Haussmann Twins Are Always Acting Up

On the corner of New York City's Washington Street and West 11th you will find the Manhattan Monologue Slam, an American Idol-esque venue for aspiring actors. Performers are given three minutes to deliver either an original or known piece of work. For younger actors, there's the 30-Second Slam, and both sets of slams are judged by a panel consisting of agents and producers. They pick the top five performances, and then fan applause secures victory for one.

Taking part in the 30-Second Slams, audience members will often find a set of twins — Port Washington's own Alexandre and Philippe Haussmann.

The 15-year-old brothers have already been a part of Discovery Channel's Most Evil — Alexandre played a young David Berkowitz and Philippe played a young John Wayne Gacy. Most recently the boys were seen in this fall's apocalyptic blockbuster 2012 as twins Alec (Alexandre) and Oleg (Philippe) Karpov.

But they are always looking to hone their skills. At the Slam, where a Manhattan studio has been converted into a theater, Philippe tells the tried-and-true relatable story of dealing with family when you're a kid, while Alexandre takes the more Avant-garde route and does a humorous piece about cannibalism. Both boys, according to their mother, Joanne Perahia, came up with their material on the spot because "they both work well under pressure."

"It's probably the best way to upgrade your skills," Alexandre said. 

"It's also probably the best way to overcome any fears you might have because you're acting in front of a live audience and when you're just starting out that's uncommon," Philippe added.

The Slam is hosted and produced by a different set of brothers, Philip and Robert Galinsky. Philip just happens to be the reason the twins landed their roles in 2012 — he's their acting coach.

"What I like about the boys is that besides the acting ability, they are also into other stuff such as fencing, and they volunteer at an animal shelter," Philip Galinsky said. "They want to be the kind of actors that do something good for the world besides act, and that ties in with the eco-friendly message behind 2012."

While having only acted in a few roles, the twins are often noticed when out in public. "There go some movie stars," said a patron of Popeyes following the show.

When asked about being noticed, Philippe nonchalantly said, "That happens sometimes."

The twins said that it tends to be a bigger deal in school, but Philippe said "everyone at Schreiber High School is pretty cool about it though." 

Even though the boys have backup career plans and other hobbies (both play the French horn and are certified scuba divers), they have been a part of the acting industry since they were in fifth grade, appearing in commercials for various local and national outlets, as well as cable television.

But both boys agree that nothing in their young careers has come close to 2012.

"Filming was a lot of fun," Philippe said. "We got to go to Vancouver, and not many kids my age can say they have been in a movie, much less a movie of this blockbuster caliber."