There are plenty of celebrity lookalikes, but did you know you might see some of your favorite famous faces in the history books? Thanks to photography and paintings, we’ve found some celebrities have an uncanny resemblance to figures from the past.
From Hollywood stars all the way through athletic champions, here are some of the most interesting celebrity doppelgängers across history.
Charlie Sheen & John Brown
We all know the actor Charlie Sheen from the television sitcom, Two and a Half Man. Yet, many of us have not heard of Sheen’s doppelgänger. His name was John Brown and he was famous for a different reason. Brown was an American abolitionist leader who seeked to start a slave rebellion. Even though their backgrounds drastically diverge, we can assume that the only thing these two have in common are their facial feature and candid smirk.
Jimmy Fallon & Mahir Cayan
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon host, Jimmy Fallon is a modern renaissance man. Besides being a television host he’s also a comedian and actor. In fact, he began his career as comedian. On the other hand, his historical look-alike was not quite the entertainer. His name was Mahir Cayan and he was Turkish communist revolutionary. Other than there physical resemblance, there’s nothing else they share common. But Jimmy would be a great candidate to play the role of this revolutionary man on-screen.
Jay-Z & 1939 Harlem Man
This photograph was taken in 1939 in Harlem and it suddenly became famous. Not because of the historical context. More because the man posing in a hat and coat. If we take a closer look, we can notice an evident resemblance to the rapper Jay-Z. Could they be the person? Surely not since this picture was taken 40 years before the rapper was even born. But, could Jay-Z be hiding a secret?
Mesut Ozil & Enzo Ferrari
These two legends are nearly physically indistinguishable. Mesut Ozil is a professional German football player who led the German squad to a World Cup victory. He is commonly known for his vision and artistry in the field. While Enzo is the designer and founder behind the famous Italian car manufacturer called Ferrari. Besides looking alike, they are both visionaries who certainly made something out of nothing.
Queen Latifah & Zora Neale Hurston
Separated by decades, Queen Latifah and Zora Neale Hurston look almost like the same person. They worked in the entertainment industry. Except, Latifah is an actress and Zora was a filmmaker. Interestingly, there’s more to these multi talented ladies than our eyes behold. Zora was an author and anthropologist while Latifah is a singer. We can only wonder if they are related somehow. If that were true then we could all assume that talent does run in the family.
Leonardo DiCaprio & Judy Zipper
Oscar winner, Leonardo DiCaprio is arguably Hollywood most successful actor. Yet, who would’ve thought many decades ago there would’ve been that looked exactly like him? This man existed and he went by the name of Judy Zipper. He wasn’t known for much, but now a days he is. Unfortunately, Judy was born in the wrong decade. He would’ve definitely made a successful career being DiCaprio’s look alike.
Sylvester Stallone & Renaissance Man
Besides coming from Italian origins, the man in the painting, The Cardinal and Theological Virtues, and the actor Sylvester Stallone, have similar facial features. In this masterpiece created by Raphael we can see a man watchfully starring at the Pope hands. If we take a close glance, we can notice their nearly identical faces. It’s almost as if Stallone became the impersonation of this historical character.
Millard Fillmore & Alec Baldwin
The thirteenth President of the United States, Millard Fillmore can be easily confused with the actor Alec Baldwin. As the picture suggests, they are almost identical. Could the former president be related to the actor? Although, it’s highly unlikely, Baldwin could certainly play Fillmore on-screen. That would be and interesting watch.
Nicolae Grigorescu & Orlando Bloom
When comparing these two images, there are many similarities between the actor, Orlando Bloom, and the artist, Nicolae Grigorescu. Ranging from their hairstyle to their facial hair, these two have a lot more in common than we think. The only difference being that they come from different eras and different countries. Besides their nearly identical looks, they are also artists from the Europe who share a deep understanding of the art form. Since they have so much in common, it would be interesting if they met. They would most likely get along.
Serena Williams & Betty Shabazz
Even though the multi champion tennis player, Serena Williams hung her racquets, it would still be nice to see her in the big screen. If that were the case then we found a perfect opportunity. She could play Betty Shabazz who was Malcom X’s former wife. We can say that because of their incredibly similar facial features. Williams acting could surely be very believable. It could also be a fascinating movie.
Raphael’s Friend & Oscar Issac
Italian Renaissance artist, Raphael was perhaps more than artist. In the painting Self-Portrait with a Friend, this friend that the artist painted looks very similar to the actor Oscar Issac. And that is a strange coincidence given that these two people are from different centuries. Could’ve Raphael time traveled to the future, watched Isaac’s acting work, enjoyed it and painted him this gift? Even though this is impossible it’s certainly a theory.
Leon Trotsky & Andrew Garfield
In this case, the resemblance between the actor, Andrew Garfield and the Russian political theorist, Leon Trotsky lies mostly on their eyebrows. The hair style is kind of similar as well. The resemblance here is so evident that it makes us question rather they could somehow be related. Garfield should probably do the 23andme to find out if he has any Russian in family tree. This ancestry background check could prove this possibility. Maybe one day we’ll find out…
Hermann Rorschach & Brad Pitt
It is a fact that Brad Pitt is one of Hollywood’s top talent. Humorously, if Brad was born in the nineteenth century he would surely be confused with Swiss psychologist, Hermann Rorschach. In these side by images even their mustache is styled the same. With a knack for fashion, Rorschach would certainly be approached for at least a photoshoot if they were to switch places in history.
Halle Berry & Dorothy Dandridge
Some people are born to make history. Actresses Halle Berry and Dorothy Dandridge did exactly that. Besides their remarkable resemblance, these two ladies have a lot more in common than our eyes can see. Dandridge was the first black women to ever be nominated for an Oscar, while Berry was the first black actress to ever win an Oscar. Separated by fifty years, we can only imagine what would happen if they worked together.
Douglas MacArthur & Bruce Willis
The five-star general Douglas MacArthur led the country during World War II and probably had fascinating stories to tell how he conquered such prestige. That’s to say that his accomplishments are deserving of a biographical movie. And only one actor comes to mind when thinking of a film of this nature. The one and only Bruce Willis. Willis would be a fitting choice not only because of their strong facial attributes, but also because the actor has worked on several action/shooting films.
Harvey Twitchell & Conan O’Brien
From their jawline to their head of hair, ex-television host Conan O’Brien and Marshall Harvey Twitchell are a lot alike. In fact, they are so similar that nearly its impossible differentiate them. It would not be surprising if they were related. That’s because the Union soldier and Louisiana politician later moved to Massachusetts. Exactly where Conan was born. If it’s a coincidence or not, only a DNA test will tell.
Mark Zuckerberg & Philip IV
Trick question, what does the business magnate, Mark Zuckerberg and the portrait of a young Philip IV, King of Spain have in common? Not much besides their facial resemblance. Interestingly, the painter Diego Velázquez was known for painting celebrities which at the time happened to be members of the court. It would surely be interesting to see Velázquez take on Zuckerberg’s portrait. Perhaps these two celebrities would look even more alike.
Jean-Jacques Rousseau & Robert De Niro
Both enlighten fellows, actor Robert De Niro and philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau share other things in common, their facial traces and facial hair. Even though the mediums in which these two man were captured have are different, we can still notice the similarities between them. After all, great minds do not only think alike, but they also look alike.
Tommy Lee Jones & Andrew Johnson
This picture of Abraham Lincoln’s vice president, Andrew Johnson looks almost identical to the actor Tommy Lee Jones. Coincidently, Lee also had a relationship with the former president on the movie Lincoln. Where he played the Republican Congressman, Thaddeus Stevens. Lee’s performance was great on the movie, but maybe it could’ve been even better if he played Johnson on-screen. If that were the case, then some of the credit would also gone to the casting department.
