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, started with Dylan 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
Adam 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. During the early 2000s, the twins appeared in episodes of the
The Nightmare Room and
That '70s Show, as well as in
MADtv: Season Four (1998-1999) (episode #425) and the feature films
The Master of Disguise and a voice-over role in
Adam Sandler's Eight Crazy Nights. In 2001, Cole Sprouse appeared in several episodes of the television show
Friends, as
Ross Geller's son Ben.
Between the years of 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 and the twins have become very well known among pre-teen and 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 was on the Red Team, while Cole was on the Blue Team. The twins were asked back for the
Disney Channel Games 2007. Dylan was the Captain of the Green Team, while Cole returned to the Blue Team.
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. As of November 2006, the two are filming the
Sony Pictures film
The Prince and the Pauper, which also stars
Sally Kellerman, Ed Lauter and
Dedee Pfeiffer, in
Palm Beach, Florida; filming began in October and ended by December. It was also recently announced that
The Suite Life of Zack & Cody would be shooting a third season. The two also lent their voices to a movie called
Holidaze: The Christmas That Almost Didn't Happen, which also features the voices of fellow Disney Channel stars
Brenda Song and
Emily Osment.
