Dylan Thomas Sprouse and Cole Mitchell Sprouse (born August 4, 1992) are American actors. They are

twin Twins are two offspring produced by the same pregnancy.MedicineNet > Definition of TwinLast Editorial Review: 19 June 2000 Twins can be either ''monozygotic'' ('identical'), meaning that they develop from one zygote, which splits and forms two em ...

s and are sometimes referred to as the Sprouse brothers or Sprouse Bros. Their first major theatrical film role was in the 1999 comedy '' Big Daddy'', in which they co-starred with Adam Sandler. They later appeared in several television

sitcom A sitcom, a portmanteau of situation comedy, or situational comedy, is a genre of comedy centered on a fixed set of characters who mostly carry over from episode to episode. Sitcoms can be contrasted with sketch comedy, where a troupe may use ...

s and starred in the television film ''

I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" is a Christmas song with music and lyrics by British songwriter Tommie Connor and first recorded by American singer Jimmy Boyd in 1952. The song has since been covered by many artists, with the Ronettes's 1963 ...

'' and straight-to-DVD '' Just for Kicks''. From 2005 until 2008, they starred in the Disney Channel sitcom ''

The Suite Life of Zack & Cody ''The Suite Life of Zack & Cody'' is an American sitcom created by Danny Kallis and Jim Geoghan. The series aired on Disney Channel from March 18, 2005, to September 1, 2008. The series was nominated for an Emmy Award three times and was al ...

''. As a result of the series' success, the media has termed them "heartthrobs" and "overwhelming draws" among preteen and teen audiences. The following year, the brothers launched a franchise known as the Sprouse Bros brand, which included a clothing line, book series and magazine. The majority of the Sprouses' franchise ended in 2008, except for their clothing line. ''The Suite Life of Zack & Cody'' was retooled in 2008 as ''

The Suite Life on Deck ''The Suite Life on Deck'' is an American teen sitcom that aired on Disney Channel from September 26, 2008 to May 6, 2011. It is a sequel/spin-off of the Disney Channel Original Series ''The Suite Life of Zack & Cody''. The series follows twin b ...

'', in which the brothers reprised their roles as Zack and Cody. ''The Suite Life on Deck'' went on to become the most-watched children's television show in 2008 and 2009. The show ended in May 2011. They also starred in ''

The Suite Life Movie ''The Suite Life Movie'' is a 2011 American science fiction comedy-drama television film directed by Sean McNamara, written by Michael Saltzman, and starring Dylan and Cole Sprouse, Brenda Song, Debby Ryan, Matthew Timmons, John Ducey, Matt ...

'', which aired in March of the same year. They began cultivating an adult image by starring in the independent theatrical suspense film ''

The Kings of Appletown ''Adventures in Appletown'' (also known as ''Hidden Treasure of the Mississippi'' or ''The Kings of Appletown'') is a 2008 dramedy/ adventure film starring twin brothers Dylan Sprouse and Cole Sprouse, written by Amanda Moresco, directed by Ro ...

'' in 2009. Dylan and

Cole Cole may refer to: Plants * Cole crops of the genus ''Brassica'', especially cabbage, kale, or rape (rapeseed). People * Cole (given name), people with the given name Cole * Cole (surname), people with the surname Cole Companies *Cole Motor ...

were two of the wealthiest children alive in 2007, and in 2010, the Sprouse brothers were the highest-paid Disney television child actors, earning $40,000 per episode combined.

MSN MSN (meaning Microsoft Network) is a web portal and related collection of Internet services and apps for Windows and mobile devices, provided by Microsoft and launched on August 24, 1995, alongside the release of Windows 95. The Microsoft Net ...

reported by the end of the 2000s that the twin brothers became the richest young twins in the world. In 2010, the brothers were accepted to

New York University New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then- Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin. In 1832, th ...

. They deferred admission for one year, and attended the university from 2011 to 2015. Both Cole and Dylan confirmed they wish to pursue acting post-university. As of 2018, Cole appears as

Jughead Jones Forsythe Pendleton "Jughead" Jones III is one of the fictional characters created by Bob Montana and John L. Goldwater in Archie Comics who first appeared in the first Archie story, from '' Pep Comics'' #22 (December 1941). He is the drummer of ...

on the television series '' Riverdale'', and Dylan is a co-owner and brewmaster of the All-Wise Meadery in

Williamsburg, Brooklyn Williamsburg is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Brooklyn, bordered by Greenpoint to the north; Bedford–Stuyvesant to the south; Bushwick and East Williamsburg to the east; and the East River to the west. As of the 2020 United ...

Early lives

The Sprouses were born at Clinica Tanganelli, a small hospital in Arezzo, Italy, to American parents Matthew Sprouse and Melanie Wright, while they were teaching at an English language school in

Tuscany it, Toscano (man) it, Toscana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = Citizenship , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = Italian , demogra ...

. Dylan was named after Welsh poet Dylan Thomas, and Cole is named after jazz singer and pianist

Nat King Cole Nathaniel Adams Coles (March 17, 1919 – February 15, 1965), known professionally as Nat King Cole, was an American singer, jazz pianist, and actor. Cole's music career began after he dropped out of school at the age of 15, and continued f ...

. Dylan is 15 minutes older than Cole. They have German ancestry. The boys moved back to the United States four months after their birth to their parents' native

Long Beach, California Long Beach is a city in Los Angeles County, California. It is the 42nd-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 466,742 as of 2020. A charter city, Long Beach is the seventh-most populous city in California. Incorporate ...

. Some of the money Dylan and Cole earned by acting was used to buy a house in

Calabasas, California Calabasas (from Spanish ''calabazas'' "gourds") is a city in the southwestern region of the San Fernando Valley, between the foothills of the Santa Monica and Santa Susanna mountains. The brothers began acting at the age of eight months following a suggestion from their grandmother, Jonine Booth Wright, who was a drama teacher and actress. They first appeared in a commercial for diapers, switching on-screen time every few seconds. As with many twins, the two have often played the same role, due to child labor laws in California restricting the amount of time children can be filmed in a day. Casting twins in a single role thus allows more time for the character to be filmed. Beginning at eight months old, the two played a single character, Patrick Kelly, on the

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...

series ''

Grace Under Fire ''Grace Under Fire'' is an American sitcom that aired on ABC from September 29, 1993, to February 17, 1998. The show starred Brett Butler as a single mother learning how to cope with raising her three children alone after finally divorcing her ...

''. In 1999, the boys appeared in their first major feature film, '' Big Daddy'', in which they shared the role of a five-year-old boy named Julian who is adopted by Adam Sandler's character, Sonny Koufax. Though the film received mixed reviews, the two were nominated for multiple awards for their role in the film. However, they did not win any. The same year, the boys also had a minor role in the thriller ''

The Astronaut's Wife ''The Astronaut's Wife'' is a 1999 American science fiction thriller film directed and written by Rand Ravich. It stars Johnny Depp and Charlize Theron. The film was released on August 27, 1999. It received negative reviews from critics and was ...

''. The Sprouses have noted that after ''Big Daddys release, they entered a slow period in their careers and were not cast in any major roles for a time. During the early 2000s, the twins appeared in episodes of ''

The Nightmare Room ''The Nightmare Room'' is an American children's anthology horror series that aired on Kids' WB. The series was based on the short-lived children's book series that went by the same title created by ''Goosebumps'' author, R. L. Stine. ''The Nig ...

'' and ''

That '70s Show ''That '70s Show'' is an American television period teen sitcom that aired on Fox from August 23, 1998, to May 18, 2006. The series focuses on the lives of a group of six teenage friends living in the fictional town of Point Place, Wisconsin, ...

'', as well as in ''

Mad TV ''Mad TV'' (stylized as ''MADtv'') is an American sketch comedy television series originally inspired by '' Mad'' magazine. In its initial run, it aired on Fox from 1995 to 2009. After a one-off reunion show in 2015 to celebrate the twentie ...

'' and portrayed roles in the feature films ''

The Master of Disguise ''The Master of Disguise'' is a 2002 American adventure comedy film directed by Perry Andelin Blake in his directorial debut, written by Dana Carvey and Harris Goldberg, and starring Carvey, Brent Spiner, Jennifer Esposito, Harold Gould and Ja ...

'' and '' Adam Sandler's Eight Crazy Nights''. Cole began appearing in episodes of the television show '' Friends'' as

Ross Geller Ross Geller, portrayed by David Schwimmer, is one of the six main characters of the NBC sitcom ''Friends''. Ross is considered by many to be the most intelligent member of the group and is noted for his goofy but lovable demeanor. His relatio ...

's son Ben in 2001; this role was not shared with Dylan. They both appeared in ''

'' and '' Just for Kicks'', both of which were family films that received a

direct-to-video Direct-to-video or straight-to-video refers to the release of a film, TV series, short or special to the public immediately on home video formats rather than an initial theatrical release or television premiere. This distribution strategy wa ...

release. David Nusair of ''Reel Film Reviews'' said of their acting in ''Just for Kicks'' that the brothers "aren't the worst child actors I've ever seen,... but they certainly leave a lot to be desired." Dylan and Cole were later cast in the Disney Channel original series ''

'', where they portrayed identical twins Zack and Cody Martin, respectively. The series, which debuted in March 2005, became a ratings success. As part of their involvement with Disney, the brothers also became part of the 11-member group, the Disney Channel Circle of Stars, and sang the song "

A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes "A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes" is a song written and composed by Mack David, Al Hoffman and Jerry Livingston for the Walt Disney film ''Cinderella'' (1950). In the song, Cinderella (voiced by Ilene Woods) encourages her animal friends to ...

" along with the members of the group, for a video that was released as bonus material in the special edition version of the

Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...

film ''

Cinderella "Cinderella",; french: link=no, Cendrillon; german: link=no, Aschenputtel) or "The Little Glass Slipper", is a folk tale with thousands of variants throughout the world.Dundes, Alan. Cinderella, a Casebook. Madison, Wis: University of Wisconsi ...

''. They also participated in the

Disney Channel Games ''Disney Channel Games'' are a ''Battle of the Network Stars''-based annual television series that aired on the Disney Channel during the summer from 2006 to 2008. Phill Lewis was the co-host of the first two editions in 2006 and 2007, and Brian ...

The Sprouses played one character, Jeremiah, in the independent film ''

The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things ''The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things'' is a 2004 drama film co-written and directed by Asia Argento and starring Argento, Jimmy Bennett, Dylan Sprouse and Cole Sprouse (with Bennett and the Sprouse brothers sharing the role as Jeremiah). T ...

''. The film was produced in 2004 but not given a theatrical release until March 2006, when it played at three theatres in the United States, ultimately grossing $29,000 domestically. Harvey Karten praised their acting, stating that "acting is superlative all around", and Tamara Straus of the ''San Francisco Chronicle'' called them "the movie's only saving grace". In 2007, the two filmed '' A Modern Twain Story: The Prince and the Pauper''. Carrie R. Wheadon of

Common Sense Media Common Sense Media (CSM) is an organization that reviews and provides ratings for media and technology with the goal of providing information on their suitability for children.

said the film was a "slow story for Zack and Cody fans only". The Sprouse brothers both had voice roles in the animated film ''Holidaze: The Christmas That Almost Didn't Happen'' alongside

Brenda Song Brenda Song (born March 27, 1988) is an American actress. Born in California, Song began her career at the age of six, working as a child model. She made her screen debut with a guest appearance on the sitcom '' Thunder Alley'' (1995), and ...

and

Emily Osment Emily Jordan Osment (born March 10, 1992) is an American actress, singer and songwriter. Born and raised in Los Angeles, Osment began her career as a child actress, appearing in numerous television shows and films, before co-starring as Gerti ...

. Dylan played the voice of Shasta in Disney's "Snow Buddies". The brothers both starred in the theatrical film ''

'', which is based on the book ''

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer ''The Adventures of Tom Sawyer'' is an 1876 novel by Mark Twain about a boy growing up along the Mississippi River. It is set in the 1840s in the town of St. Petersburg, which is based on Hannibal, Missouri, where Twain lived as a boy. In the no ...

''. The film was directed by Bobby Moresco and written by Amanda Moresco. Shot in

New Braunfels, Texas New Braunfels ( ) is a city in Comal and Guadalupe counties in the U.S. state of Texas known for its German Texan heritage. It is the seat of Comal County. The city covers and had a population of 90,403 as of the 2020 Census. A suburb just nor ...

, the film was originally estimated to be released in the winter of 2008. ''Kings of Appletown'' had a limited theatrical release on December 12, 2009, and was officially released at the

Newport Beach Film Festival The Newport Beach Film Festival (NBFF) is an annual film festival in Newport Beach, California, typically held in late April. In 2022, it was announced that the festival have permanently changed its date to be held in October, as the festival beg ...

in April 2010. They appeared on the cover of the May 2009 issue ''

People Magazine ''People'' is an American weekly magazine that specializes in celebrity news and human-interest stories. It is published by Dotdash Meredith, a subsidiary of IAC. With a readership of 46.6 million adults in 2009, ''People'' had the lar ...

'', in an eighty-page special edition issue devoted to ''The Suite Life on Deck''. The twin brothers began filming another Modern Twain Story film in the summer of 2009. The film was tentatively titled "Sivilized" and was a modern version of ''Huckleberry Finn''. However, in mid-2010, Dylan stated that they would not be doing the film, in part because they "outgrew" the film. They became the new face of the children's yogurt,

Danimals Danimals is an American brand of low-fat drinkable yogurt. Launched by Dannon in 1994, it is decorated with pictures of wild animals and is popular among children and in school lunches. History Danimals parent company Dannon popularized yo ...

, in 2009; their endorsement deal was renewed in 2010. The twin brothers signed an endorsement deal with Nintendo DS in August 2010. , Dylan and Cole were not in any acting projects and were focusing instead on college as well as art and photography, respectively. However, Dylan has stated that they would both like to continue acting while in college. Dylan and Cole are represented by

William Morris Endeavor Endeavor Group Holdings, Inc. (formerly known as William Morris Endeavor Entertainment, WME or WME-IMG) is an American holding company for talent and media agencies with its primary offices in Beverly Hills, California, United States. The compa ...

. In February 2016, Cole was cast as

The CW ''The'' () is a grammatical Article (grammar), article in English language, English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite ...

's drama series '' Riverdale'', based on '' Archie''.

Sprouse Bros brand

In 2005, the Sprouse brothers signed a licensing agreement with Dualstar Entertainment to produce Sprouse Bros branded merchandise for the

preadolescent Preadolescence is a stage of human development following middle childhood and preceding adolescence.New Oxford American Dictionary. 2nd Edition. 2005. Oxford University Press. It commonly ends with the beginning of puberty. Preadolescence is c ...

market, the Sprouse Bros brand included a clothing line, comics series and a magazine, as well as personal hygiene line and a line of sportswear. Dylan said of the brand that they wanted to "reach out to the nerd group and the cool group" and "appeal to everybody". A magazine targeting boys was launched by Dualstar and Leisure Publishing LLC in 2006 called ''Sprouse Bros. Code''. Simon & Schuster Inc. published two volumes of a book series titled ''Sprouse Bros. 47 R.O.N.I.N.'', which was described as featuring the Sprouse twins as "young

James Bond The ''James Bond'' series focuses on a fictional British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short-story collections. Since Fleming's death in 1964, eight other authors have ...

s or undercover agents"; the book series continued. In 2008, the brothers ended their association with the Olsens' Dualstar, but they continued to sell their clothing line. The items in their clothing lines were sold exclusively online , when the online store could no longer be accessed. Dylan Sprouse 2010 2

Personal lives

Dylan Sprouse has stated that the experience of coming to fame after the success of ''The Suite Life of Zack & Cody'' is "kind of scary, how fast everything is moving" and that a year prior "none of this was happening, it was just doing ''Suite Life''", and that he was excited for the future. While filming ''The Suite Life of Zack & Cody'', the both of them received on-set tutoring for three hours each day for school, and said they were getting "straight A's and honors". In their last year of high school, the brothers both took Advanced Placement classes. Dylan took AP Psychology and AP Spanish, and Cole took AP Psychology and AP Government. The twins' family has three dogs: Bubba, which belongs to Dylan and Cole; Pinky, who is their father's; and Curry, their stepmother's. Their favorite actor and co-star is Adam Sandler. Dylan has said that Adam is "a role model in acting" and that they learned a lot about comedy from him. In mid-2010, Dylan launched a site for his art called Sprouse Arts, and in mid-2011, Cole launched a site for his photography called Cole Sprouse Photography. In 2010, the brothers were both accepted to

. They had initial plans to attend the university in the fall of 2010; however, they deferred for one year. Dylan initially planned on majoring in fine/studio arts and minoring in economics while Cole planned on majoring in film and television production and minoring in drama. Instead, they both enrolled in the

Gallatin School of Individualized Study The Gallatin School of Individualized Study (commonly referred to as Gallatin) is a small interdisciplinary college within New York University (NYU). Students at Gallatin design an interdisciplinary program that meets their specific interests a ...

, which allows students to plan their own curriculum. Cole focused his curriculum on the humanities and archaeology while Dylan focused on video game design. In 2011, Dylan was elected president of the Third Avenue North residence hall at New York University. Both brothers graduated in May 2015; they told ''Entertainment'' magazine that they had walked away with each other's diplomas at the graduation ceremony. In 2012, Dylan and Cole were officially appointed as the International Ambassadors of the

Koyamada International Foundation Koyamada International Foundation, commonly referred to as KIF or KIF Global, is an international non-governmental organization, with its mission to improve quality of people's life by empowering global youth and women to reach their full potent ...

. They traveled to Japan with

Shin Koyamada is a Japanese-American actor, producer, entrepreneur, martial artist, and philanthropist. He is best known for his starring roles in ''The Last Samurai'' and the Disney's movie '' Wendy Wu: Homecoming Warrior'' on Disney+. He has produced numero ...

to empower the youth of Japan to better themselves and rebuild Japan as a society as well as to deepen the friendly relations and brotherhood between the youth of Japan and America in August 2013. As of 2013, Dylan was working as a host at a New York City restaurant, which he explained was a result of his desire to try a new experience, as he said, "working somewhat below the means I'm used to, as well as a way to socialize and get out of the house." Since 2014, Dylan has commentated a few ''Super Smash Bros.'' tournaments. In early 2017, Dylan announced that with two partners he was preparing to open All-Wise Meadery in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn, New York; he is the brewmaster. He disclosed that he has been a Heathen since he was 15.

Filmography

Film

Television

Awards and nominations

Discography

* 2005 – "

A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes "A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes" is a song written and composed by Mack David, Al Hoffman and Jerry Livingston for the Walt Disney film ''Cinderella'' (1950). In the song, Cinderella (voiced by Ilene Woods) encourages her animal friends to ...

" in ''

Disneymania 4 ''Disneymania 4'' is the fourth in the ''Disneymania'' series. This is the second ''Disneymania'' album with the Disney Channel Circle of Stars (though the album just calls them "Disney Channel Stars"), with a few additions, such as Dylan and Cole ...

'' * 2008 – "

" in ''

Princess Disneymania ''Princess Disneymania'' is Disney's first compilation album in the '' Disneymania'' series. It was released on September 30, 2008. The album features various artists renditions of classic songs originally from the Disney Princess films. Emily Os ...

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Sprouse, Dylan And Cole 1992 births 20th-century American male actors 21st-century American male actors American male child actors American male film actors American male television actors American male identical twin child actors Living people Sibling duos People from Arezzo Male actors from Long Beach, California American twins People from Calabasas, California New York University Gallatin School of Individualized Study alumni