There are over seven billion people alive on this Earth. So the possibility of a doppelgänger walking around looking exactly like you is highly probable. A doppelgänger is defined as a biologically unrelated look-alike, or a double, of a living person. In fiction and mythology, a doppelgänger is usually seen as a harbinger of bad luck or seen as an evil twin. Research has found that people who are “true” look-alikes have more similar genes than people who don’t feature a resemblance to one another.

Doppelgängers In Media

Doppelgängers have made their way into modern literature, films, and television. Some of our favorite examples include the series finale of Twin Peaks. In the chilling scene, Special Agent Dale Cooper encounters a variety of doppelgängers in the Black Lodge, one of whom is a malevolent version of himself. His doppelganger switches places with him at the conclusion of the 1991 finale, trapping the original in the Black Lodge. In the show’s sequel, Twin Peaks: The Return, three different doppelgängers are dispatched from the Black Lodge.

Christopher Nolan’s 2006 psychological thriller, The Prestige, based on the 1995 novel of the same name by Christopher Priest, revolves around rival stage magicians in Victorian London. They feud over a perfect teleportation trick in which the performer appears to transport across the stage instantaneously. It is revealed that one of the illusionists has actually been using a doppelgänger to perform the trick — his twin brother.

Another great use of doppelgängers appears in Stephen King’s book, which was also made into a fantastic HBO series that was canceled way too soon: The Outsider. In it, the antagonist can use the DNA of individuals to become their near-perfect match through a science-fictional ability to transform physically. The allusion to it being a doppelgänger is made by the group trying to stop it from killing again.

Take these 17 celebrity pairs, for example: in Hollywood alone, there are plenty of celebrity lookalikes. You wouldn’t believe they don’t share the same genes. See what the stars have in common besides their physical traits as well as how they handle the comparisons below:

• Jessica Chastain and Bryce Dallas Howard

  Share

  'The Help' co-stars look so alike, that director Ron Howard mistook Chastain for his own daughter. Chastain said of the mix-up, "I was walking by and I was like, 'Oh, that's Ron Howard.' And then my friend was with me and said he turned to someone, he goes, 'I think I just saw Bryce.' We look so much alike." Bryce said of her dad's confusion, "At first he was like, 'You really look so much alike. And I mean, obviously, I'm incredibly flattered, so it's great."

• Daniel Radcliffe and Elijah Wood

  Share

  Harry Potter and Frodo are well aware fans constantly confuse them, addressing their look-alike status in a joint interview with Empire magazine. "Though we are both short, pale, blue-eyed and brown-haired, I would say we don't actually look alike," Radcliffe said. "But the idea of us is exactly the same." Radcliffe recalled being asked to autograph a photo of Wood while in Japan, and had a hilarious way of letting them know they had him mistaken. "So the quickest way to deal with it was to just write, 'I am not Elijah Wood, signed Daniel Radcliffe' and then hope someone translated that for him later," Radcliffe explained.

• Emily Simpson and Khloe Kardashian

  Share

  Some fans can't help but point out similarities between 'Real Housewives of Orange County' star Emily Simpson and 'Keeping Up With the Kardashians' veteran Khloe Kardashian. "I can see a little resemblance," Simpson told E! News in March 2021. "I think it's an overall thing. She's very tall and she's very curvy. We're very voluptuous. I'm not trying to look like her. I'm just trying to look like the best version of myself."
• Amy Adams and Isla Fisher

  Share

  The actresses, who starred together in 'Nocturnal Animals,' are aware of the likeness. In 2016, Fisher said that she once cut and pasted Adams' face over hers for her family's holiday card. Then, in 2017, Fischer recalled Lady Gaga mistook for Adams at an Oscar party. She recalled Gaga swooned over her performance in 'American Hustle,' but chose to not correct her in the moment and thanked her instead. However, Fischer says she and Adams laugh about the mistaken identities because Amy has blue eyes, while she has brown. Even their husbands have laughed about it.

• Leighton Meester and Minka Kelly

  Share

  The actresses look so similar that they were cast as the leads in 2011's horror film, 'The Roommate.' Prior to that, the two met on the set of a Clearasil commercial in 2003. The 'Gossip Girl' alum was born in Texas but grew up in Southwest Florida, where she participated in productions at a local playhouse. Meanwhile, the 'Friday Night Lights' star was born and raised in Los Angeles, moving to New Mexico briefly before returning to LA.

• Zach Galifianakis and Nick Offerman

  Share

  The funny bearded men could pass off as brothers. Even when they shave their beards off, leaving just their mustaches, Galifianakis and Offerman still utter a great resemblance. Their penchant for wearing heavy cardigans and suits make the two actors' style choices nearly identical as well. So much so, Offerman said he wanted Galifianakis to play his 'Parks and Recreation' character Ron Swanson’s brother, Don Swanson.
• Chelsea Handler and Elizabeth Banks

  Share

  These two get mistaken for each other all the time, with Handler using it to her advantage, saying, "When we were at the White House correspondence dinner, we both went and Bill O'Reilly was talking to me and I said, 'I think you're confusing me with Elizabeth Banks,' because I wanted to get the f--- away from him." Another time, a fan approached Banks and complimented her books, naming Handler's 'My Horizontal Life.' Unable to find herself correcting the fan, Banks didn't want to ruin the meeting for him and thanked him.

• Javier Bardem and Jeffrey Dean Morgan

  Share

  These handsome bearded actors look SO similar, they could pass off as twins. However, things get dicey when fans have literally tackled the 'Walking Dead' actor, rapidly speaking Spanish to him, believing he is Bardem. The 'No Country For Old Men' alum was born in Spain. Meanwhile, Morgan was born in Seattle, Washington, later moving to Los Angeles to pursue a career in acting.

• Zooey Deschanel and Katy Perry

  Share

  The hair, the big blue eyes, the cheekbones! These two are commonly mistaken for one another, especially when Deschanel doesn't have her iconic bangs. Perry admitted she previously used the similarity to the 'New Girl' star to her advantage in the early days of her career. She told Zooey, "When I moved to L.A., maybe 18 years ago, I was pretty much a nobody, and you were like just getting so huge at that time, it was like Zooey Deschanel ran the world. In that moment, I was so complimented to look like you. When I first got to LA, I went to the club. A lot. And I wanted to get into the club, but I had no money, I had no clout, I had nothing, and sometimes I would pose as you to get into the club."
• Zoe Saldana and Thandie Newton

  Share

  Saldana’s own mother has mixed her up with the 'Westworld' actress. She recalled in an interview on 'The Late Late Show' in 2019, "My mom still thinks that I’m in 'Westworld.' I'm like, 'Years ago you thought that I was in 'Traffic.' Mom, you did not give birth to Thandie Newton." Another instance in which her mother confused her for Newton was when she saw a poster for 2004's 'Crash.' Her mother called her to ask me why she didn’t tell her she was in a movie with Matt Dillon.

• Demi Moore and Jennifer Connelly

  Share

  The thick brows, dark hair and smoldering hazel eyes are just the physical similarities of the actresses, who play such iconic character portrayals. In an interview for 'The Times Magazine' in October 2016, Connelly joked about the resemblance: "Someone said, 'You're Demi Moore's sister!' If she does have a sister, it's not me." Moore is eight years older than Connelly and was born in New Mexico. Connelly was born in New York. Both actresses pursued a career in modeling before acting.

• Emma Mackey and Margot Robbie

  Share

  The resemblance between the 'Suicide Squad' actress and 'Sex Education' star Mackey is one of various comparisons the stars share. Robbie recalled she was eating a burger when someone came up to her and said, "'I loved you in 'Sex Education,' that show was so cool'... and I was like, 'Oh I'm so sorry that wasn't me.'" When Mackey was shown the clip, she and co-star Ncuti Gatwa were naturally thrilled. "It just made me laugh... all the people who are close to me don't see it at all but I'll take it. I think she's amazing." The two even starred alongside each other in the 2023 blockbuster hit, 'Barbie.'
• Zach Braff and Dax Shepard

  Share

  The two comedic actors have been joking about their resemblance for years, with Braff commenting on a 'People' cover shoot of Shepard with his wife Kristen Bell, writing, 'We look cute here,' tagging the 'Good Place' star. However, their resemblance to one another wasn't positive in one instance. Anne Hathaway's father confused Braff for her ex, Shepard once at a film premiere and "for a second like he was going to tackle me," Braff recalled.

• Megan Fox and Adriana Lima

  Share

  The two women had a cheeky exchange in the comments of a post Lima shared to her Instagram feed in July 2021. Alongside a photo split of herself and Fox in full glam makeup, the model wrote, " @meganfox if you ever need a body double in one of your movies , hit me up. my only request is ... We share the same makeup artist." Fox slyly commented on the post, "But what if I need a girlfriend ... can I hit you up for that as well?"

• Hilary Duff and Victoria Pedretti

  Share

  Fans were flipping out over the similarities between 'You' star Victoria Pedretti and Hilary Duff. Both actresses played Penn Badgely's girlfriends in television series, too. Victoria starred as Love in 'You,' while Hilary starred as Olivia in season three of 'Gossip Girl.'
• Ryan Reynolds and Kate Beckinsale

  Share

  "I look exactly like Ryan Reynolds," Beckinsale told host Jimmy Fallon on 'The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.' "Like in a shocking way. Like, when sometimes, I see a bus going by with a poster on it I think, 'Damn, I look hot. Oh, wait, that's not me. Also, I've never done that movie.'" When Reynolds was shown the clip while on the 'Today Show,' he couldn't help but agree. "It is like looking in a mirror," he joked, before saying, "This has been something that I've heard for a long time. Other people have said it to me as well."

• Kathryn Hahn and Ana Gasteyer

  Share

  The actresses' lush brown locks, wide smiles and rosy cheeks make it hard to tell them apart. Add this to the list of similarities: Before heading to Hollywood, both women studied at Northwestern University!

Sign Up For The Ben's Beats Newsletter

Your connection to the music and entertainment news you want and, the community information you need, plus exclusive games and contests.

Email *

Subscribe

By clicking "Subscribe" I agree to the website's terms of Service and Privacy Policy. I understand I can unsubscribe at any time.