC, the singer embarked on a long and successful solo career. Plus, he even became a respected Hollywood actor along the way.

While his Clarissa Explains All character may have been a tad annoying, Jason Zimbler has grown up to be quite the cool customer. Indeed, the actor – who played Ferguson on the Nickelodeon show – has left acting behind altogether and now works as a software designer with HBO.

Out of all The Brady Bunch kids, we would’ve imagined Marcia to be the most successful in adulthood. However, it turns out that Peter – aka Christopher Knight – is doing pretty well for himself as well. In fact, the former star founded several successful software companies in adulthood including Visual Software, Kidwise Learningware and Eskape Labs.

Since appearing in the likes of Labyrinth as a child, Jennifer Connelly has gone on to have an acclaimed acting career in adult life. For instance, her role in Requiem for a Dream received much praise while 2001’s A Beautiful Mind earned the star an Academy Award.

Emerging into the spotlight through roles in Back to the Future and Adventures in Babysitting, Maia Brewton gave up acting before she got the chance to become a leading star. Subsequently, she gained a law degree from Yale Univeristy and is currently working as an attorney.

Peter Ostrum was the envy of every kid in the ’70s when he was cast as Charlie Bucket in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Sadly, Ostrum didn’t grow up to own his own candy company, but he still has an enviable job: he now works as a veterinarian in Glenfield, New York.

These days, Jason Bateman is best known as the put-upon Michael Bluth in Arrested Development. Nonetheless, sitcom fans first got to know him through ’80s show Silver Spoons. And Bateman has proven himself to be a versatile actor in adulthood: he’s bagged starring roles in films as varied as the comedy Horrible Bosses and the thriller The Gift.