Twin stars of the stage

Alex and Graham Miller know that being a twin has its benefits. Besides sharing a gym membership and having an automatic partner in crime, the brothers’ identical twin status landed them the leading roles in South Coast Repertory’s Theatre for Young Audiences production of “The Prince and the Pauper,” opening Friday on the Julianne Argyros Stage.

“It can get you things in life,” Graham Miller said, “but we don’t use it for anything devious.”

Director Nicholas Avila was thrilled to cast the 26-year-old Millers — who briefly considered swapping roles instead of costumes — to play the indistinguishable wealthy Prince Edward and poor beggar Tom who take advantage of their similar appearances and switch places to explore their misconceptions of each other’s daily life in this Mark Twain classic tale.

“With a show like this, it’s a novelty to have twins to play the prince and the pauper,” Avila said. “But what’s been even more amazing is that both actors are very, very talented and would have been cast regardless of being twins.”

The brothers have pulled a couple real-life switcheroos over the years, though their most serious offense involved Graham momentarily posing as Alex in a speech for class president. While the twosome doesn’t subscribe to the “good twin, bad twin thing,” it was fairly clear from the beginning that Graham would play the street smart pauper and Alex the regal prince.

“I guess I’ve been a little more pampered in life,” Alex Miller said.

In the end, the play’s central characters learn a valuable lesson about destiny, and that human perception of others is often affected by physical characteristics that are rather insignificant — an important message for audiences of all ages, the actors said.

“What I love about children’s theater is that it really matters,” said Alex Miller, now starring in his third Theatre for Young Audiences production. “These kids learn something important, especially with this show.”

The Millers were born in Chicago and now live in Los Angeles, though not together. Starring together in commercials for Pizza Hut and Dr. Scholl’s, the graduates of the Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts in London enjoy playing the role of twins. Though the competition aspect can be problematic, it serves as a source of motivation.

“It can be difficult when we’re both going for the same thing, but when you get to do it together, it makes it even more special because you have somebody to share it with,” said Alex Miller. “The positives definitely outweigh the challenges.”