Choreographer Mandy Moore Says She Finally Met Actress Mandy Moore After Years of Being Confused for Each Other
- - Choreographer Mandy Moore Says She Finally Met Actress Mandy Moore After Years of Being Confused for Each Other
Dave QuinnDecember 24, 2025 at 10:52 PM
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Choreographer Mandy Moore (left) and actress/singer Mandy Moore (right) -
Choreographer Mandy Moore met actress Mandy Moore for the first time after years of near encounters and mix-ups
The two connected at 4 a.m. in an airport lounge and bonded over years of mistaken identity
Moore, the choreographer, humorously embraced the confusion, naming her corporation "Nope, Not Her" and using it as her Instagram handle
Mandy Moore has finally met her famous name twin.
After years of near misses, the three-time Emmy-winning choreographer — known for her work on So You Think You Can Dance, Dancing with the Stars and for staging Taylor Swift's Eras Tour — at long last came face-to-face with actress and singer Mandy Moore.
Moore (the choreographer, to be clear) recounted the story on the latest episode of The Joe Vulpis Podcast, released Tuesday, Dec. 23.
Until that point, the two had crossed paths in almost every way except in person. Moore recalled working on That '70s Show while the actress was dating Wilmer Valderrama, along with multiple red carpet near-meetings and even a lunch planned just before the COVID-19 pandemic that never materialized.
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But as the saying goes, good things happen when you least expect it. And one early morning at Los Angeles International Airport, the long-awaited meeting between the Moores happened.
"Literally 4 a.m. at LAX at the American lounge one morning, I look over and I’m like, ‘That’s Mandy Moore,’ " the choreographer recalled. "And I was like, ‘Oh my God, I don’t want to be a dork. But I feel like this moment is important!' "
Though she initially decided not to say anything, fate intervened once they boarded the same flight. "I get on the plane, she’s in first class. She’s the first person, I’m sitting right behind her," Moore said. "I was like, 'I’m going to say it.' I was like, ‘Mandy?’ "
Moore (the actress and singer, now) was thrilled her namesake had said hello. "She goes, ‘Mandy!’ " the choreographer exclaimed. "And she like, gave me the biggest hug."
The moment capped off years of confusion between the two, something Moore (the choreographer) said has followed her throughout her career.
"I think this is the funniest thing in the world that I have the same name as a very lovely lady, Mandy Moore," she said. "Yes, it has been a bit of the bane of my existence for many, many years. But I also love it."
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Choreographer Mandy Moore (left) and actress/singer Mandy Moore (right)
Because of years of being mistaken for one another, the two had already connected online, making the real-life introduction especially meaningful.
"Obviously on like, Twitter and stuff, we’ve gone back and forth because everyone always thinks she’s me and everyone thinks I’m her," Moore said. "So it was very sweet. And she’s just a rad human."
And Moore (the choreographer, again) has even embraced the mix-ups professionally, naming her corporation "Nope, Not Her," which also doubles as her Instagram handle.
"People… they’re like, 'Nope, another?' They don’t quite get it,” she explained. "But when you see it, you can’t unsee it."
Moore, 49, worked as a dancer for years before DWTS judge Carrie Ann Inaba gave her one of her first big breaks, hiring her as an assistant for television dance projects. She spent 16 seasons on SYTYCD, crafting some of the show's most memorable numbers, and has been a mainstay on DWTS, too, even choreographing the ABC competition's upcoming stage tour.
Other notable choreography credits include films such as La La Land and Snow White, as well as TV hits like Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist and Hairspray Live!. She has also created dance numbers for the Academy Awards, Golden Globe Awards, Emmy Awards and Grammy Awards ceremonies.
Moore most recently appeared on-screen on Swift's Eras Tour docuseries, The End of an Era, with fans getting to see a behind-the-scenes glimpse of how she choreographed the record-breaking tour.
The other Moore, 41, first rose to fame in the late '90s with hit singles including "Candy" before becoming a successful film and television star. Her acting credits include A Walk to Remember, The Princess Diaries, and This Is Us, for which she earned Emmy and Golden Globe nominations. She is also the voice of Rapunzel in Disney’s Tangled franchise.
Fans can see the actress next on screen alongside comedian Nate Bargatze in the upcoming film The Breadwinner, set for release on March 13, 2026.
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Source: “AOL Entertainment”
