Warrior Screenwriter Cliff Dorfman Reveals Secret Link to Infamous ‘Three Identical Strangers’ Child Study

Hollywood screenwriter Cliff Dorfman, known for penning the Oscar-nominated drama Warrior and writing for hit series Entourage, spent decades believing his adoption was ordinary. That changed when he uncovered ties to Dr. Peter Neubauer’s infamous child development study—the covert experiment that secretly separated identical twins and triplets at birth.

Dorfman, 58, learned his adoption had been handled by Louise Wise Services, the defunct New York agency that funneled separated infants into Neubauer’s research during the 1960s and 1970s. But unlike the famous triplets featured in the 2018 documentary Three Identical Strangers, Dorfman was allegedly enrolled without a twin, serving as a lone subject in a secretive nature-versus-nurture trial.

The revelation that his childhood was tracked by researchers sparked years of investigation, an official denial from archivists, and ultimately inspired elements of his debut novel, Crime Family.

Cliff Dorfman, screenwriter and author of Crime Family.

How the Infamous ‘Three Identical Strangers’ Study Operated

The covert research project was led by the late child psychiatrist Dr. Peter Neubauer through the Child Development Center in New York. Working alongside Louise Wise Services, the team separated identical twins and triplets placed for adoption, placing them with different families of varying socioeconomic backgrounds without disclosing their siblings’ existence.

Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, researchers conducted regular home visits, recorded playtime interactions, and administered psychological evaluations disguised as routine post-adoption follow-ups.

“My own life had been someone’s data set.”

Neubauer never published the study before his death in 2008. Instead, the raw records were transferred to Yale University, where they remain legally sealed until the year 2065, leaving subjects with immense hurdles to uncover their own histories.

Cliff Dorfman discusses his past adoption and research inquiries.

The Discovery: A Lone Child in an Infamous Experiment

Watching Three Identical Strangers triggered immediate alarm bells for Dorfman. Knowing Louise Wise Services had placed him with an adoptive family in New York, he began investigating whether an unknown identical brother existed.

What he discovered took an unexpected turn during an October 2018 phone call with the Jewish Board of Family and Children’s Services, the organization overseeing the study’s historical records. According to Dorfman and his ex-wife, Dru Mouser, a board representative confirmed he had been studied, but as an only child.

“I was there and I heard the conversation, and they confirmed that he was not a twin. They did say that he was part of the study, but they wouldn’t give him any more information.”

Another unnamed participant in the project shared that researchers likely utilized single adopted infants as control subjects to compare against separated twins and triplets.

Cliff Dorfman.

Unlocking Childhood Memories of Psychological Testing

The revelation clarified strange childhood experiences for Dorfman. While attending the Lakeside School in Merrick, New York, during the mid-1970s, he recalled taking the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children test with a visiting doctor.

Dorfman remembered the examiner asking to be called “PB”—matching the first and middle initials of Peter Bela Neubauer.

• Agency involved: Louise Wise Services (permanently closed in 2004).
• Lead researcher: Dr. Peter Neubauer (Child Development Center).
• Current record status: Sealed at Yale University through 2065.
• Custodial body: The Jewish Board of Family and Children’s Services.

Cliff Dorfman.

Myth vs. Reality: The Neubauer Twin Study Records

A widespread assumption surrounding the Neubauer study is that only multiples were monitored, and that official institutions provide clear access when contacted by potential subjects. The reality is far more complex.

The Jewish Board issued a firm statement contradicting Dorfman’s account: “We never communicated to Mr. Dorfman that he was in the study, and he is not one of the study subjects mentioned in the Yale records.”

Dorfman disputes that stance, joining other participants who have reported major resistance and limited cooperation when seeking their personal files.

Cliff Dorfman.

Crime Family: A Novel by Cliff Dorfman.

Channeling the Past Into Fiction

Dorfman met his biological mother, Jan Weiss, at age 40, learning that his maternal grandfather had threatened disinheritance if she kept him. Raised in an unhappy adoptive home that he left permanently at 18, the lingering questions about his roots shaped his storytelling.

His debut novel, Crime Family, weaves elements of Louise Wise Services and the Neubauer experiment into its narrative, reflecting the turbulence of his upbringing and the search for identity.

While he has not ruled out legal avenues to access the sealed Yale archive, Cliff Dorfman has found peace with the unresolved pieces of his childhood.

📱 The legacy of Dr. Peter Neubauer’s secret study continues to raise profound ethical questions about American medical research and closed adoptions.

✨ Adoptees and advocates continue pushing for full disclosure long before the Yale files’ official 2065 unsealing date.

💬 Did you watch Three Identical Strangers? Share your reaction to Cliff Dorfman’s story in the comments below.

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