Cole Mitchell Sprouse and Dylan Thomas Sprouse (born August 4, 1992) are American actors who are identical twins.[1] They are collectively referred to as Cole & Dylan, the Sprouse Bros., or the Sprouse Twins, and are best 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), A Modern Twain Story: The Prince and the Pauper and, most famously, on the Disney Channel sitcoms The Suite Life of Zack & Cody and The Suite Life on Deck. As a result of these series' success, they have become "heartthrobs"[1] and "overwhelming draws"[2] among preteen and teen audiences. In April 2009, People Magazine released an eighty-page special edition issue devoted almost entirely to the brothers.
are American actors who are identical twins.[1] They are collectively referred to as Cole & Dylan, the Sprouse Bros., or the Sprouse Twins, and are best 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), A Modern Twain Story: The Prince and the Pauper and, most famously, on the Disney Channel sitcoms The Suite Life of Zack & Cody and The Suite Life on Deck. As a result of these series' success, they have become "heartthrobs"[1] and "overwhelming draws"[2] among preteen and teen audiences. In April 2009, People Magazine released an eighty-page special edition issue devoted almost entirely to the brothers.
September 2005, the Sprouses signed a licensing agreement with Dualstar Entertainment to create a new commercial brand entitled "Sprouse Bros", which includes DVD movies, CDs, clothing, sports gear, video games, ring tones and deodorants[1] targeted towards preteen and teen audiences. Dualstar partnered with Leisure Publishing LLC to create a magazine called Sprouse Bros. Code, targeting boys ages 8-14 with a guide on recent trends favored by the Sprouses; Cole Sprouse has stated that the magazine appeals 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 2005, the Sprouses signed a licensing agreement with Dualstar Entertainment to create a new commercial brand entitled "Sprouse Bros", which includes DVD movies, CDs, clothing, sports gear, video games, ring tones and deodorants[1] targeted towards preteen and teen audiences. Dualstar partnered with Leisure Publishing LLC to create a magazine called Sprouse Bros. Code, targeting boys ages 8-14 with a guide on recent trends favored by the Sprouses; Cole Sprouse has stated that the magazine appeals 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]
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. The twosome first appeared 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. At six months old, the two appeared on the ABC-TV series Grace Under Fire from 1993 to 1998, playing one character, Patrick Kelly.
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'. That year, the boys collaborated with 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 boys 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 began 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 appeared 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 at three theatres in the United States, ultimately grossing $29,000 domestically.[7] In 2007, the boys filmed A Modern Twain Story: The Prince and the Pauper. The two 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] Dylan played the voice of Shasta in Disney's "Snow Buddies." The brothers filmed Kings of Appletown which is based on the book The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. It was directed by Bobby Moresco, written by Amanda Moresco and also featured Victoria Justice from Nickelodeon's Zoey 101.[9] It was filmed in New Braunfels, Texas and was originally estimated to be released around Christmas 2008.[10] As of March 2009, the film remains in post production with no release date having been announced. According to Dylan, the twins will be filming another Modern Twain Story film beginning in summer of 2009. The film will be called "Sivilized" and will be a modern version of "Huckleberry Finn."[11] They most recently became the new face of Dannon Danimals. The commercials began airing on March 1, 2009.
