Celebrity Doppelgangers – Animal Edition

Since our initial post regarding Celebrity Doppelgangers, many readers have let us know who else they feel looks oddly alike in Hollywood. Most impressive was a friend’s insight into the world of celebrity animals. I’m not talking Paris Hilton’s dog looks like Kiki Palmer’s dog – I’m talking dogs who are famous who look like other dogs who are famous.

Let’s start in Golden Retriever Land. The dog who played “Comet” in Full House went by the name of “Buddy the Dog” – clever, I know. After wrapping up his final season on Full House he went on to play Air Bud in the first two Air Bud movies. Sadly, Buddy the Dog passed away shortly after the second film – which left producers no choice but to replace him with none other than his celebrity doppelganger, strangely named Air Bud.

This child and dog combo has earned an insanely large chunk of change over the years.

Air Bud plays rugby. That’s a fact.

Next we will move into the world of little dogs. In 1995 the world welcomed the kids’ TV series “Wishbone” into their homes. Wishbone’s IMDB description is far better than anything I could write or think of so I have chosen to borrow it instead.

Soccer (May 17, 1988 – June 26, 2001) was a Jack Russell terrier dog actor. A veteran of many television commercials for companies like Nike Athletics and Mighty Dog Dog Food, he became famous portraying the talking dog Wishbone in the PBS TV series of the same name. Chosen from out of more than 100 dogs who auditioned for the role, Soccer appeared in almost every episode of the show during its 1995–1998 run. He lived with his trainer, Jackie Kaptan, on the Plano, Texas ranch where the Wishbone series was filmed.

Whoa whoa. WHAT?! Over 100 other dogs AUDITIONED for the role of Wishbone and this little guy was the most impressive? How could you even decide?! If I were in grade 9 and I could job shadow anyone for bring your daughter to work day, I would track down the casting director for animal-based TV shows and movies and demand that they let me watch them shatter the dreams of puppies everywhere just so they can make a buck. I’m sure I would just cry all day but I’d like to see what kind of person has that job. I’m guessing a mean one that hates puppies.

I digress. Wishbones casting director obviously knew that “Soccer” the Jack Russell would be a hit, and sure enough another little Jack Russell popped onto the silver screen in 1996. The TV show Frasier introduced canine friend “Eddie” in the shows 3rd season. Eddie is actually “Enzo” the dog whose father “Moose” was also in the biz.

Stealing milk bones from the rich and giving to the poor.

Enzo, you adorable little cash cow you.

Enzo’s IMDB profile trumps Soccer’s hugely and poor little Soccer never made it onto the big screen. Was it stage fright? Or was it that no one could tell the difference between the two? We will never know.

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