Celebrity doppelgängers have been the topic of discussion on almost every forum out there. A doppelgänger is a biologically unrelated double or a lookalike of a living person. In works of fiction and mythology, a doppelgänger is usually represented as a paranormal phenomenon that is a portent of bad luck. Some even say that running into one's own doppelgänger symbolizes the imminence of death.
But thank god, the celebrity doppelgängers we have listed for you are in the past and thus, cannot bump into their modern-day lookalikes. So scroll down to learn more about these celebrity doubles as you rejoice over the safety of your favorite stars.
10 Celebrity lookalikes who will leave you wondering about theories of time travel and reincarnation
1) Leonardo DiCaprio - a girl named Judy Zipper
Back in 2012, a Tumblr user posted a photo of a woman named Judy Zipper, taken from their grandmother's 1960 high school yearbook. The post soon went viral due to the woman's uncanny resemblance to Oscar-winning actor Leonardo DiCaprio and the world has not been the same ever since.
2) Jennifer Lawrence - Egyptian actress Zubaida Tharwat
In January 2014, a Reddit user claimed:
"Jennifer Lawrence looks exactly like my grandmother, Zebeida Tharwat, a well known Egyptian actress back in the day"
However, other users were quick to spot that the claimer had spelled Zubaida's name wrong, and it was revealed that 9GAG was the website to first point out the similarities between the actresses.
3) Robin Williams - Russian immunologist Ilya Ilyich Mechnikov
Though it is unknown when and who spotted the likeness of this duo, it really was a clever discovery. One of these photos is of Russian zoologist Ilya Ilyich Mechnikov, best known for his pioneering research in immunology. And the other one is of the late actor and comedian Robin Williams. Could you tell which one is who, if not for the color tone of the images?
4) Zayn Malik - young Joseph Stalin
Joseph Stalin was a Georgian revolutionary who governed the Soviet Union from 1924 until his death in 1953. And this photo of young Stalin reminds us of none other than British singer and former One Direction member Zayn Malik.
5) Ellen DeGeneres - writer Henry David Thoreau
Henry David Thoreau was an American naturalist, writer, and philosopher, born in early 19th century. His resemblance to television host and comedian Ellen DeGeneres is unbelievable. People could easily confuse the celebrity and the writer to be each other's clones, if it had not been for the beard.
6) Eddie Murphy - an unidentified gentleman
We all know actor and comedian Eddie Murphy. However, what we don't know is if he is a time traveler. Jokes aside, what this archival photo of this gentleman tells us is probably the fact that nature is beautiful yet strange. And maybe, it has run out of faces to give to people. Hence, the recycling.
7) Conan O'Brien - Union Army soldier and Louisiana State Senator Marshall H. Twitchell
Television host Conan O'Brien shares extremely similar facial features with famous historical figure Marshall Harvey Twitchell. Twitchell was a teacher and officer in the Union Army, and later a Republican member of the Louisiana State Senate, born in 1840.
Given that photos of old Twitchell are available on the internet, you surely won't be needing any apps or wait for years to know what the celebrity would look like as an old man.
8) Robert Pattinson - a Civil War-era man
This unidentified man from the Civil War era was probably all that you needed to see today. And we do not even need to point out which celebrity he looks like, do we? It is spooky how his face is so similar to that of Twilight star Robert Pattinson. This photo is proof that hunks like our favorite celebrity existed throughout all ages of history.
9) Jimmy Fallon - Marxist-Leninist revolutionary leader Mahir Çayan
Mahir Çayan was a Marxist–Leninist revolutionary and the leader of the People's Liberation Party-Front of Turkey. And his facial features somehow, to some extent creepily, resemble those of television host and actor Jimmy Fallon who was born two years after Çayan's death. Reincarnation? We'll let you speculate.
10) Rupert Grint - painter David Wilkie
This self-portrait by Scottish painter David Wilkie looks exactly like the Harry Potter star Rupert Grint. Wilkie was widely known for his paintings of historical scenes and portraits, including formal royal ones, and scenes from his travels to Europe and the Middle East. We guess the fan-favorite celebrity won't need those apps that turn people's photos into antique portraits.
Note: The article reflects the writer's own views.