Vintage Superstars With Uncanny Celebrity Lookalikes Are Making Us Double-Take

Have you ever been watching an old movie when you suddenly think, “Wait, doesn’t that actor look just like…?” Well, you’re not alone! It turns out history loves to repeat itself in Hollywood. We’ve rounded up 40 stars from the Golden Age of cinema and put them next to their modern-day doppelgängers. The similarities are actually pretty eerie.

1. Zora Nearle Hurston and Queen Latifah

Similarity score: 10/10 


No, the picture on the left isn’t a shot of Queen Latifah who’s hopped in a time machine and gone back to the 1940s. In fact it’s an image of a woman named Zora Neale Hurston, an accomplished writer and movie-maker, who was the absolute spit of the modern-day actress we all know and love.

2. Christopher Plummer and Michael Fassbender

Similarity score: 9/10


Google “Christopher Plummer Michael Fassbender” one of these days and you’ll find loads of people awed to discover just how much the two actors look alike. It’s a shame they never got to play father and son together in a film, because that would have been amazing. All that acting talent and smoldering looks in the same room!

3. Helen Mirren and Jennifer Lawrence

Similarity score: 8/10 


If you don’t know what young Helen Mirren looked like, now you know! She looked exactly like The Hunger Games star Jennifer Lawrence, right down to the beautiful blonde hair. And of course there’s every chance that Lawrence might enter her mature years with every bit the illustrious acting career Mirren has.

4. Clark Gable and George Clooney

Similarity score: 6/10 


Clark Gable was the archetypal handsome leading man, the “King of Hollywood” who was legendary for his passionate romances and his acting talents. Sound like anyone we know? Yep, George Clooney now wears the crown Gable once owned. And not only do they look alike, they also share initials, albeit reversed — CG and GC!

5. Mick Jagger and Harry Styles

Similarity score: 5/10 


There’s no doubt that Mick Jagger and Harry Styles look alike, but Jagger won’t thank you for pointing it out. “Come on, I was much more androgynous,” Jagger told British newspaper The Times in May 2022. “And he doesn’t have a voice like mine or move on stage like me; he just has a superficial resemblance to my younger self, which is fine. He can’t help that.”

6. Audrey Hepburn and Lily Collins

Similarity score: 8/10


People have been saying for years that Lily Collins looks just like the famous beauty Audrey Hepburn, to the extent that Collins’ fans were furious when Lily missed out on playing her in a TV series. Rooney Mara was cast instead, and one Twitter user wrote, “I don’t know if Rooney Mara is the right choice here. Lily Collins has more of an Audrey Hepburn essence.”

7. Eartha Kitt and Zendaya

Similarity score: 8/10


In 2022 the magazine Vogue Italia wrote of Zendaya, “Her impact on pop culture is reminiscent of that of some icons of the past, such as Josephine Baker, Eartha Kitt or Sade.” And Zendaya’s physical resemblance to the second woman listed there, the truly iconic Eartha Kitt, cannot be overstated.

8. James Dean and James Franco

Similarity score: 8/10


James Franco actually played James Dean in the 2001 television film of the same name, and you can tell right away why he got the role, right? They even share the same first name! But sadly the older James never lived to see his doppelganger act out scenes from his career, because he died in a car accident aged just 24.

9. Priscilla Presley and Lana Del Ray

Similarity score: 7/10


Lana Del Ray looks a lot like Priscilla Presley — and she knows it. Apparently, she lobbied hard to be cast as Priscilla in the Baz Luhrmann biopic Elvis, and the real Priscilla even said she liked the idea. But in the end, it didn’t happen for Lana. Maybe next time someone does an Elvis film, she’ll get her dream role?

10. Jane Birkin and Jessica Paré

Similarity score: 10/10


Many media outlets have noticed the similarities between the beautiful Jane Birkin and the equally beautiful Jessica Paré. The website Refinery29 wrote in 2013 of Mad Men actress Paré, “The actress has a totally unique, Jane-Birkin-esque beauty look (she can go from ingenue to siren in no time flat).” Some people have all the luck.

11. Robert Redford and Brad Pitt

Similarity score: 7/10 


Robert Redford was Brad Pitt’s hero growing up. When Pitt broke into the acting business and actually got to meet him he was thrilled, and even learnt his “Redfordisms” when they worked together. So he must have been delighted when he got older and discovered he was starting to look exactly like his idol.

12. Lauren Bacall and Karlie Kloss

Similarity score: 7/10


Lauren Bacall was one of the biggest sex symbols of 1940s Hollywood, and Karlie Kloss is one of the biggest sex symbols of well, right now. Match made in heaven, right? Kloss clearly thinks so too, since she channeled Bacall’s iconic look for a Dior campaign in 2010. It was like seeing the real woman come back to life.

13. Nina Simone and Michaela Coel

Similarity score: 6/10


Actress Zoe Saldana played Nina Simone in the 2016 film Nina, and it was an absolute unmitigated disaster. Zoe darkened her skin with makeup for the role, which obviously proved very controversial, and she had to apologize. Just think, the whole debacle could have been avoided if they’d cast an actress who actually looked like Nina Simone: Michaela Coel.

14. Fred Astaire and Vincent Cassel

Similarity score: 6/10


Vincent Cassel’s father Jean-Pierre Cassel was also an actor, and such a good dancer he was often compared to Fred Astaire. Fast-forward several years and now Vincent is the one getting Astaire comparisons, and his style of dressing certainly helps. Cassel told British newspaper the Daily Mail in 2009, “My style icon is Fred Astaire.To me he is the epitome of class.”

15. Brigitte Bardot and Claudia Schiffer

Similarity score: 9/10


There are a lot of connections between Brigitte Bardot and Claudia Schiffer. They look very similar, of course, and both of them were sex symbols of their respective eras. Schiffer was compared to Bardot in the early years of her modeling career. And the Teutonic goddess even owns a famous artwork depicting Bardot! It’s by Simon Claridge and it’s titled “And God Created Woman.”

16. Errol Flynn and Lee Ryan

Similarity score: 9/10


Here’s an unusual one — as well as looking like him, Lee Ryan is convinced he actually is Errol Flynn reincarnated. The Blue singer has even gone so far as to consult psychics about it. Well, the evidence is inconclusive, but there are some similarities in personality there too. Flynn and Ryan are both known as notorious womanizers. 

17. Olga James and Brandy

Similarity score: 9/10


Olga James isn’t the household name she probably deserved to be, so here’s a quick rundown on her. She is — not was, she’s still alive — a nightclub singer and Broadway actress who appeared in Carmen Jones with Harry Belafonte and played a recurring character on The Bill Cosby Show. And she was also the spitting image of ’90s star Brandy.

18. Hedy Lamarr and Rose McGowan

Similarity score: 6/10


Hedy Lamarr is considered one of the most beautiful actresses of her generation. But she was a very accomplished woman, far more than just a pretty face. She was actually responsible for a great leap forward in radio technology during World War II! And you might notice that she looks a lot like actress Rose McGowan, who is also far more than just a pretty face.

19. Dick Cavett and Paul Bettany

Similarity score: 10/10


No-one has ever made a Dick Cavett biopic, and that’s a shame for two reasons. Firstly, because he led a very interesting life and met all sorts of famous figures when he interviewed them on his talk show. And secondly, because that means Paul Bettany still hasn’t played the role he was absolutely — as demonstrated by these images — born to play.

20. Sharon Tate and Rose Byrne

Similarity score: 7/10


The actress Sharon Tate, and what happened to her in real life, formed a big part of the plot in Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time… In Hollywood. But that movie proved to be a rather controversial one. Perhaps one day someone will do another take on the tragic story, and if so, maybe they should cast Rose Byrne in the lead.

21. Ava Gardner and Aubrey Plaza

Similarity score: 7/10


When Aubrey Plaza arrived at the Emmy Awards in 2011 she surprised everyone. The website PopSugar wrote, “At the Emmys, actress Aubrey Plaza looked more like Ava Gardner than April, her slacker character on Parks & Recreation.” She really did, and in the years which followed she started to look even more like her.

22. Jane Russell and Betty Gilpin

Similarity score: 8/10


Golden Age of Hollywood star Jane Russell and modern-day actress Betty Gilpin have very different hair, obviously. But in all other respects — the stunning eyes, the facial features, the clear ability to command the camera’s attention — they’re exactly alike. In fact, in these photographs they almost look as though they could be mother and daughter.

23. Ginger Rogers and Evan Rachel Wood

Similarity score: 6/10


There’s a famous quote which goes, “Ginger Rogers did everything Fred Astaire did, but backwards and in high heels.” And who could ever fill those high heels, if it were needed? How about actress Evan Rachel Wood? She so happens to look just like a young Ginger Rogers, right down to the curly blonde hair.

24. Marlon Brando and Dave Franco

Similarity score: 7/10


As soon as Dave Franco appeared on the scene, people noticed his similarity to Marlon Brando. The website entertainment.ie wrote in 2013, “Y'all know James Franco has a hot younger brother, right? Well he does and in case you didn't hear us the first time, he's HAWWWT and to us resembles a young Marlon Brando. But hotter.” And Dave’s still compared to Marlon today.

25. Lucille Ball and Debra Messing

Similarity score: 7/10


Debra Messing might have thrown a little shade when the part of Lucille Ball in Being the Ricardos went to Nicole Kidman instead of her. Twitter users descended on her social media account to tell her she was by far the more accurate Lucille lookalike. One asked if she had been unavailable for the movie, to which Messing tweeted back, “Oh no, I’m available.”

26. Cybill Shepherd and Reese Witherspoon

Similarity score: 7/10 


Whenever someone posts a picture of young Cybill Shepherd on an internet forum, chances are at least one person will comment underneath it with something like “For a minute I swore that was Reese Witherspoon.” And you can see why. The two blonde actresses, both among the most beautiful women of their respective eras, look very similar.

27. Dorothy Dandridge and Maya Rudolph

Similarity score: 6/10


Actress Halle Berry played Old Hollywood star Dorothy Dandridge in the 1999 film Introducing Dorothy Dandridge, and she did a great job. But Maya Rudolph also looks quite a bit like Dandridge, there’s no doubt about it. They have the same facial shape, the same smile, and the same faintly intense looks in their eyes.

28. Gregory Peck and Dermot Mulroney

Similarity score: 7/10


Insidious and The Purge star Dermot Mulroney is surely the modern-day doppelganger of the late, great Gregory Peck. And he’s familiar with his work, too, name-checking him in interviews about his favorite horror movies. Could Mulroney one day become the cinematic icon Peck was? It seems like he’s well on his way.

29. Tammi Terrell and Octavia Spencer

Similarity score: 6/10


It’s been said that Motown singer Tammi Terrell looked in her heyday a bit like Empire star Taraji P. Henson, and that’s fair. But in some of the earliest photos of the ’60s star, who sadly died tragically young, it seems that she looks even more like Henson’s Hidden Figures co-star Octavia Spencer. Well, you be the judge.

30. Sophia Loren and Sofia Vergara

Similarity score: 8/10


Sophia Loren is Modern Family star Sofia Vergara’s hero. "I love Sophia Loren,” she told Self magazine in 2010. “She looks so great, and I don't think there's a picture of her on a treadmill or going to Pilates! And there are pictures of her eating!” Whatever Vergara did to emulate her idol clearly worked very well indeed.

31. Sandra Dee and Carey Mulligan

Similarity score: 8/10


The blonde, round-faced beauty Carey Mulligan definitely looks a lot like another famous Hollywood blonde, Sandra Dee. Their public images are definitely different, though! For a start you can’t imagine Dee, with her reputation for being a doe-eyed good girl whom men wanted to take home and meet their mothers, doing a movie like Promising Young Woman.

32. Raquel Welch and Eva Mendes

Similarity score: 6/10


Raquel Welch’s life as a 1960s sex symbol would make for an amazing biopic. And if so, who better to play her than her modern-day double Eva Mendes? Her coming out of the water in that fur bikini Welch made famous would surely make for one of the best moments in biopic history.

33. Joan Fontaine and Chloe Grace Moretz

Similarity score: 7/10


Joan Fontaine and Chloe Grace Moretz got off to similar starts in life. Both of them were child actors for a start, and both of them had a sibling who was also trying to make it in the acting world — Olivia for Joan and Trevor for Chloe. But the similarities don’t end there: just look at how alike the two women look.

34. Burt Reynolds and Mark Ruffalo

Similarity score: 6/10 


Perhaps you’ve never seen Burt Reynolds without his world-famous mustache? But if you ever have, you might have thought to yourself “Wait, he looks a lot like Mark Ruffalo under there!” And he does. Some people have even suggested that Ruffalo might be a good choice for a Burt Reynolds biopic one day.

35. Gene Tierney and Megan Fox

Similarity score: 7/10


Was Megan Fox Gene Tierney in a previous life? When Tierney first conquered Hollywood she was absolutely lauded for her stunning looks, and apparently 20th Century Fox founder Darryl F. Zanuck called her “unquestionably the most beautiful woman in movie history.” Nowadays, plenty of people would give Fox that title.

36. Bette Davis and Susan Sarandon

Similarity score: 6/10


Oscar-winning actress Susan Sarandon looks an awful lot like a younger version of legendary Old Hollywood star Bette Davis, right? Well, TV show producer Ryan Murphy thought so too. He cast her to play Davis in the drama Feud: Bette and Joan, and she ended up getting an Emmy nomination for the performance.

37. Stevie Nicks and Ellie Goulding

Similarity score: 8/10


No, that is not a photo of Ellie Goulding dressed as Stevie Nicks for Halloween — it's just one of the many sets of photos that reveal just how spookily similar the two women really are. Even though the shots of. As far as similarities go, both women hold some serious musical talent. Has Ellie commented on her iconic doppelgänger? Well, no... but she has confessed to holding Nicks on a pedestal as well as Googling — in depth — her dating history!

38. Elizabeth Taylor and Lindsay Lohan

Similarity score: 5/10


Lindsay Lohan played Elizabeth Taylor in the 2012 film Liz and Dick. Unfortunately, it didn’t go too well. TV Guide magazine wrote of her performance, "Even deep breaths seem too much to ask of Lindsay Lohan these days, let alone capturing the essence of an exotic film goddess who reigned for years as a superstar sex symbol." There’s no denying she looks like Taylor, though.

39. Rita Hayworth and Connie Britton

Similarity score: 6/10


There are a lot of red-headed ladies in Hollywood and two of them look especially alike: Golden Age icon Rita Hayworth and Friday Night Lights star Connie Britton. In fact, Britton’s hairstylists have leaned into this and given her Hayworth-inspired looks more than once, most notably on the red carpet for the 2013 Golden Globes.

40. Grace Kelly and Amy Adams

Similarity score: 6/10


Amy Adams has played a Disney princess in the movie Enchanted and its sequel, but as luck would have it she looks just like a real-life princess as well. She bears a strong resemblance to Grace Kelly, the Hollywood beauty who gave up her career to marry Prince Rainier III of Monaco in 1956.

41. Matthew McConaughey

Not every contemporary star has an equally famous lookalike, but several have a doppelganger from the past with a resemblance that is truly uncanny. Back in the 1800s, Matthew McConaughey had a secret double, and he looks alright, alright, alright. The key difference is that Matthew drives a Lincoln, while his old-fashioned doppelgänger voted for Lincoln.

42. Ellen DeGeneres

That bearded man looks like he could be Ellen DeGeneres' great-grandfather, but he's actually famed author Henry David Thoreau! Ellen probably wouldn't mind some alone time out in the woods, but Thoreau wouldn't fare too well hosting a daytime talk show.

43. Eddie Murphy

Murphy hasn't appeared in too many movies in recent years. Could it be because he's busy traveling back in time? This picture makes it seem like a possibility. These two guys could easily be trading places.

44. Queen Latifah

Strong figures often rub off on one another, though it looks like Zora Neale Hurston gave Queen Latifah a bit more than just inspiration. The two women are a spitting image of each other — if they ever make a movie about Hurston's life, Queen Latifah should definitely get dibs.

45. Nicolas Cage

Nic has owned a lot of weird stuff: a pet octopus, a dinosaur skull, and a couple of medieval castles. So it's only fitting that he should also have a guy who looked just like him from 150 years ago.

46. Leonardo DiCaprio

It's hard to say what's better, the fact that young Leo DiCaprio has a woman lookalike, or that her name is Judy Zipper? If Judy fell in love with Leo on the Titanic, we bet she would have made room for him on that floating door.

47. Alec Baldwin

These days, people know Alec Baldwin for spoofing a certain White House personality, but he actually bears a much bigger resemblance to another president — Millard Fillmore! The not-so-famous Fillmore served less than a full term, which is why most Americans don't notice the likeness.

48. Maggie Gyllenhaal

Gyllenhaal is descended from Swedish nobility, but she looks like she could also be related to Rose Wilder Lane. Daughter of Little House on the Prairie author Laura Ingalls Wilder, Rose helped found the modern libertarian movement.

49. Michael Jackson

The King of Pop went through a ton of looks, so we can imagine he "borrowed" a few from other people. Is it possible this portrait was Michael Jackson's style muse? Never say never in Neverland.

50. Matt Damon

Does Matt Damon have something to explain to his wife, Luciana? Fortunately, Will Hunting can rest easy in this case. That smiling stud on the left is nothing more than a guy who's the spitting image of the A-list actor.

51. Peter Dinklage

A Lannister always pays his debts, so Peter Dinklage shouldn't mind emptying out his wallet for this stunning portrait. Capturing the likeness of court jester Sebastián de Morra, it would look right at home on the set of Game of Thrones.

52. Andy Samberg and Daniel Radcliffe

Here are two doppelgängers for the price of one! Andy Samberg and Daniel Radcliffe found their carbon copies in this vintage pic, and it's almost hard to believe. Maybe Harry Potter cooked up another Polyjuice potion!

53. Mark Zuckerberg

The Zuck reigns over his Facebook empire, so it's only fitting that he resembles a real-life monarch. He and King Philip IV of Spain share many features, though Mark lacks the prominent Habsburg lip that characterized many royal European families.

54. Taylor Swift

When Christina Ostrom dug through old family photos, she came across this gem of her grandparents, who look like Hugh Hefner and a much older Taylor Swift! Don't know about you, but they're looking 82.

55. Justin Timberlake

We wonder what Justin Timberlake did before his solo career, and we're not talking about NSYNC. Based on this 1800s mugshot, we can't help but wonder if he had a lucrative bank-robbing career back in the day.

56. Jay-Z

Some people try to debunk celebrity lookalike photos, but this picture has the stamp of approval from the New York Public Library itself! Titled "Harlem Loiterers," the 1939 image features the spitting image of Jay-Z. Too bad Beyonce's double is nowhere in sight!

57. Tommy Lee Jones

History buffs may recognize that congressman Thaddeus Stevens has the same look as famous tough guy Tommy Lee Jones. It's no wonder that Steven Spielberg cast Jones to play Stevens in his historical masterpiece Lincoln.

58. Steve Martin

A wild and crazy guy like Steve Martin has no problem dressing up in wacky outfits, but he didn't need to in this case! The figure on the left is actually a woman from the Victorian Era. Though she looks a lot like Steve, she would likely blush at many of his jokes.

59. Johnny Depp

Is this what Jack Sparrow looked like before he turned to piracy? In reality, Michael William Johnstone shared this headshot of his grandfather, who was a dead ringer for Johnny Depp — but maybe even more dapper.

600. Weird Al Yankovic

For decades now, Weird Al has parodied the biggest pop songs on the radio. It turns out that his face is also a parody of sorts. He looks just like St. John the Baptist by Leonardo da Vinci! Maybe we should call him Saint Al from now on?

61. Jimmy Fallon

If reincarnation is real, whoever's in charge of that process has a pretty interesting sense of humor. That's probably why Turkish revolutionary Mahir Cayan came back as beloved comedian Jimmy Fallon. Go figure!

62. Jack Black

Is it just us, or does Jack Black look way too much like a young Paul Revere? Frankly, no one would be surprised to see the comedian riding a horse while shouting about the British, so this one checks out.

63. Brad Pitt

They say most celebrities get better looking with age, so it's no surprise to see that the hundred or so years between these photos haven't changed Brad Pitt a bit. Let's just hope he's not going full Benjamin Button on us...

64. George Carlin

What do George Carlin and Charles Darwin have in common? Nothing... other than the fact that they're literally the same person. Darwin, however, might not be a fan of Carlin's "seven dirty words."

65. Orlando Bloom

The more you look at these photos, the more it becomes clear that Orlando Bloom and Romanian painter Nicolae Grigorescu are one and the same. Bloom's probably a decent painter, but could Grigorescu handle a few swashbuckling adventures on the high seas? We may never know.

66. John Krasinski

It's difficult to compare a photo to a portrait, though looking at both of these images, it's nearly impossible to tell which one is the real John Krasinski. The guy on the right is even doing the signature "Jim face" from The Office!

67. Keanu Reeves

The striking similarities between Keanu Reeves and French actor Paul Mounet are undeniable: they have the same hair, the same face, and the same job. One thing Mounet probably can't do, however, is dodge a hail of bullets in super slow-mo.

68. Alicia Keys

We know what you're thinking: isn't this just two pictures of Alicia Keys from two different time periods? Believe it or not, the woman on the right is actually a young Lena Horne. Mind. Blown.

69. Jack Gleeson

Gleeson played tyrant Joffrey Baratheon in Game of Thrones, and his historical doppelgänger, the Roman emperor Caligula, was no different. Fortunately, Gleeson's a pretty nice guy in real life — the same, however, can't be said of Caligula.

70. Natalie Portman

A woman named Shannon Welch shared a childhood photo of her boyfriend online. That part isn't too unusual, but what's eerie is how the middle-schooler is a dead ringer for Natalie Portman.

71. Andrew Garfield

Garfield's days of playing Spider-Man may be over, but he'd be a shoo-in for portraying Marxist theorist and Russian politician Leon Trotsky in a biopic. Let's just hope the whole communism thing doesn't scare him off.

72. Jennifer Lawrence

This one might actually be time travel. Jennifer Lawrence's likeness to Egyptian actress Zubaida Tharwat is so on point, people are demanding that Lawrence play her in a biopic. But really, who else could?

73. Bruce Willis

It's kind of surprising that Bruce Willis was never cast as American general Douglas MacArthur in a war movie. The resemblance is there, and if Willis could overcome a skyscraper full of German terrorists, he could certainly hold his own in the Pacific theater.

74. Sylvester Stallone

When Raphael painted the "Stanza della Segnatura" fresco of his famed Stanze di Raffaello, he likely never realized he'd breathed Sylvester Stallone into existence. It only makes sense: the masterpiece that is Stallone went on to create his own masterpiece in Rocky.

75. Mesut Özil

This one's too spooky to be a simple coincidence. Not only do German soccer star Mesut Özil and a young Enzo Ferrari look nearly identical, but Özil was also born in 1988 — the very same year that Ferrari died.

76. Daniel Radcliffe

Want a little more Daniel Radcliffe magic? Well, it looks like he transported himself into this photo from the 1940s, featured at the famed UK music venue Band on the Wall. Those round glasses fit right in with the retro uniforms!

77. Conan O'Brien

Fans of the talk show host know that he's a big history buff, so Conan would be pleased to know that he's a dead ringer for Marshall H. Twitchell, who fought for the Union during the Civil War. Based on this coincidence, we can only assume that Jay Leno has a lookalike who fought for the South.

78. Maisie Williams

"A girl has no name," was Arya Stark's mantra throughout much of Game of Thrones, but it seems that Maisie Williams might not be as anonymous as her character! This Redditor's grandmother looked just like the actress as a girl — right down to that intense assassin's gaze.

79. Dave Franco

This eerie resemblance might've gone unnoticed if not for one lucky visit! An internet user was at his friend's house when he spotted this snapshot of an uncle who was a carbon copy of Dave Franco. Now that is a movie star smile!

80. Elijah Wood

Everyone's favorite hobbit seems to have a long-lost ancestor! This Bedouin woman is a carbon copy of Elijah Wood. That can only mean that she too is worthy of carrying the One Ring to Mordor.