Kim Jong-un and Donald Trump impersonators

An impersonator is someone who imitates or copies the behavior or actions of another. There are many reasons for impersonating someone: *Entertainment: An entertainer impersonates a celebrity, generally for entertainment, and makes fun of their personal lives, recent scandals and known behavior patterns. Especially popular objects of impersonation are

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the " King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. His ener ...

(''see Elvis impersonator''),

Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the " King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over ...

(''see

Michael Jackson impersonator Impersonators of American entertainer Michael Jackson work all over the world as entertainers, and such tribute acts remain in great demand due to the enduring popularity of Jackson. In the media Films * ''Maanthrikam'', a 1995 Malayalam acti ...

'') and Madonna (see '' Madonna impersonator''). Entertainers who impersonate multiple celebrities as part of their act, can be sorted into impressionists and celebrity impersonators. Male

drag queens A drag queen is a person, usually male, who uses drag clothing and makeup to imitate and often exaggerate female gender signifiers and gender roles for entertainment purposes. Historically, drag queens have usually been gay men, and part ...

have traditionally been called "

female impersonators A drag queen is a person, usually male, who uses drag clothing and makeup to imitate and often exaggerate female gender signifiers and gender roles for entertainment purposes. Historically, drag queens have usually been gay men, and part ...

", although this terminology is now considered outdated. Minstrel shows were a popular form of theater in the United States in which white people impersonated black people by wearing blackface makeup and imitating Southern black speech and music. *Crime: As part of a

criminal act In ordinary language, a crime is an unlawful act punishable by a state or other authority. The term ''crime'' does not, in modern criminal law, have any simple and universally accepted definition,Farmer, Lindsay: "Crime, definitions of", in C ...

such as

identity theft Identity theft occurs when someone uses another person's personal identifying information, like their name, identifying number, or credit card number, without their permission, to commit fraud or other crimes. The term ''identity theft'' was c ...

. This is usually where the criminal is trying to assume the identity of another, in order to commit

fraud In law, fraud is intentional deception to secure unfair or unlawful gain, or to deprive a victim of a legal right. Fraud can violate civil law (e.g., a fraud victim may sue the fraud perpetrator to avoid the fraud or recover monetary compen ...

, such as accessing confidential information, or to gain property not belonging to them. Also known as social engineering and

impostor An impostor (also spelled imposter) is a person who pretends to be somebody else, often through means of disguise. Their objective is usually to try to gain financial or social advantages through social engineering, but also often for purposes ...

s. * Decoys, used as a form of protection for political and military figures. This involves an impersonator who is employed (or forced) to perform during public appearances, to mislead observers. *Sowing discord, causing people to fight, or dislike each other for social, business or political gain.

Celebrity impersonators

Celebrity impersonators are impostors who look similar to celebrities and dress in such a way as to imitate them. Impersonators are known as sound-alikes, look-alikes, impressionists, imitators tribute artists and wannabees. The interest may have originated with the need or desire to see a celebrity who has died. One of the most prominent examples of this phenomenon is the case of

. Edward Moss has appeared in movies and sitcoms, impersonating

Tom Jones Tom Jones may refer to: Arts and entertainment *Tom Jones (singer) (born 1940), Welsh singer *Tom Jones (writer) (1928–2023), American librettist and lyricist *''The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling'', a novel by Henry Fielding published in 1 ...

has attracted his share of impersonators from different places around the world. From the United States, to South East Asia, to the UK, there are performers who either sound like him or imitate his act.

Notable impersonators

* Maurice LaMarche *

Frank Welker Franklin Wendell Welker (born March 12, 1946) is an American voice actor. He began his career in the 1960s, and holds over 860 film, television, and video game credits as of 2022, making him one of the most prolific voice actors of all time. With ...

* Jim Cummings * Rob Paulsen *

Tress MacNeille Teressa Claire MacNeille (née Payne; born June 20, 1951) is an American voice actress, whose credits include voicing Dot Warner on the animated television series '' Animaniacs'', Babs Bunny on ''Tiny Toon Adventures'', Chip and Gadget Hackwrenc ...

Dan Castellaneta Daniel Louis Castellaneta (; born October 29, 1957) is an American actor, comedian, and writer. He is best known for voicing Homer Simpson on the animated series ''The Simpsons'' (as well as other characters on the show such as Abraham "Grampa" ...

* Moin Akhter * Joe Alaskey has impersonated

Jackie Gleason John Herbert Gleason (February 26, 1916June 24, 1987) was an American actor, comedian, writer, composer, and conductor known affectionately as "The Great One." Developing a style and characters from growing up in Brooklyn, New York, he was know ...

and Mel Blanc * Shafaat Ali *

Anthony Atamanuik Anthony Atamanuik (; born June 15, 1974) is an American writer, actor, and comedian. He impersonated former U.S. President Donald Trump during the campaign and his presidency, first on the '' Trump vs. Bernie'' debate tour and then on ''The Pre ...

impersonates

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of P ...

* Ate Glow did comedic impersonations of Philippine President

Gloria Macapagal Arroyo Maria Gloria Macaraeg Macapagal Arroyo (, born April 5, 1947), often referred to by her initials GMA, is a Filipino academic and politician serving as one of the House Deputy Speakers since 2022, and previously from 2016 to 2017. She previously ...

* Alec Baldwin impersonates

* Rory Bremner * Steve Bridges * Reggie Brown impersonates

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, Obama was the first Af ...

* Frank Caliendo *

Jim Carrey James Eugene Carrey (; born January 17, 1962) is a Canadian-American actor, comedian and artist. Known for his energetic slapstick performances, Carrey first gained recognition in 1990, after landing a role in the American sketch comedy t ...

* Dana Carvey * Dmitry Orlov, occasionally does impersonations of Berl Lazar * Marc Dreier * Jimmy Fallon (does regular impersonations, but better known for impersonating famous singers) * Will Ferrell * Tina Fey *

David Frye __NOTOC__ David Shapiro (November 21, 1933January 24, 2011) was an American comedian, specializing in comic imitations of famous political figures, most of whom were based on notable Americans, including former U.S. Presidents Lyndon B. Johnson a ...

* Mikheil Gelovani portrayed

Joseph Stalin Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin (born Ioseb Besarionis dze Jughashvili; – 5 March 1953) was a Georgian revolutionary and Soviet Union, Soviet political leader who led the Soviet Union from 1924 until his death in 1953. He held power as Ge ...

at least a dozen times in film in their lifetimes * Frank Gorshin—several actors, best known for Kirk Douglas and Burt Lancaster * Sunil Grover *

Charlie Chaplin Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin Jr. (16 April 188925 December 1977) was an English comic actor, filmmaker, and composer who rose to fame in the era of silent film. He became a worldwide icon through his screen persona, the Tramp, and is conside ...

—parodied

Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Germany from 1933 until his death in 1945. He rose to power as the leader of the Nazi Party, becoming the chancellor in 1933 and the ...

in the film ''

The Great Dictator ''The Great Dictator'' is a 1940 American anti-war political satire black comedy film written, directed, produced, scored by, and starring British comedian Charlie Chaplin, following the tradition of many of his other films. Having been the onl ...

'' * Bill Hader * Darrell Hammond *

Hal Holbrook Harold Rowe Holbrook Jr. (February 17, 1925 – January 23, 2021) was an American actor, television director, and screenwriter. He first received critical acclaim in 1954 for a one-man stage show that he developed called ''Mark Twain Tonight!'' ...

has portrayed Mark Twain *

Jay Jason Jay Jason (1915 – 2001) was an American stand-up comedian who continuously performed in the show-business industry from 1933 to 2000. Early life Jay Jason's grandparents were from Eastern Europe and Russia. His parents, Lina and Ben, had six c ...

* Clay Jenkinson portrays

Thomas Jefferson Thomas Jefferson (April 13, 1743 – July 4, 1826) was an American statesman, diplomat, lawyer, architect, philosopher, and Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father who served as the third president of the United States from 18 ...

Meriwether Lewis Meriwether Lewis (August 18, 1774 – October 11, 1809) was an American explorer, soldier, politician, and public administrator, best known for his role as the leader of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, also known as the Corps of Discovery, wit ...

Theodore Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt Jr. ( ; October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), often referred to as Teddy or by his initials, T. R., was an American politician, statesman, soldier, conservationist, naturalist, historian, and writer who served as the 26t ...

and Robert Oppenheimer and others * Val Kilmer has portrayed Mark Twain * Jan Leighton, famous for his impersonations of historical figures, estimated at over 3,000 in his lifetime * Rich Little, called "The Man of a Thousand Voices" * Ross Marquand * Kate McKinnon * Vaughn Meader * Jim Meskimen *El Moreno Michael *

Sammy Petrillo Sam Patrello (October 24, 1934 – August 15, 2009) was an American nightclub and movie comedian best known as a Jerry Lewis imitator. Early life Sammy Petrillo was born Sam Patrello in The Bronx, New York City, New York, to a show- ...

, best known for his

Jerry Lewis Jerry Lewis (born Joseph Levitch; March 16, 1926 – August 20, 2017) was an American comedian, actor, singer, filmmaker and humanitarian. As his contributions to comedy and charity made him a global figure in popular culture, pop culture ...

impersonation * Jay Pharoah *

Jim Post Jimmie David Post (October 28, 1939 – September 14, 2022) was an American folk singer-songwriter, composer, playwright and actor. In 1968 his pop song " Reach out of the Darkness" charted on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 for 14 weeks, peaking ...

portrays Mark Twain * Mike Randall has portrayed Mark Twain and

Charles Dickens Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English writer and social critic. He created some of the world's best-known fictional characters and is regarded by many as the greatest novelist of the Victorian er ...

Stevie Riks Stevie Riks (born in Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, England) is a comedian, impressionist, comedy writer and performer, artist who paints acrylic on canvas artwork of the artists he impersonates, voice-over artist and musician. Career Stevie Riks b ...

Tim Russell __NOTOC__ Tim Russell (born 1947) is an American radio announcer and voice actor (AFTRA/ SAG) in Minneapolis – Saint Paul. He is most widely known as one of the actors on the long-running radio show, ''A Prairie Home Companion'', and continue ...

* Sour Shoes * Martin Short *

Kevin Spacey Kevin Spacey Fowler (born July 26, 1959) is an American actor. He began his career as a stage actor during the 1980s, obtaining supporting roles before gaining a leading man status in film and television. Spacey has received various accolade ...

Aries Spears Aries Spears (born April 3, 1975) is an American stand-up comedian and actor from New Jersey. Spears was a regular on Fox's sketch comedy series ''MADtv'', appearing in 198 episodes, making him the second longest-serving cast member on the sho ...

* Freddie Starr * Larry Storch * Jeffrey Weissman has portrayed Mark Twain and

Crispin Glover Crispin Hellion Glover (born April 20, 1964) is an American actor. He is known for portraying eccentric characters on screen, such as George McFly in ''Back to the Future'' (1985), Layne in ''River's Edge'' (1986), Andy Warhol in ''The Doors'' ...

, the latter of whom sued over Weissman's impersonation of him * Joe Wiegand portrays 26th US president,

* Kristen Wiig * Emlyn Williams impersonated

Robin Williams Robin McLaurin Williams (July 21, 1951August 11, 2014) was an American actor and comedian. Known for his improvisational skills and the wide variety of characters he created on the spur of the moment and portrayed on film, in dramas and come ...

* Debra Wilson *

Howard X Howard Lee, known professionally as Howard X, is an Australian-Hong Kong Chinese music producer, political satirist and media personality. He is the world's first professional impersonator of Kim Jong-Un, the Supreme Leader of North Korea. Amo ...

, best known for his impersonation of

Kim Jong-un Kim Jong-un (; , ; born 8 January 1982) is a North Korean politician who has been Supreme Leader of North Korea since 2011 and the leader of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) since 2012. He is a son of Kim Jong-il, who was North Korea's sec ...

* Gravity Noir impersonated Culture Club with lead singer Patrick Knight impersonating

Boy George George Alan O'Dowd (born 14 June 1961), known professionally as Boy George, is an English singer, songwriter, DJ, author and mixed media artist. Best known for his soulful voice and his androgynous appearance, Boy George has been the lead singe ...

* Jess Harnell

Criminal impersonation

In England and Wales, the Poor Law Amendment Act 1851, section 3, made it an offence to impersonate a "person entitled to vote" at an election. In the case of Whiteley v Chappell (1868), the literal rule of statutory interpretation was employed to find that a dead person was not a "person entitled to vote" and consequently a person accused of this offence was acquitted. Although in a

Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the ...

case, an immigrant was charged with "criminal impersonation" for using another person's Social Security number when signing up for a job, some courts have ruled that supplying this wrong information may not be criminal. The ruling hinges on whether there was harm to the other person.

References

{{Authority control Acting Deception Crimes Comedy genres

Celebrity impersonators

Notable impersonators

Criminal impersonation

See also

References