Are Liv and Maddie Real Twins? We Reveal How They Film the Disney Show
Just like The Patty Duke Show 50 years ago, Disney Channel’s identical twins comedy Liv and Maddie relies on a few visual tricks — and a couple of look-alike extras — to pull off the premise.
Star Dove Cameron plays both Liv and Maddie, mismatched twin teen sisters (one of whom returns home after a stint in Hollywood) readjusting to living together under one roof.
QUIZ: Which TV Twins Are Played by Real Twins?
In a new promo scheduled to start airing later this month on Disney Channel, the network is finally sharing the show’s behind-the-scene production secrets with viewers. In the spot, Cameron’s two acting body doubles, Emmy Buckner (“Liv 2”) and Shelby Wulfert (“Maddie 2”), are revealed for the first time.
“To make one girl look like two girls it actually takes three girls,” Cameron says. “And wigs are completely necessary to create the visual difference between me as Liv and me as Maddie,” plus wardrobe and other tweaks.
Executive producers John D. Beck and Ron Hart say they’ve been conscious of not treating the fact that Cameron plays both roles as a gimmick. The process itself hasn’t changed much from the days of The Patty Duke Show or Hayley Mills in The Parent Trap.
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To get the shot, a camera is kept is a stationery position, as Cameron performs Liv on one side of the screen, then goes through her transformation via wardrobe, hair, and make-up, returns and performs Maddie on the other side of the screen. The backs of Buckner’s and Wulfert’s heads are used to add to the illusion that they are filming twins. It all gets stitched in post-production.
“The camera trickery is not what makes our show work, we are driven by the extraordinary performance Dove gives each week,” Hart says. She plays two characters and creates the relationship between them. We never think of Emmy and Shelby as ‘photo doubles.’ They are Dove’s scene partners and a critical piece in creating what ends up getting on the air.”
In the next original episode of Liv and Maddie, “Rate-A-Rooney,” the show will tackle the subject of bullying. In the episode, the sisters and their friends confront a classmate who has been rating them based on their looks. The episode airs on Sunday, February 8 at 9/8c.
Here’s the behind-the-scenes Liv and Maddie promo, set to start running on February 15.
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I am watching it right now!!!
it’s the best.
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i love liv and maddie just finished it
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I love Liv and Maddie! Dove Cameron is AMAZING!
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liv and maddie is THE BEST SHOW EVER!!
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It’s so good and the series was made years ago but I still watch it in 2020
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I love Liv and Maddie I'm watching it right now
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Is there going be a new season of liv and maddie, and will Liv show com out on liv and maddie?
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All of the season's are so awesome!
When Maddie and holden break up .
🙁
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still watched it on netflix in 202 before our netflix was cancelled.
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I WAS WATCHING THE SHOW AND THE INTRO HAVE DOVE CARMON FOR LIV AND DOVE CAMRON FOR MADDIE
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ive watched al of it and its amazing but I didn't know Dove Cameron layed both Liv and Maddie. It's a hugr suprise for me.
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i love dove cameron song i can be a better boyfreind then him
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It's so GOOD
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I had watched liv and maddie a lot I finished the end was so sad
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Sooooooo good!!!! IF YOU HAVENT SEEN IT WATCH IT NOW
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I’m watching liv and Madrid right now sleep-a-Rooney
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I’m still watching it in 2022
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i love liv and maddie i watched like all the sesons 5 times
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i love this show
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The last episode is literally called "end-a-rooney", that sounds like the end of the show to me.
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It's so cool
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No that was liv Maddie has Diggie
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Bam what I love this show😍
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It's a good show did you know joey's glasses are real and Maddie's are fake?
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Anyone else relying on Disney Channel to get through quarantine?
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THIS IS CRAZY
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this sucks duke
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I really like the show!!❤️
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how does she do that
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this is so clever
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And the biggest Fastest thing you can ever think of and is this real or fake TTYL
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lol thats cool
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i never knew that!
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I love Liv and Maddie and I just finish it
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Interesting to know the process really hasn't change since the Patty Duke days. I would have thought advanced technology would have made things much different.
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If it works it works I guess!
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How many Rooney how much do you want to come to my birthday party? I’m writing you coming in. I am your best friend Bam what from Kaitlyn Chambers your best friend then I will write you on my birthday with Liv Rooney because you are my top favorite twin sister moment I got one I got one sister and she is 25. I am 23. I just want you wanna come my my birthday party before when I go at the beach so if you want to come if you if you do, I’ll bring you some your favorite ball a basketball, if you want to come if you if you are you want and change your mind and become deaf me Caitlyn Joy, Chambers be your friend for a whole whole world is you Maddie Rooney? I want to see you in my house how many you offer dinner around 7 o’clock with Leveroni with Sofia Carson, will you please come I just I just wanna be there I’m your friend want to come ever you wanted I’m right here from king Kaitlyn Chambers
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I want to you come on a dinner in the house, Maddie Rooney in Liv Rooney you want to come and Sofia Carson come now and for fun for my party good night
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Slumber party my house
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Hey do you know if Liv plays Maddie on the show Liv and Maddie
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liv and maddie are seperate characters.... played by one actress...
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LOL the article above just said the actress Dove Cameron plays both Liv and Maddie,and sometimes uses a look alike body double.
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You can see it in they face if Maddie takes her glasses off and curls her hair
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