Susan Gordon and Pat Cahoon Friedman were born a decade apart but are doppelgangers who have much in common
The child actresses look alike and have similar personalities and roles.
A case of mistaken identity
You have probably noticed people around you who are unrelated but look alike and have similar mannerisms. I just realized this about two chiJennie ld actresses who were born ten years apart. I mistook Patti Cahoon Friedman for Susan Gordon.
When I recently watched an episode of Mannix titled Bang Bang You're Dead, a blonde girl had similar features and the same voice as Gordon. I assumed it was her as the child spoke to Joe Mannix the way Jennie talked to Old Ben (J. Pat O'Malley) in The Twilight Zone episode The Fugitive. I later realized this Mannix episode was in 1971,two decades after the Rod Serling series. This led me to research both women.
Susan Gordon was in high demand
Susan Gordon was a child actress who got her start at age eight in 1968, in The Attack of the Puppet People. She was in high demand and has also appeared on television shows like Alfred Hitchcock Presents, The Twilight Zone, Route 66, The Danny Thomas Show, and Gunsmoke.
Gordon was a talented blonde child who had a distinctive, unforgettable voice. She also appeared in the films Picture Mommy Dead, Tormented, and The Five Pennies.
Gordon was born on July 27, 1949, and died at age 62, from thyroid cancer on December 11, 2011. She was married to Avraham Aviner for 34 years until her death, and in later life, returned to her Jewish roots. Susan's voice and mannerisms gave the impression that she was wise beyond her years.
Patti Cahoon is Susan's doppelganger
Patti Cahoon Friedman, born on January 27, 1959, was the child actor in Mannix. Her voice, blonde hair, facial expression, attitude, and mannerisms were almost identical to Gordon's. A major difference between the two was that Cahoon had noticeable freckles. Even as adults the two women continued to look similar.
Cohoon Friedman began her career at 11 in an episode of Medical Center in 1976. Her other roles include Here Comes the Brides, Family Affair, The Interns, and Mayberry RFD. Her film roles include Deadly Desires, Jamie's Secret, and Acceptable Risks.
She was also in an episode of Lucas Tanner, and a few episodes of the soap Days of Our Lives as Nurse Connie. She is married to writer-producer-director and Emmy winner, Adam Friedman.
Sharing personality traits but not DNA
Watching favorite television shows and movies from decades past can bring revelations we did not think about before. I recall watching Kristian Alphonso on Days of Our Lives and thinking she reminded me of professional skater Nancy Kerrigan.
Both women have long dark hair and similar body builds. Imagine my surprise when I read that Alfonso also had been a skater. I thought of actors James Coburn and Lee Marvin, who looked and sounded alike and appeared in similar films and Westerns.
Do we all have a doppelganger somewhere out there?
Scientists have new research to suggest that doppelgangers share genes and personality traits, even when they do not share DNA. In some cases, DNA has been a factor, but not in all. I have been noticing this for years, and at times can predict how someone will move or react in a situation because they remind me of someone else I know.
What about you who are reading? Do you have a twin somewhere out there or know someone else who has someone who is identical? Now that you are aware of this phenomenon, pay closer attention to the actors on your favorite shows to see who else in the world of intertainment has a similar appearance, personality, and mannerisms.
About the Creator
Cheryl E Preston
Cheryl enjoys writing about current events, soap spoilers and baby boomer nostalgia. Tips are greatly appreciated.
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