Dylan and Cole Sprouse
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Dylan and Cole Sprouse | |
|---|---|
| Born | Dylan Thomas Sprouse and Cole Mitchell Sprouse August 4, 1992 Arezzo, Tuscany, Italy |
| Other name(s) | Sprouse Bros. |
| Years active | 1993 — present |
| Official website | |
Dylan Thomas Sprouse and Cole Mitchell Sprouse (born August 4, 1992) are American identical twin brother actors. They are sometimes collectively referred to as Cole & Dylan, the Sprouse Bros., or the Sprouse Twins, and are known for their roles in the film Big Daddy, as Patrick Kelly in Grace Under Fire, Ross's son Ben on Friends (played by Cole), and for portraying the title characters on the Disney Channel series The Suite Life of Zack & Cody. As a result of the series' success, they have become "heartthrobs"[1] and "overwhelming draws"[2] among preteen and teen audiences.
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[edit] Early lives
The Sprouses were born in Arezzo, Italy, to American parents Matthew Sprouse and Melanie Wright who at the time were teaching at an English language school in Italy. Dylan, named after poet Dylan Thomas,[3] is 15 minutes older than Cole,[4] who is named for jazz singer and pianist Nat King Cole.[5] The twins moved back to the United States, four months after their birth. They grew up in their parents' native Long Beach, California. Their parents divorced in 1997.[6]
[edit] Acting careers
After a suggestion by their grandmother, Jonine Booth Wright, who was a drama teacher and actress, the Sprouses began acting at the age of six months, started with the twosome appearing in a commercial for toilet paper switching on-screen time every few seconds. As with many identical twin actors, the two have often played the same role, allowing more time for the character to be filmed. Starting when they were only six months old, the two starred on the ABC-TV series Grace Under Fire from 1993 to 1998, playing one character, Patrick Kelly.
In 1999, the twins appeared in their first major feature film, Big Daddy, in which they shared a role of a five-year old boy named 'Julian' who is adopted by Adam Sandler's character 'Sonny Koufax'. That year, the twins collaborated with Adam Sandler on the second and third versions of The Chanukah Song (Dylan and The Drei-Dels in Part 3 and Cole in Part 2), and the twins also had a minor role in the thriller The Astronaut's Wife. The Sprouses have noted that after Big Daddy's release, the two entered into a slow period in their careers and were not cast in any major roles for a time.[1] During the early 2000s, the twins appeared in episodes of the The Nightmare Room and That '70s Show, as well as in MADtv: Season Four (1998-1999) (episode #425) and the feature films The Master of Disguise and a voice-over role in Adam Sandler's Eight Crazy Nights. In 2001, Cole started appearing in episodes of the television show Friends, as Ross Geller's son Ben. Many people think it was a shared role, however their web site and other credible sources specify that Dylan did not appear in any episodes.
Between the years of 2002 and 2003, the two starred in I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus and Just for Kicks, both of which were family films that received a direct-to-video release. The Sprouses were subsequently cast in the Disney Channel original series The Suite Life of Zack and Cody, where they play identical twins Zack (Dylan)and Cody(Cole)Martin . The series, which debuted in March 2005, has become a ratings success[1] and the twins have become very well known among pre-teen and teen audiences. As part of their involvement with Disney, the brothers are now part of the 11-member group, the Disney Channel Circle of Stars, and sang the song A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes along with the members of the circle, for a video that was released as bonus material in the special edition version of the Disney film Cinderella. The Sprouses have also participated in the Disney Channel Games every year since 2006.
The Sprouses played one character, Jeremiah, in the independent film The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things, which was produced in 2004 but not given a theatrical release until March 2006, when it played in a total of three theatres across the United States, ultimately grossing $29,000 domestically.[7] In November 2006, the two began filming the Sony Pictures film The Prince and the Pauper, which also starred Sally Kellerman, Ed Lauter and Dedee Pfeiffer, in Palm Beach, Florida; filming had begun in October and ended by December.[8] The Prince and the Pauper came out on dvd on February 5th, 2008. The two also lent their voices to a movie called Holidaze: The Christmas That Almost Didn't Happen, which also features the voices of fellow Disney Channel stars Brenda Song and Emily Osment.[9] Dylan also played the voice of Shasta in Disney's "Snow Buddies." As of late November 2007, they are filming a new movie called Kings of Appletown which is based on Tom Sawyer. It is directed by Bobby Moresco and written by Amanda Moresco. Also starring in it is Victoria Justice from Nickolodeon's Zoey 101.[10] It is being filmed in New Braunfels, TX and is estimated to be released around Christmas 2008.[11]
[edit] "Sprouse Bros." brand
In September 2005, the Sprouses signed a licensing agreement with Dualstar Entertainment to create a new commercial brand, entitled "Sprouse Bros", which will include DVD movies, CDs, clothing, sports gear, video games, ring tones and deodorants[1] targeted towards preteen and teen audiences. Dualstar has partnered with Leisure Publishing LLC to create a magazine called Sprouse Bros. Code, which will target boys ages 8-14 with a guide on recent trends favored by the Sprouses; Cole Sprouse has stated that the magazine will appeal to "people who are our age and boys. We don't want anything too girlie",[12] while Dylan has said that it will have "something that will appeal to everybody".[13] The first issue became available on July 18, 2006.[14]
In September 2006, the Sprouse brothers, represented by Dualstar Entertainment, signed a book deal with Simon Spotlight, a publishing company, to release a spy book series that will utilize the "Sprouse Bros." brand. The book series, which was scheduled for release in the summer of 2007, has been described by the publisher as featuring the Sprouses as "young James Bonds or undercover agents".[15]
In June 2007, Simon & Schuster Inc. published the first two volumes of Sprouse Bros. 47 R.O.N.I.N. The series is about 15-year-old twin brothers Tom and Mitch (the Sprouses' middle names) who learn that their father and live-in butler are members of a rogue crime-fighting organization, R.O.N.I.N., which dates back to feudal Japan; that their father is in danger; and that they have just been recruited to join their father's clan.[16]
[edit] 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. Just a year ago none of this was happening, it was just doing 'Suite Life,' and now I can't wait for what's in store..."[12] While filming The Suite Life of Zack & Cody, the two received on-set tutoring for three hours each day,[1] and claimed to be getting "straight As and honors".[3]
As of 2006, the Sprouses enjoy skateboarding, snowboarding, surfing, basketball and motocrossing,[5] as well as working on drawing a comic strip, The Adventures of Tibblebu and Thumbin, based on a stuffed animal of Cole's.[17] Cole Sprouse's favorite school subjects are mathematics and science; he names The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time as his favorite video game and Forrest Gump and Godzilla as the films he likes the most.[4] Dylan prefers science, dislikes mathematics, and enjoys playing the video games Super Smash Bros. Melee and Super Smash Bros. Brawl; his favorite film is Napoleon Dynamite.[4] The twins have a dog named Bubba,[5] and their favorite actor and co-star is Adam Sandler.[4]
According to a May 2006 interview with Mad Kids magazine, the Sprouses do not speak Italian,[4] despite incorrect reports to the contrary:[18]
Cole says: "I can't say anything in Italian. "Pizza, per favore [sic]" maybe?"
Dylan says: "...I don't really speak Italian except for "spaghetti", "Italian ice" (Yum!) and "Ferrari".
[edit] Filmography
| Year | Title | Dylan's Role | Cole's Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Disney Channel Games 2008 | Himself/Green team Again | Himself/Blue Team Again | |
| Snow Buddies | Shasta | Voice (Dylan Sprouse alone) | ||
| The Kings of Appletown | Will | Clayton | was filmed in New Braunfels, Texas | |
| 2007 | Disney Channel Games 2007 | Himself Green Team captain |
Himself Blue Team member |
|
| A Modern Twain Story: The Prince and the Pauper | Tom Canty | Eddie Tudor | ||
| 2006 | The Emperor's New School | Zam | Zim | Guest appearance |
| Disney Channel Games 2006 | Himself Red Team member |
Himself Blue Team member |
||
| That's So Suite Life of Hannah Montana | Zack Martin | Cody Martin | A Three-episode crossover special that joined 3 shows together. It is also the name of an episode from The Suite Life of Zack and Cody | |
| 2005-Present | The Suite Life of Zack and Cody | Zack Martin | Cody Martin | Television Series |
| 2004 | The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things |
|
Shared role | |
| 2003 | Apple Jack |
|
Shared role | |
| Just For Kicks | Dylan Martin | Cole Martin | Direct-to-Video | |
| 2002 | I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus |
|
Shared role | |
| Eight Crazy Nights |
|
|||
| The Master of Disguise |
|
Cameo Appearance | ||
| 2001 | Diary of a Sex Addict |
|
Direct-to-Video | |
| I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus |
|
|||
| 2001 | The Nightmare Room |
|
One episode | |
| Friends | Ben Geller[19] | Cole Sprouse alone | ||
| 1999 | The Astronaut's Wife | Twin | Twin | |
| Big Daddy |
|
Shared role | ||
| 1993 - 1998 | Grace Under Fire |
|
Shared role | |
[edit] Footnotes
- ^ a b c d e The Early Show. The 'Suite Life' Of The Sprouse Twins. Retrieved on July 6, 2006.
- ^ Newsday.com. Tween shows, top ratings. Retrieved on April 15, 2006.
- ^ a b James Brady (August 19, 2007). "In Step with Dylan & Cole Sprouse". Parade Magazine: 22.
- ^ a b c d e Mad Kids (May, 2006). "The Mad Kids Chatroom: This Month: Dylan & Cole Sprouse". Mad Kids 1 (#3): 26–28.
- ^ a b c Popstar (June, 2006). "Dylan & Cole take over the world!: House of Sprouse!". Popstar Special! - (-): 90.
- ^ Dylan & Cole Sprouse. Retrieved on [[2007-12-29]].
- ^ Box Office Mojo.com. THE HEART IS DECEITFUL ABOVE ALL THINGS. Retrieved on April 14, 2006.
- ^ Palm Beach Post. PALM BEACH COUNTY HOSTS 'SUITE' TWINS FOR UPCOMING FLICK. Retrieved on November 15, 2006.
- ^ Dylan Sprouse. Dylan Sprouse and Cole Sprouse “Holidaze” Trailer. Retrieved on November 30, 2006.
- ^ Dylan and Coles Movie Site. Sprouse Twins' Movies. Retrieved on December 3, 2007.
- ^ San Marcos Daily Record. Hollywood Crew filming in New Braunfels. Retrieved on December 3, 2007.
- ^ a b The New York Times. Boys Just Want to Be ... Olsens (Page 2 of 2). Retrieved on April 29, 2006.
- ^ The New York Times. Boys Just Want to Be ... Olsens (Page 3 of 3). Retrieved on April 29, 2006.
- ^ TeenPeople. Get Ready for the Sprouse Twins. Retrieved on April 28, 2006.
- ^ The Book Standard. 14-Year-Old Celebrity Twin Actors Looking Forward to Providing Interesting Book Content. Retrieved on 2006-09-23.
- ^ "Simon & Schuster Inc. Main Website". The Revelation (Sprouse Bros. 47 R.O.N.I.N.). Retrieved on August 22, 2007.
- ^ BOP (May, 2006). "Cole and Dylan Sprouse: "We draw"". BOP magazine - (-): 54.
- ^ The Internet Movie Database and several other trivia web sites have incorrectly suggested that the Sprouses speak Italian.
- ^ The Sprouse twins official bio. Retrieved on 2007-12-23.
[edit] External links
- Sprouse Bros. – Official website
- Sprouse Bros Fan Club – Official fanclub
- Cole Sprouse at the Internet Movie Database
- Dylan Sprouse at the Internet Movie Database
