Alex Carson
The Parent Trap was a 1998 film starring Lindsay Lohan. It was extremely popular among younger audiences, but many adults also enjoyed the comedic and heartwarming premise. In this film, two young girls meet at a summer camp, to find out that they’re really long lost twins. The two switch places before returning home, and together, they try to get their divorced parents to reunite. This romantic comedy with a twist made the movie lovable for a wide audience. The goofy plot brought up plenty of opportunities for laughs.
However, this version of The Parent Trap wasn’t really the first. This film was actually a remake of the popular 1961 film of the same name. The original film was directed by David Smith. His fine work ended up being the reason the film was nominated for two different Academy Awards. The original film was inspired by a novel called Lottie and Lisa, or, the original German title, Das Doppelte Lottchen. The novel was published in 1949, and it was written by Erich Kästner. Who could have guessed such an old book would be transformed into such a classic film?
The original film was very successful, Walt Disney Productions knew it would be profitable as a remake. Most agree that the end result was even better than the original film! The fun, heartwarming premise, and the amazing cast all earned the film a spot in the hearts of many Americans. In fact, it has garnered something of a cult following in the past decade or so.
Film By Nancy Meyers
This film was directed by Nancy Meyers, a prolific director who certainly did the original film justice. Adding a few fun changes of her own to really make the film stand out from the original. The film’s charm and success can be attributed to the director, the cast brought the script to life.
It’s been just over two decades since the film was released. In 2020, the cast members decided to reunite over a Zoom call. Things changed a lot since the film was released, but the cast member’s chemistry hasn’t changed a bit! In today’s video, we’re going to look at just how different all of the cast members of The Parent Trap really are. Stick around until the very end of this video, where we’ll reveal which cast member couldn’t make it due to a tragic accident. Most of the cast members have been actors their whole lives. One of them actually worked as a model before an unforeseen accident forced her to switch careers. Make sure you stick around long enough to find out what new line of work she took up in recent years!
Lindsay Lohan
Lindsay Lohan played the dual starring roles of twins Hallie and Annie. It was her breakout role and it would lead to a long and prolific acting career. However, she was quite lucky to land the role. The casting process was highly competitive. Some other actresses who were considered to play Hallie and Annie included Mara Wilson, Michelle Trachtenberg, and Scarlett Johansson! Altogether, over 1,500 different hopeful girls sent audition tapes for consideration. Only Lindsay Lohan was lucky and talented enough to win the part.
After The Parent Trap, Lindsay Lohan found success in numerous other roles, including Freaky Friday, Mean Girls, and Herbie: Fully Loaded. However, she became a subject of controversy later in life after struggling with substance abuse. While this had a hugely negative impact on both her career and her image to the public, she was able to overcome her struggles. Today, she has continued to appear in films, and she has also started her own fashion line and opened up a number of resorts and nightclubs. Overall, Lindsay Lohan seems quite happy with her life, and her choice to move to Europe and live outside of America turned out to be the right decision.
Dennis Quaid
Dennis Quaid played the twins’ father in The Parent Trap, Nicholas Parker. He was already considered an A-list celebrity by the time he auditioned for the role. Some of his more memorable film appearances before The Parent Trap include Great Balls of Fire!, The Big Easy, and Innerspace.
The Parent Trap was far from his final appearance on the big screen. He later went on to act in films like Footloose, Soul Surfer, and, more recently, The Intruder. However, Dennis Quaid has proved that it’s always good to expand your horizons and find interests outside of your career. In his free time, he plays in his band The Sharks, and he is an avid golfer. During 2020, he found a new passion; podcasts. He and Jimmy Jellinek began the podcast The Pet Show with Dennis Quaid and Jimmy Jellinek.
Recently, he married his wife Laura Savoie on June 2nd, 2020. They had been scheduled to marry on April 4th, but the COVID-19 pandemic put a temporary wrench in their plans. Thankfully, they are now happily and lovingly joined in holy matrimony. If you’re impressed by Dennis Quaid’s many interests and hobbies, click the like button to let us know!
Elaine Hendrix
Elaine Hendrix played the antagonist of The Parent Trap, Meredith Blake, Nicholas Parker’s new girlfriend who hates children and is only marrying for money. In real life, however, Elaine Hendrix is a sweet and successful woman. While she is well-known for her role in The Parent Trap, acting is far from her most successful endeavor.
Elaine Hendrix began to follow her dreams at a relatively young age. During her senior year of high school, she became a professional dancer and model. She was passionate about both careers, but after she moved to Los Angeles in 1992, she was hit by a car while riding her bike. The accident permanently ended both careers, but Elaine Hendrix knew there was so much more she could do with her life. She bounced back quickly and began to appear in a variety of television shows, including Ellen, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, and Married… with Children. Her role in The Parent Trap was by far the most famous at the time, but she continued to appear in roles in TV shows and movies.
Today, Elaine Hendrix still works as an actress, but she also works hard as an animal rights activist.
While Elaine was lucky enough to recover from her accident, one member of The Parent Trap cast wasn’t so lucky. At the end of this video, we’ll reveal which important cast member was sadly unable to attend the Zoom meeting due to her untimely death. And if you’re enjoying the video so far, please take a moment to like the video and subscribe to our channel.
Lisa Ann Walter
Lisa Ann Walter played Chessy, a housekeeper and nanny for Nick and Hallie. In the film, she meets and falls in love with Elizabeth and Annie’s butler, Martin. Her lively role may have been a relatively minor one in The Parent Trap,but she would also go on to act in films like Bruce Almighty, Shall We Dance, and War of the Worlds. She worked as a standup comedian for five years, and she also created and starred in a sitcom Life’s Work, although it was canceled after just one season.
In 2011, she was a talk show host for The Fabulous Lisa Ann Walter Show, although, after three years, she quit to spend more time focusing on her work as an actor. While her acting career may not be as prolific as Dennis Quaid or Lindsay Lohan, she is a respectable actor in her own right, and who knows? She may end up starring in some famous films in the near future!
Simon Kunz
Simon Kunz played the James family butler, Martin. In the film, he falls in love with the Parker family’s housekeeper and nanny, Chessy. This romantic subplot was both charming and humorous, and the two actors had plenty of silly chemistry onscreen.
Simon Kunz is a British actor with a long list of appearances in both film and television. Some of the TV shows he has appeared in include My Family, The Last Kingdom, and Sherlock. While most of his film appearances have been quite minor, Simon Kunz seems happy in his career as an actor. He also acts in live theatre, appearing in productions like Comedians, Blood and Gifts, and 55 Days. During the cast Zoom call, Simon Kunz seemed delighted to reunite with his fellow cast members, and we can only imagine that he’s doing as well as he can during these uncertain times.
Natasha Richardson
While the reunion of The Parent Trap cast was joyful in many regards, it also brought a little bit of grief. Sadly, one prominent member of the cast was unable to appear; Natasha Richardson, who played Annie and Hattie’s mother, Elizabeth James. She was beloved by all of the cast members, and Lindsay Lohan described her as both loving and motherly. In 1994, she married Liam Neeson, and the two were deeply in love for many years. Together, they went skiing in Quebec, Canada. She hit her head in a skiing accident, but it was thought to be a minor injury.
Tragically, however, the injury proved to be more serious than they originally thought. On March 18th, 2009, Natasha Richardson died of an epidural hematoma, also known as a brain bleed. During the Zoom meeting, the remaining cast members of The Parent Trap all took a moment to remember her and say a few poignant words about her impact on the world.
Altogether, the remaining members of The Parent Trap cast appeared to be delighted to see one another’s faces all in one place, even if it was over a Zoom call. Were you more surprised to learn that Dennis Quaid started his own podcast, or that Elaine Hendrix is an animal rights activist? Let us know in the comments below, and don’t forget to subscribe to Facts Verse for more!
