National Look-Alike Day

For those folks who are regularly stopped in public and asked if they are someone else – perhaps a politician, famous actor, musician or sports star – you may just be a look-alike. And this is your day!

And those who haven’t had this experience might consider that it’s time to get out into the world and start looking at other people’s faces, just to see if it’s possible to find that doppelganger. National Look-Alike Day offers a super opportunity to pay respect for those who bear a striking resemblance to someone else.

History of National Look-Alike Day

Yes, it’s true that no two people are exactly alike. Even identical twins have differences that make them look slightly changed, especially as they get older. But it can still be really fun to come across those people who look particularly similar to one another. And that’s what the founder of this event thought too, inspiring him to begin National Look-Alike Day.

National Look-Alike Day got its start in the 1980s when a feature television reporter had an interesting experience. Jack Etzel was in the downtown area of Pittsburgh along with photographer Rick Minutello. They were out trying to hunt down a feature story when Minutello saw a man nearby who was the spitting image of Humphrey Bogart, and he even had the cigarette to complete the look.

To create a story, they approached the man to ask him if anyone ever tells him he resembles someone. The reporters spent some time asking other people on the street the same question and wrote their feature story based on that experience. And that’s how National Look-Alike Day was born!

Now, a few decades later, the day has continued to be celebrated by all sorts of folks who enjoy the fun of looking like someone else.

How to Celebrate National Look-Alike Day

Show some love for doubles and have some fun at the same time by celebrating and enjoying National Look-Alike Day with some of these ideas:

Celebrate a Look-Alike

This day can be particularly fun for those who have a famous person that people often tell them they look like. Whether it’s a current famous person like Jennifer Aniston or a past one, like Richard Nixon, this is a delightful way to show appreciation for being a doppelganger.

Perhaps it would be fun to get dressed up like the famous person, copying their hairstyle or wearing glasses like they have. Take a photo and then share it on various social media platforms to see if anyone is fooled!

Throw a National Look-Alike Day Party

Take looking alike one step further by inviting a bunch of friends together and having everyone at the party dress up like the famous person they most resemble. Decorate everything with doubles and for snacks it would be great to serve foods that come in matching pairs. For entertainment, it might be enjoyable to watch a movie that features twins, like The Parent Trap (either version), or The Identical (2014).

Watch Some Look-Alike Episodes

Many different television shows have featured episodes written around the idea of finding someone who looks similar. In celebration of National Look-Alike Day, it might be interesting to grab a friend and catch some episodes of shows that have this theme. Check out one of these to get started:

• Friends. In the 1999 episode, The One in Vegas Part 2, Joey (Matt LeBlanc) comes across his “identical hand twin”, Randall, who is a casino employee. Joey is deeply disappointed when Randall doesn’t see the potential of this discovery.
• Seinfeld. The title of this episode tells all: George Dates a Girl Who Looks Just Like Jerry. Her name is Janet and the whole gang is uncomfortable when Elaine and Kramer suggest George is only dating her because he actually has a crush on Jerry.
• Lookalikes. This British tv show series ran from 2015-2018, documenting the experiences of those who work with the premier look-alike agency in Great Britain.

Match a Friend

Have a coworker, friend or family member with similar features? Wear matching outfits in observance of National Look-Alike Day. Kids may especially enjoy celebrating this event in this way. Of course, it could also be funny if the two people who choose to match have no resemblance to each other at all, but they wear matching clothes to become “look-alikes” anyway!

Visit a Wax Museum

Though these look-alikes are not actually alive, an interesting activity for this day might be to visit a wax museum. The most famous and realistic wax figures are featured through places like Madame Tussaud’s, which has locations in London, New York, Los Angeles, and twenty other places. With more than 10 million visitors to these museums each year, it’s certainly worth a visit to see the wax statues that look like hundreds of different famous people!