Celebs With Twin Siblings That No One Ever Knew Anything About
Is two really better than one? If you ask any set of celebrity twins — Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, Cole and Dylan Sprouse, Benji and Joel Madden, Tia and Tamera Mowry, Nikki and Brie Bella — they'll likely tell you yes. After all, nothing hits quite like a double dose of fame and fortune, and who wouldn't want a built-in buddy to weather all the ups and downs with? As Mary-Kate told Nylon in 2008, "We're very close, we're extremely close. I completely understand her and she completely understands me. ... I'm lucky to be able to go through these emotions with her—to share it, and to know that I'm not alone."
While some twins have become household names as a duo, there are some stars who happen to have twins who have managed to fly under the radar entirely. Sometimes, this is intentional (if, for example, one twin isn't interested in living such a public life), and other times it's just chance, like when one sibling gets their big break before the other.
Below, we're pulling back the curtain, and introducing you to these lesser-known celebrity twins. From a Marvel superhero's brother to a supermodel's sister, here are some mega famous stars who you might not realize have twins.
Scarlett Johansson's brother is 'altruistic'
Scarlett Johansson may be one of the most recognizable faces in Hollywood, but she's also incredibly private, and rarely speaks about her personal life. As a result, some fans may be shocked to learn that the "Black Widow" actor actually has a twin brother.
Hunter Johansson shares his sister's affinity for privacy, as evidenced by his infrequently updated social media accounts and decision to live his life outside the spotlight, so we don't know much about him, but here's what we have managed to uncover. At one point, it seems he considered becoming an actor, appearing alongside his sister in the 1996 movie "Manny & Lo," but seeing as that's the only project listed on his IMDb, he must have quickly decided that the career path wasn't for him. Instead, he chose to work in politics, campaigning for President Barack Obama in 2008 and acting as a community liaison for Manhattan's borough president in the years prior to that.
These days, Hunter heads up Solar Responders, a non-profit that helps first responders after natural disasters. It's work worth doing, and, according to Scarlett, it's work that is representative of his character. Speaking about her younger twin, she told People, "If there is a truly altruistic person I know in my life, it's my brother. He reminds me to be a better person all the time. I'm incredibly proud of him."
Laverne Cox's twin appeared on OITNB
Identical twins may share 100% of the same DNA, but that doesn't mean they'll make 100% of the same career choices. Just ask "Orange Is the New Black" actor Laverne Cox and her identical twin brother Reginald Lamar Cox, who goes by M Lamar. Laverne has made a name for herself as an actor and LGBTQIA+ activist, while M Lamar has channeled his creativity into music and the fine arts. Still, despite their varied directions in life, the siblings have a lot of love for one another.
After M Lamar played her character Sophia Burset pre-transition on "Orange Is the New Black," Laverne gushed about her twin to Yahoo!, "I love my brother so much ... And there's a wonderful bond that we share, and there's a tremendous amount of respect that we have for each other as artists and as human beings. So I'm really grateful that I got to share a little bit of this show and this moment with him," she said.
In return, M Lamar gave an emotional speech about his famous sibling after being eliminated from the ABC reality series "Claim to Fame" (via Extra). "I've never really spoken about [Laverne]," he said, "She has endured all kinds of insanity, and continues to. She continues to stand with so much dignity and pride, and go forward and be an inspiration for so many people. Her success is so much bigger than her...And I just want to thank her and praise her."
Ashton Kutcher and his brother support each other
Born five minutes after actor Ashton Kutcher, Michael Kutcher was a surprise to his own family, who thought there was only one bundle of joy on the way. Weighing less than five pounds at birth, Michael was eventually diagnosed with cerebral palsy, a fact that Ashton (much to his brother's chagrin) revealed to the world in 2003. As Michael explained to Today, at the time, he wanted to keep his life private, but that all changed. He went on to become a spokesperson and advocate for various disability organizations.
Michael's diagnosis means that his experiences have been quite different than his twin brother's, but he told Today that Ashton has always been in his corner. "I was called every name in the book on the playground. I had difficulty making friends. But I had [Ashton] there to help me and support me," Michael shared. "He stood up for me. He wanted [others] to treat me with respect. And that meant a lot."
Per Hello!, Ashton sang his younger twin's praises in his acceptance speech for the Robert D. Ray Pillar of Character Award in 2017. He told the audience that he's learned invaluable life lessons from Michael. "We're all created incredibly inequal to one another, in our capabilities and what we can do and how we think and what we see," he said. "But we all have the equal capacity to love one another, and my brother taught me that."
Kiefer Sutherland's sister works behind the scenes
Most folks know that Canadian actor Kiefer Sutherland is a member of a Hollywood dynasty — he's the son of Donald Sutherland, after all. But what far fewer people know is that he's also a twin.
Rachel Sutherland is a few minutes younger than her brother and has opted for a more behind-the-scenes role in the family industry. While Kiefer made a name for himself in films like "Stand By Me" and on series like "24," Rachel has grown her career as a production manager on Canadian shows like "Nurses," "Rookie Blue," and "Burden of Truth." Judging by the infrequency with which she appears on red carpets and at events, it seems she has embraced the more private lifestyle this line of work affords her.
Although they operate on different sides of the camera, the siblings share a close bond. Kiefer said of Rachel to The Guardian in a 2018 interview, "Being a twin taught me the value of having a companion. Every time I experienced something I could turn to my left and share it." While raising a set of multiples may be overwhelming at times, their mother, actor Shirley Douglas, apparently took it in stride. Kiefer recalled to The Guardian, "She said, 'Oh, sweetheart, it was fine. By the time you were two you were looking after each other.' She made it sound like she'd got a deal, which always made me laugh. My sister Rachel and I are incredibly close."
Rami Malek and his twin got into mischief
Unlike the Sutherland twins, who have chosen jobs that are essentially two sides of the same coin, Rami Malek and his identical twin brother Sami Malek have pursued wildly different paths in life. Rami is obviously an Oscar-winning actor, best known for films like "Bohemian Rhapsody" and "No Time to Die," as well as for starring in the critically acclaimed TV series "Mr. Robot." Meanwhile, his brother Sami is an educator, who began his career through the Teach for America program and became an English teacher at the STEM Academy of Hollywood.
Though the twins do not work in show business together, they are forever a team. In an interview on "Jimmy Kimmel Live," Rami shared that he and Sami have always had a tight bond and that they're willing to drop whatever they're doing to help one another out — even if what the other needs might be ethically questionable.
On the late-night show, Rami recounted a story from their college years where he pretended to be his brother in order to deliver an extra-credit Greek monologue that marked the difference between an on-time graduation and an extra year for Sami. When questioned by Kimmel, Rami admitted that it wasn't the only time the boys had swapped places, remarking that they used to be troublemakers when they were younger, pulling stunts like that one all the time.
Vin Diesel's actual twin
It wouldn't be a stretch to call Mark Sinclair Vincent, aka Vin Diesel, one of the world's biggest action stars. And yet, as gigantic a star as he is, there are still some parts of his life that are not common knowledge. For starters, he has a twin brother named Paul Vincent.
Per MTV News, Vin and Paul are fraternal twins. Unlike famously fraternal twins Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, it's pretty easy to tell Vin and Paul apart, as the latter has a full beard and full head of hair and the former keeps a clean shave. Every now and again, Vin will upload snapshots of his twin to social media, like a 2014 Facebook post of a picture of his sibling and Paul Walker. "You see... the other guy in the photo is also named Paul... and although they look more alike, he is actually my twin brother," the A-lister wrote. There isn't a ton of information about Vin's twin on the internet, but again, as the "Fast and Furious" actor's posts suggest, they have a strong bond.
In a 2015 Facebook Live, Vin addressed a (false) rumor about some guy who was supposedly his actual twin brother. He held up a picture of the man in question and declared, "I never met that guy in my life. ... He's not my twin brother." Vin went on to remind fans that he's posted about his actual twin in the past.
Gisele Bündchen works with her twin
Supermodel Gisele Bündchen may be unrivaled on the catwalk, but at home, the Victoria's Secret Angel shares the spotlight with five accomplished, and beautiful, sisters. One of those sisters is her fraternal twin, Patricia Bündchen.
As Gisele recounted in Vanity Fair, she and Patricia attended modeling classes together when they were kids, and while only one of the twins found a career on the runway, the other moved into the business side of the industry. For years, she worked as Gisele's manager and spokesperson, and these days she helps her sister manage her various ventures. There doesn't seem to be any lingering resentment on Patricia's part in regards to their varying levels of success in modeling, considering that she asked Gisele to be her maid of honor in her 2010 wedding.
For her part, Gisele seems to really cherish the bond she shares with Patricia. In one 2019 Instagram post, the model called Patricia her "other half," noting that they're always "connected at heart" even when separated physically. In another, she writes, "How lucky I was to be born with my twin and best friend." It's nice to see that for these two nothing, not fame nor stages of life nor physical distance, has been able to affect the love and attachment they share.
Linda Hamilton's sister played her double
While her filmography isn't as extensive as some of the other actors on our list, Linda Hamilton has undoubtedly established herself as an icon, thanks to her role as Sarah Connor in the "Terminator" series. But long before she was a household name known for her fearless, take-no-prisoners character, Linda was simply one half of the Hamilton twins.
Like some of the other non-famous twins on our list, it seems Leslie Hamilton was never really as interested in acting as her identical twin sister was. According to her IMDb page, she did appear in one single movie — "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" where she fittingly played Twin Sarah — but that's all. As Linda told Entertainment Weekly in 1991, "They were going to use a process shot for the double, but they flew Leslie in and were delighted." The actor also got a kick out of her twin getting a peek at the inner workings of show business. "Leslie got a glimpse of how tough it can be to do this stuff," she said.
In August 2020, Leslie died unexpectedly at the age of 63. For most of her life, Leslie worked as a nurse, first in the emergency room and later in hospice care. According to her obituary, this career path was in line with her nature. "Leslie was the consummate caretaker, and devoted her life to helping her children and the lives of others," reads the eulogy.
Parker Posey's brother became a lawyer
Dubbed the "Queen of the Indies" by Time, Parker Posey has appeared in dozens of films like "Waiting for Guffman," "Best in Show," "For Your Consideration," "Dazed and Confused," and "You've Got Mail." Since she first started working in 1993, Posey hasn't stopped, a consistent and beloved fixture of Hollywood.
Raised in Mississippi and Louisiana, Parker grew up alongside a twin brother named Chris Posey. As Parker shared in her memoir "You're on an Airplane," "I'm a character actor because I come from a family of characters." She and Chris, who were born two months premature, had a strong bond straight away. "But if you have a twin, you have this melding of the other person from the get-go," she wrote. "My mom said she'd watch us 'speaking' in mumbles and gestures while we played for hours, passing toys to each other."
As connected as they are, the two paved separate lanes for themselves as they got older. Parker obtained a degree in drama and pursued an acting career, whereas her brother, as she told Index Magazine, went into law and attended Georgetown. "Growing up with someone beside you your whole life, my attention was on him, my whole life. And his on me, to some extent," she said. Very little else is known about Chis, who seems to prefer life outside of the limelight (he's only appeared at events alongside his sister a handful of times over the decades).
Aaron Carter and his sister ended up at odds
All '90s kids know that one-time teenage heartthrob Aaron Carter was a younger sibling to Backstreet Boys crooner Nick Carter, but far fewer know that he also had a twin sister named Angel Carter. After her brothers' music careers took off, Angel seemed happy to be along for the ride, frequently joining them on red carpets and at events. The siblings appear to have been close when they were growing up, with Aaron even walking her down the aisle at her wedding in 2014. After working as a model, Angel started her very own interior design firm.
Unfortunately, times changed, and the entire Carter family feuded publicly, throwing jabs back and forth in the tabloids and in interviews. In 2019, ET reported Angel filed a domestic violence restraining order against Aaron. According to Angel, her brother threatened her life as well as the life of her husband and daughter. The "Aaron's Party" singer refuted her claims, asserting that she's working in cahoots with Nick to silence him. In November 2021, Aaron stated in a series of tweets that he and Melanie Martin split after welcoming their first child because of his twin. "There has been a very big lie and my sister communicating w my ex fiancé ruined everything considering she knew what angel tried to do to me in court," he wrote.
After Aaron died November 5, 2022, however, Angel paid a moving tribute to him on Instagram, writing in part, "To my twin ... I loved you beyond measure. You will be missed dearly."
If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic abuse, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233. You can also find more information, resources, and support at their website.