Old photos showing doppelgangers of modern-day celebrities have gone viral and people can’t get enough.
With billions of people having the honor to walk the Earth and limited combinations of genetic variations, experts believe it is likely all of us have or have had a doppelganger or several lookalikes at some point.
As Joseph McInerney of the American Society of Human Genetics explained, any two random people share about 99.5% of their gene sequence. While the half percent that is left offers “an enormous amount of individual variation,” parts of your gene sequence are likely to get repeated in another individual eventually.
While relatives – especially identical twins – share more DNA than random strangers, experts say doppelgangers have a more similar genetic makeup than strangers who do not look alike, hence similar looks.
“People who look identical almost certainly share more DNA than two random strangers who don’t look alike,” geneticist Arthur Beaudet says.
With that being said, it’s time to take a look at some celebrities whose doppelgangers walked the Earth long before them!
#1 Johnny Depp
See that guy on the left? No, that’s not Johnny Depp before the trial made his hair turn grey. It’s actually a grandfather of a man named Michael William Johnstone who was amazed by his grandpa’s resemblance to the actor.
#2 Eddie Murphy
This guy looks more like Eddie Murphy than Eddie Murphy himself!
#3 Ellen DeGeneres
Ever heard of American naturalist, poet, and essayist Henry David Thoreau? Rumor has it he looks exactly like The Ellen DeGeneres Show host (minus the beard) – you be the judge!
#4 Matthew McConaughey
Ever wondered what the Hollywood star would look like with a mustache? We’re glad we could help you with that.
#5 Michael Jackson
The King of Pop’s appearance changed a lot throughout the years. Is it possible he drew inspiration from this old portrait of Dutch painter Barent Fabritius who lived in the 17th century?
#6 Alec Baldwin
We present to you Millard Fillmore, the 13th President of the United States, and Alec Baldwin. Do you see any resemblance?
#7 Nicolas Cage
Even an action movie star like Nicolas Cage needs a doppelganger. His happened to walk the planet some 150 years ago!
#8 Daniel Radcliffe
Unless the Harry Potter star used some forbidden Hogwarts magic to travel back in the 1940s, these two young men are some of the best doppelgangers we’ve ever seen.
#9 Mark Zuckerberg
Zuckerberg may lead Facebook, but his lookalike King Philip IV of Spain and Portugal reigned over entire nations.
#10 Sylvester Stallone
What’s Rocky Balboa doing in Raphael’s iconic Stanza della Segnatura?
Which of these doppelgangers did you like the most? Let us know in the comments and don’t forget to SHARE this post with your family and friends. For more news and stories, follow us on Facebook!