Famous Twins

People are fascinated by twins, particularly famous twins. Their behavior is scrutinized for similarities and differences far more so than conventional siblings. Famous twins often achieve their notoriety when they pursue the same profession, but there are cases where twins follow different career paths and both become famous for different accomplishments. The most famous twins are usually employed in the entertainment field, although some of them have achieved celebrity through other endeavors. 

1. Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen. Mary Kate and Ashley shot to fame as young children playing the same character, Michelle Tanner, on the long-running sitcom, “Full House.” They have also appeared on television and in movies in other roles. Both twins are extraordinarily wealthy and spend most of their time these days managing their successful clothing and fashion business. One of their clothing lines sells in Walmart stores, so their enterprise is rather large. Mary Kate was questioned in the wake of actor Heath Ledger's tragic death when investigators determined that the woman who found Ledger's body called Olsen before she called 911. Mary Kate has described Ledger as a close friend, but has denied a romantic relationship with him.

2. Barbara and Jenna Bush. Barbara and Jenna are often described as “The First Twins” because they are the daughters of former President Bush and First Lady Laura Bush. Barbara and Jenna maintained a fairly high profile during their father's term in office and often participated in state functions. Barbara now runs her own healthcare nonprofit company and Jenna, who has married, is a correspondent for the “Today” show. Jenna has also been a teacher, author, and political commentator. Barbara recently generated some controversy by advocating gay marriage. At least one book claims that the “First Twins” were a handful for the Secret Service as they often tried to ditch their security details and that their hard partying ways often led to security complications. The twins have denied these allegations.

3. Abigail van Buren and Ann Landers (Pauline and Esther Friedman). For decades, these identical twin sisters were the most authoritative voices on subjects such as relationship advice, etiquette, and certain social issues. Esther took over the “Ann Landers” advice column in 1955 and wrote it until her death. A few months after Esther began writing her column, Pauline began a competing advice column called “Dear Abby.” Despite the fact that the two sisters had once been so close that they had a joint wedding, the advice competition severely strained their relationship. They supposedly reconciled several times, but many people who knew them say that there were hard feelings between the two for most of their adult lives. Esther's column continues as “Annie's Mailbox,” and Pauline's daughter now writes her column.

4. Antonio Rodrigo and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira. Both men, natives of Brazil, are prominent mixed martial artists. Both are proficient at Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and boxing, and both have held a number of martial arts championships. Antonio Rodrigo was the first Pride Heavyweight Champion. Antonio Rogerio was a Brazilian boxing champion several times, and he also medaled in the Pan American Games.

5. Chang and Eng Bunker. Chang and Eng are the most famous pair of conjoined or Siamese twins in history. They were born in nineteenth century Siam (modern Thailand) and were exhibited on a world tour. Eventually, they went into business for themselves and became quite wealthy. The twins settled on as estate in North Carolina, married two sisters, and fathered 21 children. Interestingly, with modern medical technology, doctors today could have easily separated them. Many of their descendants today are prominent in a number of fields ranging from politics to academics to military service.