The Collinson Twins, Mary and Madeleine

Here are the Collinsons in a still from their most famous roles—the twins in Twins of Evil.

About the Collinson Twins: Sisters, Actors, and Centrefolds

The Collinson twins—Mary and Madeleine—are probably best known for their roles in the Hammer Horror movie Twins of Evil (1971), where they starred alongside horror movie veteran Peter Cushing. This was not their first time on screen, though; the girls had also made a few prior appearances in sexploitation movies, including Some Like It Sexy (1969).

Their roles as the voluptuous twins also involved some nudity—a normal thing with '70s Hammer movies—but it provided them with the chance to do some real acting as well. Mary played the good twin, Maria, while Madeleine played the evil one, Frieda. These were roles they could get their teeth into, rather than just providing them with yet another opportunity to shed their clothes.

Fan Favourites for Twins of Evil and Playboy

Twins of Evil remains a firm favourite with Hammer Horror fans to this day, as well as with horror movie fanatics in general. For many people, it is probably one of the first things to come to mind whenever the twins are mentioned. The other thing the girls are famous for is, of course, being Playboy centrefolds.

Twins Trivia

The Collinsons were not Hammer's first choice for the role of the twins. They initially wanted to cast Kate O'Mara as one of the sexy sisters, but they were unable to find a suitable lookalike to play her twin.

Early Life

Identical twins Madeleine and Mary Collinson were born in Malta on 21st July 1952. Their father, John Collinson, was a former officer in the Royal Navy, but he did not stick around after their birth. Their mother, Adelaide (an ex-model who later gave birth to a second set of twins), brought them up, with the assistance of the twin's grandmother and aunts.

The girls became interested in acting at an early age, and by the time they were 14, they had already appeared on Maltese TV commercials. They had also started to do some modeling.

Strangely, the girls did not go to the same school. Mary went to a commercial college, but Madeleine attended a convent school. After leaving school, Madeleine began working as a secretary. Then, in April 1969, Mary moved to London, and Madeleine followed her three months later.

Cover of Playboy magazine (October 1970) Featuring Mary Collinson and Madeline Collinson - AKA The Collinson Twins

The Collinson twins appeared on the cover and in the center pages of Playboy.

Playboy Centrefolds (October 1970)

Not long after their arrival in London, the twins were invited to a party. Playboy magazine's managing director, Victor Lownes, was also at the party. He took an instant interest in the girls and invited them to move into his house in London.

Lownes contacted Hugh Hefner, made arrangements, and flew the twins to Chicago for a Playboy test shoot. Needless to say, the shoot was a success, and pictures of Mary and Madeleine were soon wowing hot and sweaty males all over the world.

Playboy's First Twin Playmates

The Collinsons are not the only twins to have been pictured trying to dodge the staples in the glossy center pages of Playboy magazine, but they were the first—and, many fans would argue, the best.

It is worth noting that they appeared on the front cover of the magazine as well as the centre pages. Having a playmate (or mates, in this case) on the cover was a rare thing indeed, so the editor must have been very impressed by the pair (or should that be pairs?).

Twins Trivia

For the Collison's "Playboy" shoot, the UK pictures were shot first. The twins then flew to Chicago—and stayed in the Playboy Mansion—for the main centerfold shoot.

List of Collinson Twin Movies

Some Like it Sexy (1969)
Halfway Inn (short) (1970)
Groupie Girl (later renamed IAm a Groupie (1970)
Permissive (1970)
She'll Follow You Anywhere (later renamed Passion Potion) (1971)
The Love Machine (1971)
Twins of Evil (1971)

Other Media Appearances

Playboy magazine (October 1970)
The Tonight Show With Johnny Carson (1970)
Groupie Girl (later renamed I Am a Groupie) (1970)
Impact '70 magazine (1970)
Cinema X magazine (1972)
Tit-Bits magazine (1973)

This photo of the Collinson twins was taken in 1998 at a Hammer Convention in Bray.

Where Are the Collinson Twins Today?

When the Collinsons visited America, their appearance on The Johnny Carson Show made quite an impact, and offers of work were quick to follow. Columbia wanted them, and so did Warner Brothers, but Mary was keen to return to Europe.

The twins went to Milan and pursued a much quieter lifestyle, away from the public eye. It would seem the big time was not for them. They could have had it, but they chose otherwise.

Deaths of Madeleine and Mary Collinson

Madeleine stayed in Milan for a while, but she eventually returned to Malta, where she continued modeling and also worked with educational and cultural organizations. She married a pilot from the Royal Air Force, and the couple had two daughters and one son. Madeleine suffered from emphysema and died on 14 August 2014 at the age of 62.

Mary remained in Milan and had two daughters, Adelaide and Natasha. She also continued modeling and doing other work, including fundraising for the charity Our Disappearing Planet. One of Mary's fundraising efforts was selling prints of stills from Twins of Evil and donating the proceeds to the organization. (She also made some videos in support of the organization.) She continued living in Milan until her death on 23 November 2021 at the age of 69. Mary died of bronchopneumonia.