You’ve seen him as a surgical prodigy in The Good Doctor or a creepy young Norman Bates, but if you grew up watching The Spiderwick Chronicles, there is a high chance you’ve been living a lie. It happens all the time. People walk away from that movie convinced—absolutely certain—that they just watched a pair of talented identical twins.
The reality? It was just one guy.
The Freddie Highmore twin brother myth is one of those internet urban legends that just won't quit. Honestly, it’s a testament to his acting. Playing both Jared and Simon Grace was so seamless that audiences naturally assumed there were two Highmores running around Hollywood. But while the "twin" part is a Hollywood illusion, the "brother" part is actually true.
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The Spiderwick Confusion
Let’s get the big one out of the way first. In 2008, Freddie Highmore took on the dual roles of Jared and Simon Grace. If you rewatch it now, the technical work is still pretty impressive for the time. He had to give two distinct performances, often acting against a tennis ball on a stick or a double who would later be digitally erased.
He wasn't just changing his hair. He changed his posture. He changed his cadence.
Because he was so convincing, the search for a "Freddie Highmore twin brother" exploded. People wanted to know who the other kid was. But the "other kid" was just Freddie in a different shirt and a slightly more cautious personality. It’s a classic case of a performance being so good it creates its own false reality.
Who is Bertie Highmore?
Now, this is where it gets interesting. While Freddie isn't a twin, he does have a younger brother. His name is Bertie Highmore.
Unlike the fictional twins in Spiderwick, Bertie is about three years younger than Freddie. He was born in 1995. If you’re a deep-dive film buff, you might actually recognize him, though you’d have to look really closely at a movie from 1999 called Women Talking Dirty.
In that film, the two real-life brothers actually played brothers on screen. Freddie was about seven, and Bertie was just a toddler. It’s a tiny, adorable footnote in their family history. But while Freddie’s career went into the stratosphere with Finding Neverland and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Bertie took a very different path.
- Birth Year: 1995 (Bertie) vs 1992 (Freddie)
- Early Acting: Both appeared in Women Talking Dirty
- Current Path: Bertie opted for a private life outside the spotlight
Basically, Bertie decided that the child-star life wasn't for him. While Freddie was busy filming in Vancouver or London, Bertie was living a relatively normal life. He isn't an actor today. He doesn't do the red carpet thing. You won't find him chasing TikTok clout or trying to ride his brother's coattails.
Why the "Twin" Rumor Won't Die
The internet loves a mystery. It also loves the "secret sibling" trope.
Part of the reason the Freddie Highmore twin brother search stays so active is that Freddie himself is famously private. He doesn't have public social media. He doesn't post "day in the life" vlogs. He’s a guy who shows up, does an incredible job acting, and then disappears back into his real life in London.
When a celebrity is that low-profile, fans fill in the gaps.
There’s also the "Father-Son" confusion. Freddie’s dad, Edward Highmore, is also an actor. They actually played father and son in Jack and the Beanstalk: The Real Story. When you have a whole family involved in the industry—his mom, Sue Latimer, is a high-profile talent agent who represents Daniel Radcliffe—it’s easy for the public to get the branches of the family tree tangled up.
Life Away from the Camera
Freddie isn't just an actor; he’s an academic powerhouse. He went to Cambridge. He studied Spanish and Arabic. He actually worked at a law firm in Madrid during his "break" from acting.
That’s not the typical path for a child star.
Most kids who grow up on film sets struggle to transition to adult roles. Freddie didn't just transition; he thrived. But he did it by keeping his feet on the ground. He has spoken in interviews about how staying in London helped him. He wasn't surrounded by the "yes-men" of Los Angeles. He was just a guy going to school, hanging out with his brother Bertie, and living a life that had nothing to do with craft services or script readings.
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The Truth vs. The Meme
So, to be crystal clear:
- Is Freddie Highmore a twin? No.
- Does he have a brother? Yes, Bertie.
- Are they identical? Not even close.
Bertie is a businessman now. He’s moved into the world of finance and data, according to various business networking profiles. He’s successful in his own right, just in a world where nobody asks for your autograph during a meeting.
It’s actually kinda refreshing. In an era where every celebrity sibling is trying to get a reality show, the Highmore brothers seem perfectly content with one being world-famous and the other being... just a guy.
What You Should Do Next
If you're still curious about the family's work, don't look for a twin. Instead, check out the 1999 film Women Talking Dirty to see the only time the two brothers shared the screen. It’s a rare glimpse into their childhood before their paths diverged into Hollywood and the corporate world.
If you're a fan of Freddie's "dual" acting, rewatch The Spiderwick Chronicles with the knowledge that it's all him. Watch the eye lines. Notice how he reacts to "nothing" when he’s playing against himself. It makes the performance way more impressive than if he'd actually had a twin helping him out.