Today's dose of nostalgia comes courtesy of The Parent Trap. The film (a remake of a 1961 Disney classic) follows identical twins who were separated at birth, reunite by accident at a summer camp and decide to switch places to reunite their unsuspecting parents, and premiered on July 20, 1998.
The film introduced us to a young Lindsay Lohan, then just 12, who earned rave reviews for her ability to convincingly play both characters — one with a British accent! — but also had a stacked cast that included Dennis Quaid, Natasha Richardson and Lisa Ann Walter.
Dust off your secret handshake, grab some Oreos and peanut butter, and see what the cast of The Parent Trap has been up to since the film's premiere 25 years ago.
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Lindsay Lohan: Hallie & Annie Parker
Lindsay Lohan — whose film debut playing two characters, twins Hallie and Annie, in the 1998 remake, made her an instant star — told Vanity Fairthat if she could say anything to her younger self, it would be to "put yourself first and just breathe." She continued, "Be happy and always be grateful for the moment you have in front of you. Be here, now."
Lohan's superstardom had its ups and downs, but in recent years she has taken a step back from Hollywood to move to Dubai and start a family; the now-37-year-old and her husband Bader Shammaswelcomed their first baby, a son named Luai. She has also recently returned to the small screen, starring in Netflix's Falling for Christmas in 2022.
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Dennis Quaid: Nick Parker
Dennis Quaid played the twins' dad, Nick Parker, who raised Annie in California. He recently shared fond memories of working with Lohan on The Parent Trap. "I think she was the smartest, most precocious 11-year-old I ever met," he recalled to The Today Show. "She just had this confidence about her."
The 69-year-old Hollywood veteran and father of three married his third wife, Laura Savoie, in 2020, and continues to act, most recently in On a Wing and a Prayer.
Natasha Richardson played Hallie and Annie's mom, who raised Annie in England and ran her own eponymous fashion line.
Richardson continued to act, memorably in Maid in Manhattan, formore than a decade. Tragically, the actress died of blunt force trauma after falling while skiing at Quebec's Mont Tremblant in 2009. She is survived by husband Liam Neeson and their two sons Michéal and Daniel.
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Elaine Hendrix: Meredith Blake
Every movie needs a villain and Elaine Hendrix's Meredith Blake — who was after the twins' dad and his fortune — had that honor in The Parent Trap. And though she now embraces the role's iconic status (and plays into it on her social media!) she admits at first she tried to distance herself from it.
"Right after the film came out, I [misguidedly] got it in my head that I didn’t want to be 'stereotyped,' so I turned down a lot of chances to play other roles like [Meredith]—even though I did play some," Hendrix admitted to Backstage. "That was a silly move. Now I wish I had taken every single role like her I could and cornered the market on 'bitch,' which is so fun to play. Live and learn."
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Lisa Ann Walter: Chessy
Not only was Lisa Ann Walter's Chessy the Parkers' longtime trusted housekeeper, but she also served as everyone's confidante, including the twins' as they conspired to get their parents together again.
(And if you're looking to get your mind blown, get this: Walter and Hendrix — who played Nick Parker's horrid love interest— are real-life BFFs.)
Since starring in the fan-favorite role, Walter has appeared in Bruce Almighty and Netflix's Glow. Most notably, the 59-year-old actress plays the spunky Mellisa Schemmenti on the Emmy-award-winning Abbott Elementary.
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Simon Kunz: Martin
Elizabeth James' butler Martin (Simon Kunz) had Annie's back as much as Chessy (Walter) had Hallie's, so it came as no surprise when Martin and Chessy eventually fall in love, providing every '90s kid watching The Parent Trap with the ultimate relationship goals.
Since Kunz's Martin and Annie taught us the proper way to greet someone, the actor has transitioned to TV work. He appeared in Requiem (2018), This England (2022) and Queen Cleopatra (2023).
Contrary to some popular rumors, Lindsay Lohan never had a twin sister and used a double for some of The Parent Trap scenes. The New York native starred as both Halle and Annie in the 1998 remake of the film alongside Dennis Quaid and Natasha Richardson.
Sadly, about a decade after “The Parent Trap,” Richardson died in 2009 at 45. While skiing in Québec, Richardson hit her head and refused to see a doctor. But she fell ill and her husband Liam Neeson made the decision to remove life support.
In 2020 she met her now husband, financier Bader Shammas, and in July 2023 the couple welcomed their first child, a son named Luai. In an interview with Emirates Woman in 2018, Lohan said the move to Dubai gave her a fresh start.
Dennis Quaid and Natasha Richardson star as a divorced couple who separated shortly after their identical twin daughters' birth; Lindsay Lohan stars (in her film debut) as both twins, Hallie Parker and Annie James, who are fortuitously reunited at summer camp after being separated at birth.
"The Parent Trap" may seem like a fantasy for some children of divorce, with two sisters plotting to get their parents back together. However, something like that actually happened for one family in Cincinnati. Scott Gaede and Julie Shore are the parents of two daughters and divorced nearly 10 years ago.
During the opening credits, it says "A Nancy Meyers/Charles Shyer Film," even though only the former is the director. As the end credits begin rolling, the caption "For Hallie" is a dedication to Nancy Meyers's daughter.
Multiple other young actresses were considered for the roles of Hallie and Annie, including Scarlett Johansson. Before Lindsay Lohan was cast in "The Parent Trap," Scarlett Johansson, Michelle Trachtenberg, and Mara Wilson were all considered for the role.
Quaid went on to have a very successful acting career after The Parent Trap, starring in films like Frequency, The Rookie, Far From Heaven, The Day After Tomorrow, and many more. Quaid's most recent film role is as Pastor Hill in The Hill.
On November 28, 2021, Lohan announced her engagement to financier Bader Shammas after three years of dating. On July 2, 2022, a representative confirmed Lohan and Shammas were married after she called him her "husband" on her Instagram birthday post. Lohan later revealed they had wed on April 3, 2022.
Lindsay Lohan has one child, a son named Luai, with her husband Bader Shammas. Her pregnancy was announced on social media on March 14th 2023 when the star posted an image of a onesie with 'Coming Soon' written across the front. On July 17, 2023, the couple announced the birth of their son.
Lindsay is in the healthiest, most stable and confident place in her life. She cooks from scratch and eating a lot of fresh, clean foods. She's eating a lot of greens. She also does Pilates and goes on walks and runs with the baby and Bader.
Lohan's adaptation of The Parent Trap is much more timeless because there aren't any noticeably outdated comments. This version was also funnier and less solemn than the original, making it better for its target audience. Another main point that makes Lohan's version more memorable is the villain.
For the interior shots of the Stafford Hotel, The Parent Trap production team opted for a separate filming location from the exterior shots. The inside is actually The Langham Huntington Hotel in Pasadena, California.
There were differences between the movies, to be sure: While the 1961 version with Hayley Mills was set at the fastidious Camp Inch, 1998's Parent Trap, starring Lindsay Lohan, took place at the slightly more fun-seeming Camp Walden, located somewhere in the woods of Maine.
In both the 1961 Parent Trap and the 1998 remake, one actor was cast to play both twins. While millennials contemplated getting their ear pierced with a sewing needle and an apple like Lindsey Lohan, their mothers weighed the short haircut of Hayley Mills of the original.
Hayley Mills as Susan Evers and Sharon McKendrick, identical twins who were separated shortly after birth when their parents divorced. They learn of each other's existence at a summer camp. Susan and Sharon are respectively based on Luise Palfy and Lottie Körner from the original book.
No, in both the original and the remake they were played by the same person: Hayley Mills in 1961, Lindsay Lohan in 1998. Nope, both of the twins were played by a single girl Lindsay Lohan. The other twin was a double played by Erin Mackey.
Because the original version of The Parent Trap in the '60s cast Hayley Mills in both roles. Having Lindsay Lohan do the same thing followed in the tradition. Adding to the Olsen twins can't act, already made similar movie, and the hook of the original was the actress playing both parts…
Introduction: My name is Margart Wisoky, I am a gorgeous, shiny, successful, beautiful, adventurous, excited, pleasant person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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