Dylan and Cole Sprouse
Dylan Thomas Sprouse and Cole Mitchell Sprouse (born August 4, 1992) are American twin brothers and actors, sometimes collectively referred to as DC Sprouse, Dylan & Cole, or the Sprouse Twins. They are perhaps best known for their roles in the film Big Daddy, and for portraying the title characters on the Disney Channel series The Suite Life of Zack and Cody. As a result of the series' success, they have become "heartthrobs"[1] and "overwhelming draws" among tween audiences.[2]
Biography
Early life
The Sprouses were born in Arezzo, Tuscany, Italy to American parents Matthew Sprouse and Melanie Wright, who at the time were teaching at an American English language school in Italy; Dylan, named after poet Dylan Thomas, is fifteen minutes older than Cole,[3] who is named for jazz singer and pianist Nat King Cole.[4] The twins moved back to the United States four months after their birth, and grew up in their parents' native Long Beach, California. Their parents divorced in 1997.
Acting career
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, appearing in a commercial for toilet paper. As with many identical twin actors, the two have often played the same role, allowing more time for the character to be filmed. From 1993 to 1998, the two starred on the ABC-TV series, Grace Under Fire, playing one character, Patrick Kelly.
In 1999, the twins appeared in their first major feature film, the Adam Sandler vehicle Big Daddy, in which they played a boy adopted by Sandler's character; that year, Cole collaborated with Sandler on the second version of The Chanukah Song, and the twins also had a minor role in the thriller The Astronaut's Wife. Dylan Sprouse has 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 70's Show, as well as in the feature films The Master of Disguise and Adam Sandler's Eight Crazy Nights, in a voice-over role. In 2001, Cole Sprouse appeared in several episodes of the television show, Friends, as Ross Geller's son, Ben.
oi 2002 and 2003, the two starred 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 television series The Suite Life of Zack and Cody, where they play identical twins Zack and Cody 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 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 also participated in the Disney Channel Games 2006, which began airing in June of 2006. Dylan is on the Red Team with Zac Efron, Kay Panabaker, Anneliese van der Pol, Shin Koyamada and Moises Arias, while Cole is on the Blue Team, along with Brenda Song, Corbin Bleu, Vanessa Anne Hudgens, Monique Coleman and Jason Earles.
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 of 2006, when it played in a total of three theatres across the United States, ultimately grossing $29,000 domestically.[5]
"Sprouse Bros." magazine
In September 2005, the Sprouses signed a licensing agreement with Dualstar Entertainment to create a new commercial brand, entitled "Sprouse Bros", which will include DVD movies, CDs, clothing, sports gear, video games, ring tones and deodorants[1] targeted towards preteen and teen audiences. Dualstar has partnered with Leisure Publishing LLC to create a magazine called Sprouse Bros. Code, which will target boys ages 8-14 with a guide on recent trends favored by the Sprouses; Cole Sprouse has stated that the magazine will appeal to "people who are our age and boys. We don't want anything too girlie",[6] while Dylan has said that it will have "something that will appeal to everybody".[7] The first issue will be available on July 18, 2006.[8]
Personal life
Dylan Sprouse has stated that the experience of coming to fame after the success of The Suite Life of Zack & Cody is "kind of scary, how fast everything is moving. Just a year ago none of this was happening, it was just doing 'Suite Life,' and now I can't wait for what's in store..."[6] While filming The Suite Life of Zack & Cody, the two receive on-set tutoring for three hours each day.[1]
As of 2006, the Sprouses enjoy snowboarding, surfing, basketball and motocrossing,[4] as well as working on drawing a comic strip, The Adventures of Tibblebu and Thumbin, based on a stuffed animal of Cole's.[9] Cole Sprouse's favorite school subjects are math and science; he names The Legend of Zelda - Ocarina of Time as his favorite video game and Forrest Gump and Godzilla as the films he likes the most.[3] Dylan prefers science, dislikes math, and enjoys playing the videogames Super Smash Bros. and Super Smash Bros. Melee; his favorite film is Napoleon Dynamite.[3] The twins have a dog named Bubba,[4] and their favorite actor and co-star is Adam Sandler.[3]
According to a May 2006 interview with Mad Kids magazine, the Sprouses do not speak Italian,[3] despite incorrect reports to the contrary:[10]
Dylan: "...I don't really speak Italian except for "spaghetti", "Italian ice" (Yum!) and "Ferrari".
Cole: "I can't say anything in Italian. "Pizza, por favor" maybe?"
Selected filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things | Jeremiah (Age 11) | limited release |
| 2005 | The Suite Life of Zack and Cody | Zack and Cody | television series |
| 2003 | Apple Jack | Jack Pyne | short film |
| Just For Kicks | Dylan and Cole Martin | direct-to-video | |
| 2002 | I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus | Justin Carver | direct-to-video |
| Eight Crazy Nights | K-B Toys Soldier | ||
| The Master of Disguise | Young Pistachio | ||
| 2001 | Diary Of a Sex Addict | Sammy Jr. | direct-to-video |
| 1999 | The Astronaut's Wife | Twin | |
| Big Daddy | Julian 'Frankenstein' McGrath |
References
- ^ a b c d e "The Early Show". The 'Suite Life' Of The Sprouse Twins. Retrieved July 6.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "Newsday.com". Tween shows, top ratings. Retrieved April 15.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ a b c d e Mad Kids (May, 2006). "The Mad Kids Chatroom: This Month: Dylan & Cole Sprouse". Mad Kids. 1 (#3): 26–28.
{{cite journal}}: Check date values in:|year=(help)CS1 maint: year (link) - ^ a b c Popstar (June, 2006). "Dylan & Cole take over the world!: House of Sprouse!". Popstar Special!. - (-): 90.
{{cite journal}}: Check date values in:|year=(help)CS1 maint: year (link) - ^ "Box Office Mojo.com". THE HEART IS DECEITFUL ABOVE ALL THINGS. Retrieved April 14.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ a b "The New York Times". Boys Just Want to Be ... Olsens (Page 2 of 2). Retrieved April 29.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "The New York Times". Boys Just Want to Be ... Olsens (Page 3 of 3). Retrieved April 29.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "TeenPeople". Get Ready for the Sprouse Twins. Retrieved April 28.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ BOP (May, 2006). "Cole and Dylan Sprouse: "We draw"". BOP magazine. - (-): 54.
{{cite journal}}: Check date values in:|year=(help)CS1 maint: year (link) - ^ The Internet Movie Database and several other trivia web sites have incorrectly suggested that the Sprouses speak Italian.
External links
- Sprouse Bros. — Official website
- Dylan Sprouse at IMDb
- Cole Sprouse at IMDb
- Sprouse-Fans.Com. — Popular Fansite