Top 10 TV Twins That Were Actually Played By One Actor

Top 10 TV Twins That Were Actually Portrayed by One Person

Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the Top 10 TV Twins That Were Actually Portrayed by One Person.

For this list, we’ll be looking at actors who delivered dual performances on TV shows. We’ll be excluding characters with multiple personalities and clones. Since some of the twins on this list are big plot reveals, a spoiler warning is now in effect.

What actor do YOU think played the best twins? Sound off in the comments.

#10: Emmit & Ray Stussy (Ewan McGregor)
“Fargo” (2014-)

The third season of FX’s anthology series centers around Emmit Stussy, the married and wealthy “Parking Lot King of Minnesota,” and his brother Ray, an unkempt parole officer. The hair, costume, and makeup departments completely transformed McGregor for both twins to the point where neither character really looked like him. This isn’t the actor’s first time working opposite himself, but it was the first time he had to play identical twin brothers. McGregor expertly crafted two distinct personalities which earned him an Emmy nomination and his first Golden Globe win.

#9: Nimah & Raina Amin (Yasmine Al Massri)
“Quantico” (2015-18)

Raina Amin and her twin sister Nimah are both FBI agents who end up on very different paths. Nimah is the angrier of the two, ready to fight for what she believes in. Raina’s more consertative and compassionate, and doesn’t want conflict. One noticeable difference between the two is that Raina wears a hijab, and Nimah does not. Yasmine Al Massri’s twin sisters became fan favorites for being three-dimensional female Muslim characters who weren’t written as stereotypes. The actress admits the shooting schedule was challenging, but she’s proud of the characters.

#8: Petra Solano & Anežka Archuletta (Yael Grobglas)
“Jane the Virgin” (2014-19)

Here’s a storyline straight out of a telenovela. At the instruction of their mother Magda, Anezka goes above and beyond to impersonate her “beautiful sister” Petra. She even keeps Petra immobilized while she runs around with Rafael. The whole scheme is to get her shares of the hotel and flee the country with Magda, but things don’t go as planned. In true telenovela style, Petra didn’t even know she had a twin in the first place. They go back and forth betraying and impersonating each other until Anezka dies...for the second time.

#7: Shane & Cole Gerald (Jason Sudeikis)
“Eastbound & Down” (2009-13)

Jason Sudeikis joined the cast as Kenny Powers’ best friend Shane, the Goose to his Tom Cruise. But after Shane dies of a heart attack as a result of his partying, Kenny learns that Shane has a twin, also played by Sudeikis. He doesn’t meet Cole until he’s at Shane’s wake, and it’s a bit of a shock. He tries to fill the hole Shane left with his twin, but they’re just not the same. Cole is more straightlaced, and has no desire to hang out with Kenny. While they didn’t have any scenes together, Sudeikis’ portrayal of these polar opposites is hilarious.

#6: Spencer Hastings & Alex Drake (Troian Bellisario)
“Pretty Little Liars” (2010-17)

“Pretty Little Liars” deals with doppelgangers throughout its seven seasons, even purposely casting actresses who look alike. Fans are divided over the series finale, but Troian still deserves praise for her dual role. It isn’t until the final episode that Alex Drake is revealed as A.D. — the last iteration of the infamous A. However, Alex makes appearances in other episodes masquerading as her sister. Spencer’s long lost evil twin is jealous of her life and tries to take it from her. Alex has a long list of crimes, but her best hits are abducting Spencer, tormenting “The Liars,” and hooking up with two of Spencer’s exes, Toby and Wren. Oh, and turning Wren into a necklace.

#5: Bette & Dot Tattler (Sarah Paulson)
“American Horror Story: Freak Show” (2014-15)

Sarah Paulson has graced our screens as several characters in the expanding AHS universe, but her most challenging role was the two-headed twins Bette and Dot Tattler on “Freak Show.” Through some prosthetics and puppetry, Paulson crafted two distinct characters that just happen to share a body. Bette is the pessimistic, closed off of the two, while Dot is the hopeful optimist relishing this opportunity to be a part of the show. Paulson had to film some heartbreaking scenes, including a fantasy sequence where one twin dies and the other is still alive.

#4: Liv & Maddie Rooney (Dove Cameron)
“Liv and Maddie” (2013-17)

Like most twins on this list, Liv and Maddie are complete opposites. Liv is a singer and actress, and the more popular of the two. Maddie is a bookish basketball star, who is on the tougher side. The show uses hair and wardrobe to tell them apart — Liv’s hair is almost always curled, and she’s a fashionista. Maddie wears glasses and usually has her hair in a ponytail. They take advantage of being identical, often switching places, or just being two places at once. Even though they fight, like all siblings, the twins are best friends, always helping each other out.

#3: Dominick & Thomas Birdsey (Mark Ruffalo)
“I Know This Much Is True” (2020)

In his Emmy Award-winning performance, Mark Ruffalo took on the roles of brothers Dominick and Thomas Birdsey. The actor even went through a body transformation — losing 20 pounds for Dominik and then gaining 40 pounds for Thomas. The HBO miniseries follows one brother trying to care for the other, while grappling with painful childhood memories. Each twin is dysfunctional in his own way, and the dynamic between the two is powerful, creating some very heart-wrenching scenes. As he’s such a lovable person in real-life, it’s chilling to see Ruffalo portray such dark characters, but that’s what he does best.

#2: Phoebe & Ursula Buffay (Lisa Kudrow)
“Friends” (1994-2004)

Phoebe Buffay is the ever-positive beacon of light in the Friends group. But her sister Ursula...not so much. She’s the epitome of the evil twin trope - a complete inverse of Phoebe. She’s uncaring, selfish, and basically everything Phoebe isn’t. The two take turns impersonating each other but for very different reasons. Like when Phoebe has to pretend to be her sister to break up with Joey. Of course, she does it out of kindness, sparing her friend the pain of being ghosted. Ursula, on the other hand, uses Phoebe’s name to star in adult films. See, very different reasons.

#1: Sarah Manning & Helena (Tatiana Maslany)
“Orphan Black” (2013-17)

The actress actually plays several clones throughout the series’ five season run, but we’re highlighting her roles as Sarah and Helena. Unlike the other clones, these two shared a womb and are biological twins. They’re the originals. And they couldn’t be more different. Sarah was raised in London with her adoptive brother Felix and foster parent Siobhan. She’s been a rebel all her life and spent some time as a thief on the run. Helena, on the other hand, grew up in a Ukrainian convent and was trained as an assassin by a religious zealot. She’s tasked with killing all her clones, but when she gets to Beth (aka Sarah), she senses a stronger connection, eventually breaking free and living with her sestras.