Of all the notable twins in Hollywood, Cole and Dylan Sprouse are a refreshing pair. Some viewers met them when the Sprouses took over a certain fictional hotel on the Disney Channel. Others watched them grow up on camera long before that. And some probably remember them from the Danimals yogurt contest.
About the contest, Cole recalled to GQ, "We were told we were going to have a nice gift to give to the kid who just turned 16 and got himself a truck. But Danimals gave us a skateboard, which was weird because he already had a means of locomotion that was much better than skateboarding around. He had just gone hunting. I'm pretty sure there was a dead deer in the back of the truck. That was a strange period of my life." And when their yogurt collab came up in an interview with iHollywoodTV, Dylan shared his very special memory: "Drank way too much Danimals back then. I still have Danimal hangovers." It's nice that the brothers can look back on times like these and laugh.
They are multitalented stars — renaissance men, one might say. Cole and Dylan Sprouse have established themselves within and outside of the entertainment industry through their education and work experiences. It's fascinating to see where their careers have taken them, or perhaps more accurately, where they've taken their careers. The transformation of these famous twins is ongoing and surprising.
Dylan and Cole Sprouse had an Olsen-style start
Per the Chicago Tribune, the Sprouse twins "were born on Aug. 4, 1992, in Italy, and raised in Southern California." Dylan is 15 minutes older than Cole, but the boys were in sync from the early days, embarking on their acting careers when they were still infants. Cole and Dylan took turns playing Patrick Kelly on ABC's "Grace Under Fire" from 1993 to 1998. "As Grace's 8-month-old, it's impossible to tell at this point if Dylan and Cole Sprouse are the Olsen twins of tomorrow," Tim Gray mused in Variety.
Cole told the New York Post in 2017, "Twins work really well in the industry because child labor laws dictate a baby, as an example, can only work for, like, an hour a day. So [with twins], the production doubles the amount of time they can work with a kid. So having two identical twin boys, my mom was, like, 'All right, you golden ticket — let's sell it!'" Though Cole had memories of his life on the "Grace Under Fire" set, he didn't watch the series.
Cole and Dylan Sprouse's big screen debut was with Adam Sandler
Dylan and Cole Sprouse made it to the big screen in 1999 as Julian in "Big Daddy," opposite Adam Sandler. The film grossed $234,801,895 worldwide, per Box Office Mojo.
In 2018, Dylan Sprouse reacted to his and Cole's childhood "Big Daddy" press interview with MTV. "It's funny how different we really are at this age. We had our own language, too, we would speak to each other...just babble back and forth." The little Sprouses can be seen in the old MTV clip making flatulent armpit noises and arguing over who "did the most scenes. Aww."
The one where Cole Sprouse was Ben Geller
The next popular Sprouse project actually only featured one twin: Cole. Beginning in 2000, Cole Sprouse took up the recurring role of Ben Geller, Ross' first child, on a very big '90s sitcom. It might seem odd that Dylan Sprouse wasn't included, but Cole explained some logistics of the casting situation for "Friends."
In a witty GQ video interview, Cole answered questions undercover on the web. He explored a Wikipedia entry about his solo gig on "Friends" and stated, "Honestly, our appearance as the same character was sort of dependent on how much screen time we had. In 'Friends,' for example, my role was not too present. They really only needed to hire one twin because both of us were incredibly expensive." Cole Sprouse has also made the news for revealing his childhood crush on Jennifer Aniston.
The Sprouse brothers focused on the small screen in the early 2000s
As grade school kids, Cole and Dylan Sprouse were in a few movies together and started growing into young stardom. They split the part of Justin in "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" in 2001. The same year, they enjoyed gaming alongside Lil' Kim at the Nintendo GameCube launch party. The energetic actors shared their excitement with MTV at the event. "We fall asleep playing that game and we're still winning. That's how good we are at it," young Dylan declared.
In 2003, the Sprouses played twins in "Just for Kicks," a direct-to-video release that they've also tweeted about. A fan started it with a photo of the DVD in 2016, writing, "@dylansprouse @colesprouse this is just in my garage." Dylan Sprouse replied to the fan and tagged Cole with, "right where it belongs!" Cole chimed in with a real zinger: "did you misspell garbage*." Following their least favorite soccer film, Dylan and Cole Sprouse would become known to an even wider audience of kids.
Finally, the Sprouses were living the suite life
Ah, "The Suite Life of Zack & Cody." As Dylan Sprouse told The New York Times, "So, we finally get to work together." This sitcom enchanted young Disney Channel viewers by bringing them into the world of The Tipton, a luxury hotel in Boston managed by Marion Moseby. Mr. Moseby is met with the twin antics of Zack and Cody Martin, who live on the twenty-third floor with their mother, Carey, who is the hotel's resident cabaret singer.
The rambunctious boys interact with the hotel staff on a daily basis and befriend teen heiress London Tipton and candy counter girl Maddie Fitzpatrick. There's always a new comedic scenario for the twins as they make the hotel their home sweet home. Beginning in 2005, amused fans loved watching Dylan and Cole Sprouse as Zack and Cody, respectively.
Doing business with Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen
The Sprouses' popular series rolled on, and they filled their plates with as many opportunities as the entertainment buffet offered. It was no coincidence that their hard work and charisma matched that of another famous set of twins. Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen were role models for Dylan and Cole Sprouse. "Mary-Kate is exactly like Cole and Ashley is exactly like me," Dylan told The New York Times in 2006.
Beyond personality similarities, both sets of twins were interested in business. The Olsens' limited liability company, Dualstar, invested in Cole and Dylan Sprouse as the boys built their brand. The Sprouse twins launched their magazine for guys, Sprouse Bros. Code. They considered the social anthropology of their day: "We want to reach out to the nerd group and the cool group, and the surfers and the skaters. There should be something that will appeal to everybody," said Dylan.
A new series kept Dylan and Cole Sprouse aboard at Disney
When one elevator door closes, another opens. Such was the fate of the Sprouses' suite life. Fans were excited that they wouldn't have to bid Zack and Cody farewell just yet. "The Suite Life on Deck" premiered a few weeks after the series finale of "The Suite Life of Zack & Cody" in 2008. The spin-off took the teenage twins out to sea on the S.S. Tipton.
"This move really is an acknowledgment that the boys have changed, from rambunctious moppets to full-fledged teenagers," Disney Channel President Gary Marsh told The New York Times. He expected the teen characters' increased freedom to interest audiences. "We wanted to keep the same vibe and really show fans that it's still Zack and Cody, but just growing up a little bit more," Cole Sprouse told People.
What was the end of an acting era like for Cole and Dylan Sprouse?
"The Suite Life on Deck" continued to ride the waves of the late 2000s when "Wizards on Deck with Hannah Montana" debuted in 2009. This Disney Channel triple crossover took after the original "Suite Life," which included an iconic special called "That's So Suite Life of Hannah Montana" in 2006. 2010 marked five years of the "Suite Life" franchise.
The original fans, much like the stars on screen, had matured considerably. The Disney Channel was nearing a necessary pivot as its key talent prepared for new ventures. Like other shows of its ilk, "The Suite Life on Deck" got its own Disney Channel Original Movie. "The Suite Life Movie" premiered in March 2011, and the last episode of the series aired in May of that year — a high school graduation theme, of course.
Cole and Dylan Sprouse stuck together for college
College was next for Cole and Dylan Sprouse. According to Teen Vogue, the brothers considered splitting off and heading to different schools, but they stayed together in the end. "We really wanted to get out of LA and we
