Jacqueline "Jacquie" Robbins and Joyce Robbins (born September 9, 1949) are twin American-Canadian actresses best known for playing the Blind Twins in The Wicker Man and for playing the White Faced Women in A Series of Unfortunate Events. They are based in Vancouver, British Columbia.
Jacqueline and Joyce Robbins | |
|---|---|
| Born | September 9, 1949 |
| Alma mater | University of Calgary |
| Occupation | Actresses |
| Years active | 1976-present |
Biography
editJacqueline "Jacquie" and Joyce Robbins were born in Rochester, Minnesota on September 9, 1949[1] to George Robbins and his wife Lilian Saper.[2] They had one older brother and one younger sister. Their father practiced medicine as a doctor in Alberta while their mother was a pharmacist. Of Jewish descent, their father changed his name from Rabinovitz to Robbins when emigrating to Canada from Huși, Vaslui[2] in Romania.
The sisters were raised in Calgary, Alberta.[3] They would put on plays as children with the neighborhood kids,with their parents encouraging the sisters interest in acting.[1]
As adults, they graduated at University of Calgary with BAs in 1972 and began teaching there for 15 years. They got their first onscreen acting job in the 1976 film Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull's History Lesson in background roles.[4][5]
The Robbins Sisters have appeared in numerous works including the 2006 remake of The Wicker Man and the Tom Cochrane music video for "Life Is a Highway".
They moved from Calgary to Vancouver in 22 November 2006.
They starred in a short film as the title leads in Mina.Minerva.[6][7] They received higher recognition for their roles as the White Faced Women in the Netflix adaptation of A Series of Unfortunate Events.[8] This role was actually meant to be a single character, but the siblings both turned up for the audition and asked to read the part as two persons. The producers liked the idea and cast them both.[9]
Personal life
editThey both briefly dated another pair of twins named Malcolm and Myron before "going [their] separate ways". They have the unique ability to speak and sing in unison on the spot.[7]
Filmography
edit| Year | Title | Jackie | Joyce | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull's History Lesson | Extras | Uncredited | |
| 1989 | The Ranch | Twins | ||
| 1990 | The Reflecting Skin | Twins | ||
| 2000 | Coldblooded | Landlord | ||
| 2000 | Burning Hear | Cabaret Woman | — | |
| 2003 | Crisis Line | Jackie | — | Direct-to-video |
| 2004 | Mindbenders | Lucretia | — | |
| 2006 | The Wicker Man | Blind Twin #1 | Blind Twin #2 | |
| 2008 | A Season to Wither | Elizabeth | Beatrice | Short film |
| 2009 | Chloe and Attie | Attie | Chloe | Short film |
| 2011 | Seed Money | — | Elyse | Short film |
| 2013 | Concrete Blondes | Mrs. Norton 2 | Mrs. Norton | |
| 2014 | Bedbugs: A Musical Love Story | Enid | Iris | Short film |
| 2014 | Cut Bank | — | Mrs. Margaret | |
| 2014 | Anxious Oswald Greene | Nicolina | Nicotina | Short film |
| 2014 | Jingle All the Way 2 | Laraine | Rita | Direct-to-video |
| 2014 | Mina.Minerva | Mina | Minerva | Short film |
| 2015 | The Twisted Slipper | Fawning Lady 1 | Fawning Lady 2 | Short film |
| 2015 | The Starlight Heist | Dancing Twin Franny | Dancing Twin Fanny | Short film |
| 2015 | The Blackburn Asylum | Ivy | Iris | |
| 2015 | Even Lambs Have Teeth | Marge | Betty | |
| 2015 | Payment | Hertha Parker | — | Short film |
| 2015 | FSM | Déjà Vu - Faye | — | |
| 2015 | Dr. Barlow | Amelia Barlow | Short film | |
| 2016 | Grocery Store Action Movie | Annoyed Shopper | Short film | |
| 2016 | Counter Act | Actor | — | Short film |
| 2017 | Of Tides/To Distill | Actor | Short film; Segment: "fig. 2" | |
| 2017 | The Christmas Calendar | Edna | — | |
| 2018 | Small Fish | Old Lady | — | Short film |
| 2018 | A Typical Fairytale | Extra | Short film; uncredited | |
| 2018 | Queen Jane and the Wizard | Sweetie | Evelyn | Short film |
| 2018 | 20 Minutes to Life | Hilde | Verna | Short film |
| 2019 | Hatch | Actor | Short film | |
| 2019 | The Long Haul | Gladys | Glenda | Short film |
| 2019 | Lattine Di Perfezione | Emma | — | Short film |
| 2020 | This is a Period Piece | Orderly | Orderly | Short film |
| 2021 | Andie the Great | Mrs. Tremblay | Miss Tremblay | |
| Year | Title | Jackie | Joyce | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | How the West Was Fun | Twin #1 | Twin #2 | TV movie |
| 1997 | Incredible Story Studios | Ms. Connors | — | Episode: "Sports and Soap Operas"; Segment: "Are We Having Fun Yet?" |
| 2000 | High Noon | Jane | Hannah | TV movie |
| 2005 | The Magic of Ordinary Days | Mrs. Pratt | Mrs. Parker | TV movie |
| 2008 | 7 Things to Do Before I'm 30 | Ms. Baumgarten #2 | Ms. Baumgarten #1 | TV movie |
| 2008 | Amber Alert: Terror on the Highway | Margaret | Ruth | TV movie |
| 2010 | Goblin | Old Woman #1 | Old Woman #2 | TV movie |
| 2012 | Psych | Birdie Turkle | Beatrice Turkle | Episode: "Heeeeere's Lassie" |
| 2014 | Signed, Sealed, Delivered | Follies Twin #1 | Follies Twin #2 | Episode: "Time to Start Livin'" |
| 2014 | Some Assembly Required | Ellen | — | Episode: "Fat Cat" |
| 2014 | Witches of East End | — | Old Beggar Woman | Episode: "Box to the Future" |
| 2015 | Hipster Horror House | Cafe Manager | TV movie | |
| 2017 | Android Employed | The Twins - Intro Sequence | 4 episodes | |
| 2017-2019 | A Series of Unfortunate Events | White Faced Woman #1 | White Faced Woman #2 | Recurring |
| 2018 | Chilling Adventures of Sabrina | Head Witch | — | Episode: "Chapter Ten: The Witching Hour" |
| 2018 | Road to Christmas | Woman in Hat | — | TV movie |
| 2018 | Jingle Around the Clock | Woman in Hat | — | TV movie |
| 2019 | Charmed | Rita | Nita | Episode: "The Source Awakens" |
| 2019 | Christmas in Evergreen: Tidings of Joy | Cooper Twin #1 | Cooper Twin #2 | TV movie |
| 2020 | Christmas in Evergreen: Bells are Ringing | Cooper Twin #1 | Cooper Twin #2 | TV movie |
| 2021 | Joe Pickett | Violet Bouvier | Vivian Bouvier | Recurring |
| 2020 | Motherland: Fort Salem | — | The Biddy | 2 episodes |
| 2022 | Two Sentence Horror Stories | Mabel Laurent | Jane Laurent | Episode: "Crush" |
| 2024 | Percy Jackson and the Olympians | — | Atropos | Episode: "A God Buys Us Cheeseburgers" |
| 2024 | So Help Me Todd | Tillie Lee | Mildred Lee | Episode: "Dial Margaret for Murder" |
References
edit- ^ a b Zeidler, Maryse. "At 71, these Vancouver-based twin actors are just hitting their stride".
- ^ a b "Land of Promise". www.jhssa.org. Retrieved 2023-12-31.
- ^ Alberta, Jewish Historical Society of Southern (1996). Land of Promise: The Jewish Experience in Southern Alberta. The Society. ISBN 978-1-55056-457-0.
- ^ Wiesner, Darren (January 18, 2016). "Exclusive – Have You Seen The Twins? Part I". Hollywood North Magazine. Retrieved January 8, 2020.
- ^ Cummings, Deb. "Alumnae Twins Star in Netflix's Series of Unfortunate Events". University of Calgary. Retrieved January 8, 2020.
- ^ Wiesner, Darren (January 19, 2016). "Exclusive – Have You Seen The Twins? Part II". Hollywood North Magazine. Retrieved January 8, 2020.
- ^ a b Azpiri, Jon (September 25, 2016). "Royal Visit 2016: Vancouver twin actresses talk about their brush with Will and Kate". Global News. Retrieved January 8, 2020.
- ^ Shamsian, Jacob; Oswald, Anjelica (January 7, 2019). "Here's what the cast of 'A Series of Unfortunate Events' looks like in real life". Insider. Retrieved January 8, 2020.
- ^ Burk, Lorelei (2023-06-15). How to Put Your Kids on A Schedule: A Practical Guide for Scheduling and Sleep Training Your Baby or Toddler to A Happier Family Life and Other Helpful Parenting Tips From A Mother of Twins. FriesenPress. ISBN 978-1-0391-6877-0.