Growing up in the '90s, you couldn't escape them. If you weren't watching them swap places on Sweet Valley High, you were seeing them in those ubiquitous Doublemint gum commercials. Cynthia Daniel and Brittany Daniel weren't just actresses; they were the personification of the "perfect blonde twin" aesthetic that defined a decade.
But honestly? The "perfect" image was mostly a TV construct.
While their characters, Elizabeth and Jessica Wakefield, were busy dealing with high school drama in a fictional California town, the real sisters were navigating a much more complex reality. Today, people still ask: Which one is the photographer? Is the one from Joe Dirt still acting? There’s a lot of noise out there.
The truth is, their lives took wildly different turns after the sun set on Sweet Valley. One basically walked away from fame at the height of it. The other fought a literal battle for her life that changed their family dynamic forever.
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The Sweet Valley Split: Why Cynthia Walked Away
Most people don't realize that Cynthia Daniel—the "responsible" twin Elizabeth—basically retired from acting the second the show ended in 1997. It’s pretty rare in Hollywood. Usually, when you have a hit show, you ride that wave until it crashes.
Cynthia didn't want the wave.
She felt the pull of a "normal" life. While Brittany was out booking roles in Joe Dirt and White Chicks, Cynthia was picking up a camera. She became a professional photographer. It wasn't just a hobby; it was a career shift that allowed her to step behind the lens and out of the exhausting glare of the paparazzi.
She also married Cole Hauser. Yeah, that Cole Hauser—Rip Wheeler from Yellowstone. They’ve been together since the ‘90s, which is basically a century in celebrity years. They have three kids, and for a long time, Cynthia was perfectly happy being a "civilian" mom and artist.
Brittany Daniel’s Fight Nobody Saw Coming
Brittany stayed in the game. She was the "edgy" twin, and her career reflected that. She moved into comedy, landing a huge role as Kelly Pitts on The Game. She was everywhere.
Then everything stopped.
In 2011, Brittany was diagnosed with Stage IV non-Hodgkin lymphoma. It was brutal. We’re talking about a life-threatening, "your whole world halts in an instant" kind of diagnosis. She went through intensive chemotherapy, lost thirty pounds, and ended up on a feeding tube.
During this time, the "twin bond" moved from a marketing slogan to a survival strategy. Cynthia didn't just visit; she was the backbone of Brittany’s recovery.
"I learned it's okay to ask for help," Brittany later shared. "I had to slow down enough to listen to my body."
She eventually beat it. She’s been cancer-free for years now, but the fallout of that battle led to one of the most incredible stories of sisterhood I've ever heard.
The Ultimate Gift: More Than Just DNA
Because of the aggressive chemo, Brittany was told she wouldn't be able to have children biologically. It was a devastating blow.
So, Cynthia stepped in.
In a move that sounds like a movie plot but is actually 100% real, Cynthia donated her eggs to her twin sister. Because they are identical twins, they share the exact same DNA. When Brittany and her husband, Adam Touni, welcomed their daughter Hope in 2021 via surrogate, the baby was biologically as close to Brittany as humanly possible.
Cynthia basically said it was a "simple gift."
Think about that for a second. Most siblings won't even lend you a sweater without complaining. Cynthia gave her sister the chance to be a mother. When they talk about it now, there's no weirdness. Cynthia sees herself as the aunt, and Brittany finally has the family she dreamed of while she was sick in that hospital bed.
Are They Ever Coming Back to Sweet Valley?
The question that keeps '90s kids up at night: Will there be a reboot?
Talks have been "happening" for years. Brittany has been vocal about wanting to bring the Wakefield sisters back as adults. In 2022, we actually got a tiny taste of it when the sisters appeared together in the Cheaper by the Dozen remake. It was Cynthia’s first acting credit in about twenty years.
Honestly, seeing them on screen together again felt right.
But a full-blown Sweet Valley revival is tricky. The books, written by Francine Pascal, have a massive cult following, but modern TV is different. If it happens, it won't be the saccharine, bright-colored show from the '90s. It’ll probably be more in line with the "Sweet Valley Confidential" books—messy, adult, and a little bit darker.
What You Should Take Away From Their Story
The Daniel twins aren't just a nostalgia trip. Their lives actually offer some pretty solid perspective on a few things:
- Career pivots are okay. Cynthia proved you can be at the top of a profession and decide it's just not for you.
- Health is a moving target. Brittany was at the peak of her career when she got sick. It’s a reminder that "busy" shouldn't come at the expense of "well."
- Family is the only real safety net. Their story about the egg donation and the cancer battle shows that the bond they played on TV was actually the realest thing about them.
If you're looking to keep up with them today, Cynthia’s photography work is still her primary focus, while Brittany remains active in the industry and as an advocate for cancer research.
Check out Brittany's work with the Gabrielle's Angel Foundation if you want to see how she’s using her platform for more than just acting. You can also follow their shared social media ventures where they often post about "The Sweet Life," giving fans a glimpse into how they’ve balanced fame with the very real, very un-Hollywood parts of their lives.
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Take a look at Cynthia's professional photography portfolio to see how she transitioned from being the subject to the artist. It's a masterclass in reinventing yourself when the world wants you to stay exactly who you were at seventeen.