Dylan and Cole Sprouse

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, 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.

Biography

Early life

The Sprouses were born in Arezzo, Italy to American parents Matthew Sprouse and Melanie Wright, who at the time were teaching at an American English language school in Italy. Dylan, named after poet Dylan Thomas, is fifteen minutes older than Cole,^[3] who is named for jazz singer and pianist Nat King Cole.^[4] The twins moved back to the United States four months after their birth, and grew up in their parents' native Long Beach, California. Their parents divorced in 1997.

Acting career

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, appearing in a commercial for toilet paper. As with many identical twin actors, the two have often played the same role, allowing more time for the character to be filmed. From 1993 to 1998, the two starred on the ABC-TV series Grace Under Fire, playing one character, Patrick Kelly.

In 1999, the twins appeared in their first major feature film, the Adam Sandler vehicle Big Daddy, in which they played a boy adopted by Sandler's character. That year, Cole collaborated with Sandler on the second version of The Chanukah Song, and the twins also had a minor role in the thriller The Astronaut's Wife. Dylan Sprouse has 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 Sprouse appeared in several episodes of the television show Friends, as Ross Geller's son Ben.

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 television series The Suite Life of Zack and Cody, where they play identical twins Zack and Cody 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 also participated in the Disney Channel Games 2006, which began airing in June of 2006. Dylan was on the Red Team, while Cole was on the Blue Team.

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 of 2006, when it played in a total of three theatres across the United States, ultimately grossing $29,000 domestically.^[5] As of November 2006, the two are filming the Sony Pictures film The Prince and the Pauper, which also stars Sally Kellerman, Ed Lauter and Dedee Pfeiffer, in Palm Beach, Florida; filming began in October and ended by December.^[6] It was also recently announced that The Suite Life of Zack & Cody would be shooting a third season.^[7] 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.^[8]

"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",^[9] while Dylan has said that it will have "something that will appeal to everybody".^[10] The first issue became available on July 18, 2006.^[11]

In September of 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 is 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".^[12]

Personal life

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..."^[9] While filming The Suite Life of Zack & Cody, the two receive on-set tutoring for three hours each day.^[1]

As of 2006, the Sprouses enjoy snowboarding, surfing, basketball and motocrossing,^[4] as well as working on drawing a comic strip, The Adventures of Tibblebu and Thumbin, based on a stuffed animal of Cole's.^[13] Cole Sprouse's favorite school subjects are math 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.^[3] Dylan prefers science, dislikes math, and enjoys playing the videogames Super Smash Bros. and Super Smash Bros. Melee; his favorite film is Napoleon Dynamite.^[3] The twins have a dog named Bubba,^[4] and their favorite actor and co-star is Adam Sandler.^[3]

According to a May 2006 interview with Mad Kids magazine, the Sprouses do not speak Italian,^[3] despite incorrect reports to the contrary:^[14]

Cole: "I can't say anything in Italian. "Pizza, por favor" maybe?"

Dylan: "...I don't really speak Italian except for "spaghetti", "Italian ice" (Yum!) and "Ferrari".

Selected filmography

Footnotes

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