<P> The Sprouses began acting at the age of eight months following a suggestion from their grandmother, Jonine Booth Wright, who was a drama teacher and actress . The twins first appeared in a commercial for diapers, switching on - screen time every few seconds . As with many twins, the two have often played the same role, due to child labor laws in California restricting the amount of time children can be filmed in a day . Casting twins in a single role thus allows more time for the character to be filmed . Beginning at eight months old, the two played a single character, Patrick Kelly, on the ABC series Grace Under Fire . </P> <P> In 1999, the boys appeared in their first major feature film, Big Daddy, in which they shared the role of a five - year - old boy named Julian who is adopted by Adam Sandler's character, Sonny Koufax . Though the film received mixed reviews, the two were nominated for multiple awards for their role in the film . However, they did not win any . The same year, the boys also had a minor role in the thriller The Astronaut's Wife . The Sprouses have noted that after Big Daddy's release, they entered a slow period in their careers and were not cast in any major roles for a time . During the early 2000s, the twins appeared in episodes of The Nightmare Room and That' 70s Show, as well as in Mad TV and portrayed roles in the feature films The Master of Disguise and Adam Sandler's Eight Crazy Nights . Cole began appearing in episodes of the television show Friends, as Ross Geller's son Ben in 2001; this role was not shared with Dylan . </P> <P> They both appeared in I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus and Just for Kicks, both of which were family films that received a direct - to - video release . David Nusair of Reel Film Reviews said of their acting in Just for Kicks that the brothers "aren't the worst child actors I've ever seen,...but they certainly leave a lot to be desired ." Dylan and Cole were later cast in the Disney Channel original series The Suite Life of Zack & Cody, where they portrayed identical twins Zack and Cody Martin, respectively . The series, which debuted in March 2005, became a ratings success . As part of their involvement with Disney, the brothers also became part of the 11 - member group, the Disney Channel Circle of Stars, and sang the song "A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes" along with the members of the circle, for a video that was released as bonus material in the special edition version of the Disney film Cinderella . They also participated in the Disney Channel Games . </P> <P> The Sprouses played one character, Jeremiah, in the independent film The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things . The film was produced in 2004 but not given a theatrical release until March 2006, when it played at three theatres in the United States, ultimately grossing $29,000 domestically . Harvey Karten praised their acting, stating that "acting is superlative all around", and Tamara Straus of the San Francisco Chronicle called them "the movie's only saving grace". In 2007, the two filmed A Modern Twain Story: The Prince and the Pauper . Carrie R. Wheadon of Common Sense Media said the film was a "slow story for Zack and Cody fans only". The Sprouse brothers both had voice roles in the animated film Holidaze: The Christmas That Almost Didn't Happen alongside Brenda Song and Emily Osment . Dylan played the voice of Shasta in Disney's "Snow Buddies". The brothers both starred in the theatrical film The Kings of Appletown, which is based on the book The Adventures of Tom Sawyer . The film was directed by Bobby Moresco and written by Amanda Moresco . Shot in New Braunfels, Texas, the film was originally estimated to be released in the winter of 2008 . Kings of Appletown had a limited theatrical release on December 12, 2009 and was officially released at the Newport Beach Film Festival in April 2010 . </P>

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