Doppelganger photography project proves people are more alike than they think

Imagine meeting someone who looks just like you, but you're not related. François Brunelle’s photography project, I’m Not a Look-Alike!, captures the striking resemblance between unrelated people from around the globe. His black-and-white portraits show doppelgangers side by side, and the results are mind-boggling. But Brunelle's project doesn’t just stop with photography; he aims to bring together look-alikes for an international exhibition and even publish a book on these fascinating encounters.

A viral Reddit post on the subreddit r/interestingasfuck recently shared Brunelle’s work, sparking widespread curiosity about doppelgangers. The post, shared by soumilr7, has gathered over 13k upvotes, drawing attention to a DNA study that revealed many doppelgangers actually share genetic similarities. Though not directly related, these individuals have overlapping DNA variations, suggesting that looking alike isn't as coincidental as we might think. A commenter summarized the phenomenon, saying, “Apparently making humans is like making music. You can only make so much variation before similar chords and melodies are used again.”

Brunelle’s photography isn't the only way people experience these eerie similarities. The Reddit thread exploded with users sharing their personal doppelganger encounters. One user, shiny_glitter_demon, described how people frequently mistook them for someone else who lived just a few kilometers away, even though they had never met. “It’s a strange feeling,” they wrote, recounting the surreal experience.

Another user, Yggdrasil-, shared a story with an unexpected twist. Growing up in rural Ohio, their father was constantly greeted as "Bill" by strangers in nearby towns. After some digging, the family discovered that "Bill" was actually the father’s younger brother, who had been put up for adoption. The resemblance was so uncanny that it sparked an emotional reunion of long-lost siblings.

While many stories come with humorous undertones, some are downright mysterious. OpheliaRainGalaxy recounted a high school experience where people repeatedly saw someone who looked just like them across town, yet they never ventured to that side of town. Even 20 years later, people still confuse the user with this unknown doppelganger, continuing the odd pattern of mistaken identity.

Others had similar experiences, such as Supply-Slut, who discovered an old child actor looked identical to them as a kid. Despite reaching out to the actor for a fun comparison, the actor didn’t seem too enthusiastic, brushing it off as a prank. “Such a bizarre experience,” the user commented, underscoring the confusion and intrigue that often comes with these encounters.

The idea that doppelgangers share more than just looks is supported by recent research. A DNA study mentioned in the Smithsonian article highlights that people who look alike also share common genetic variations. This means that while these individuals aren’t directly related, they often have more in common than meets the eye.

The human genome has a finite number of possible variations, meaning that, as helpjack_offthehorse poetically put it, “You can only make so much variation before similar chords and melodies are used again.” In other words, as billions of people populate the Earth, it becomes increasingly likely that some of us will resemble one another.

Brunelle’s photography project and the discussions it’s sparked raise a deeper question: How unique are we really? In a world where DNA can explain some uncanny likenesses, the notion that everyone is “one of a kind” starts to blur. Yet, as one Redditor, PranksterLe1, put it, “We are special, and we are not special at all. Coming to terms with those two things in a healthy way is the journey.”

It’s a humbling thought, but perhaps these uncanny resemblances can remind us of our shared humanity. If you're ever lucky (or unlucky) enough to meet your own doppelganger, don't forget to snap a photo—you never know where the story might lead.

If you're curious about François Brunelle’s project, you can follow his ongoing work and even volunteer to participate. It's a powerful reminder of how much we all have in common—visually and beyond.