Or, White People in Hollywood I Mistook for Other White People in Hollywood
We all know show business is a competitive business. It makes sense why it would be: it fills the endless void in your soul and makes all your friends jealous.
And while it’s hard for people of color to break in, I think it’s a little easier for white people (what a brave statement).
Why do I think that?
Because it seems to me Hollywood has hired 2, sometimes even 3, of the same white person.
Yea, I’m being a bit flippant.
But in all honesty, this is a list of people who I have looked at on screen and said “isn’t that the guy/lady from….” and then realized that, in fact, it was a different white actor, one who looked so similar it made me question why there were enough roles in Hollywood that 2 of the almost-identical looking white people could find employment at the highest levels.
Now it could be that I’m face blind. I certainly am to a certain degree. I’ve stopped introducing myself to people because every time I do it’s almost a guarantee that they’ll say, “oh, we’ve met”.
White people triggered by this article might call me a self-hating white man. I assure you, my self-hatred is based on the content of my character, not the color of my skin. When it comes to hating myself I am very progressive.
With that in mind, let’s look at some white people who should either
- Be very comfortable in their role because there’s so much work for their type that Hollywood has room for more than 1 of them
-or-
2) Should feel very nervous because their doppelganger is going to Us them out of a job.
Before we start I want to say I am a fan of a lot of these people’s work.
I don’t begrudge them achieving their dreams, not in the slightest. I just find it funny (and slightly questionable) that I can so easily confuse them for someone else who does their job.
Ben Feldman vs Reid Scott
Ben Feldman on left, Reid Scott on right.
It probably doesn’t help their doppelganger status that they’re both funny and on funny shows. Feldman is from Superstore and Scott, from Veep.
Dylan McDermott vs Eric McCormack
Dylan, probably, on the left, and Eric, possibly, on the right
I probably started this entire concept just to get to the bottom of which of these two people is which of these two people. Eric is the one from Will & Grace, Dylan starred in The Practice, I’m reasonably sure.
Kate Winslet vs Rachel Weisz
Kate Winslet on left (Steve Jobs), Rachel Weisz on right (Constant Gardner)
My girlfriend did not believe me that Kate Winslet and Rachel Weisz looked alike.
And even I started to believe her.
I went weeks thinking, “maybe they’re not that alike, Jordan. Maybe it’s all in your head. Maybe you just think all English, dramatic actresses with concerned expressions and brown hair look the same.”
I almost gave up on myself. I almost didn’t believe. But I persevered. I KNEW I was confused about these two and I put in the man hours and studied the science which led me to these pictures.
Looking at the two pictures above, I think everyone kind of doesn’t know which actress is Winslet and which is Weisz if I don’t label them, right? Kind of?
Chelsea Peretti vs Lauren Lapkus
Chelsea on left, Lauren on right, or are they?
Like many of these actors, I’m glad they both have jobs. Chelsea and Lauren are great comedic actors. I just can’t always tell which one is which.
Timothy Olyphant vs Josh Duhamel
The internet’s been all over this one for years.
Busy Philips vs June Diane Raphael vs Maggie Gyllenhaal
Here’s where things get interesting. I don’t think I’ve been more confused about which actor is which actor than when one of the actors in what I’m watching is one of these actors.
If that sentence confuses you, yes, it is.
Now, Maggie G might not look that much like Busy, but Juney D is the bridge. Maggie G is similar to Juney D who is similar to Busy P. Thus, a triumvirate is born and sustained.
Maggie G through the shades really helps my argument as well.
Dominic Fumusa vs Jake Johnson
I will not let still pictures deter me.
Sure, right next to each other, without movement, zoomed in, you can tell the difference. But not when I’m watching a show and think, “is that the guy from?”
Based on the “is that they guy from?” requirements, these guys pass with flying colors.
Granted they have very different acting styles, I’m sticking to my guns: I have thought that these two guys look like each other and I will continue to think that in perpetuity. Especially when they half-cringe/half-smile like they do pictured above.
Emmy Rossum vs Natalie Dyer
Some might call it a shameless comparison, but could you imagine a stranger thing than these two being in a movie together?
The movie would be called Freaky Friday 3: Doesn’t Make Much Difference If We Switch Bodies.
David Walton vs Reid Ewing
And to finish it off, I present two guys who guest star on comedies I watch. These two really fit the, “isn’t that the guy from?” bill based on how infrequently they appear on sitcoms.
Walton guest starred on New Girl and Grace & Frankie, while Reid was the maligned boyfriend to Sarah Hyland’s character on Modern Family.
Sadly, while “researching” this article (aka doing a lot of looking at pictures) I learned about Reid’s plastic surgery addiction and body dysmorphia. Which kind of puts all of this fun, look-alike stuff into perspective.
Everyone’s trying to look like a Hollywood star, including actors that everyone, looking in from the outside, would consider successful. Casting directors know a certain look has successfully conveyed a certain character in the past, and want to make sure the person they cast “reads” as the character type of the role their fulfilling.
With a lot of money and work-hours at stake, no one wants to take too many risks with the faces of their project, and so a very competitive industry can stay very conservative in who it hires long after that same industry has proclaimed itself a proponent of more progressive, inclusive values.