If you were a kid in the late ’90s or early 2000s, there’s a good chance Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen films were a part of your after-school routine. Their international escapades and twin hilarity became a signature element of an era. But sandwiched between the fashion sequences and sibling mischief were some unexpected cameos—other familiar faces who went on to become headlining stars. Whether playing the clueless mom, the charming boyfriend, or the wacky sidekick, all these stars made their beginnings—or at least a standout cameo—opposite the Olsen twins. Below are 10 stars who you might have completely forgotten once shared the screen with Mary-Kate and Ashley.
1. Jane Sibbett – It Takes Two
Before playing Carol, the ex-wife of Ross on Friends, Jane Sibbett took on the role of Clarice Kensington in It Takes Two. As the snobbish fiancée to Steve Guttenberg’s character, Sibbett was the foil for Kirstie Alley’s kind-hearted social worker. Clarice’s in-your-face elitism made her a natural character to despise—and the ideal target for one of the twins’ trademark matchmaking maneuvers.
2. Jason Clarke – Our Lips Are Sealed
Before he became a leading man in Zero Dark Thirty and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, Jason Clarke appeared as Mac, half of a bumbling villainous duo in Our Lips Are Sealed. Impersonating travel agents and pursuing the Parker twins across Australia, Clarke’s character provided plenty of slapstick humor to the globe-trotting action. It’s much different from the heavy-hitting roles he’s become associated with now.
3. Eric McCormack – Double, Double, Toil and Trouble
In this fantasy Halloween movie, Eric McCormack—Will & Grace star—played Don Farmer, the twins’ doting but cash-strapped dad. As the girls embark on a magical quest to rescue their great-aunt, McCormack added a down-to-earth energy to a tale full of spells, witches, and a very memorable moonstone.
4. Willie Garson – Our Lips Are Sealed
Best known as Stanford Blatch on Sex and the City, Willie Garson brought his trademark nervous energy to the role of Norm, an FBI agent trying to protect the Parker family. Constantly outsmarted by the girls and clearly in over his head, Norm added plenty of comedic flair—and frustration—to this chaotic witness protection tale.
5. Austin Nichols – Holiday in the Sun
Before his breakout on One Tree Hill and The Walking Dead, Austin Nichols portrayed Griffen Grayson, a charming and lovably awkward family friend who harbors a not-so-secret crush on Madison. Loyal, supportive, and always around when the twins require assistance, he showed that Nichols was already a leading man early in his career.
6. Troian Bellisario – Billboard Dad
Years before her breakout character Spencer Hastings on Pretty Little Liars, Troian Bellisario showed up in Billboard Dad as Kristen, a school diving team member. She played a traditional mean girl with gossiping leanings—short but sweet. Cool fact: Bellisario used to be the twins’ real-life neighbor, so casting her was a full-circle experience.
7. Jared Padalecki – New York Minute
Before he was fighting demons on Supernatural, Jared Padalecki turned up in New York Minute playing Trey Lipton, the good-hearted man who gets swept up in the crazy day of Roxy and Jane walking around Manhattan. His part as the laid-back love interest foreshadowed the heartthrob status he’d find later on TV.
8. Michael Cera – Switching Goals
A pre-Arrested Development Michael Cera made a brief appearance in Switching Goals as Taylor, a bratty customer at a sporting goods store. It’s a blink-and-you’ll miss-it role, but even then, Cera’s comic timing was on full display—awkward energy and all.
9. Eugene Levy – New York Minute
Comedy great Eugene Levy portrayed Max Lomax, a super-bright truancy officer who will stop at nothing to catch Roxy skipping school. Levy’s straight-man deadpan and hyper seriousness in applying the rules brought sidesplitting tension to the twins’ quest. Bonus: Schitt’s Creek viewers might also see Schitt’s Creek cast member John Hemphill (Bob) in a supporting role here as well.
10. Megan Fox – Holiday in the Sun
Before Transformers and Jennifer’s Body, Megan Fox had a star turn as Brianna Wallace, the flawlessly coiffed and endlessly sniping foil to Mary-Kate’s character. Rich, glamorous, and highly competitive, Brianna was the quintessential early-2000s teen movie antagonist, commanding attention with each over-the-top eye roll.
Honorable Mentions:
- Jesse Spencer had a dashing British lord in Winning London—one of his earliest roles before Dr. Chase on House.
- Cloris Leachman had a double role as Aunt Agatha and Aunt Sophia in Double, Double, Toil and Trouble.
- Elizabeth Olsen—yes, Olsen of those Olsens—spoke briefly as “Girl in Car” in How the West Was Fun.
- Rhea Perlman made a humorous outing as bandit Shirley in To Grandmother’s House We Go.
It turns out Mary-Kate and Ashley’s films weren’t only comfort fare for ’90s and early 2000s children—they were also unwitting launching pads for actors who’d come to star in hit television shows and blockbuster movies. Watching these twin-starring flicks for a second time through eyes freshened by distance is like opening up a time capsule of Hollywood talent ready to be discovered.
So the next time you immerse yourself in a marathon of Mary-Kate & Ashley, watch out for the support cast—you never know what future famous face is lurking behind the next plot turn.