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 An entertainer is someone who provides entertainment in various different forms. Types of entertainers * Acrobat * Actor * Archimime * Athlete * Barker * Beatboxer * Benshi * Bouffon * Circus performer * Clown * Club Hostess/Host * Co ...

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 "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...

(''see

Elvis impersonator An Elvis impersonator is an entertainer who impersonates or copies the look and sound of American musician and singer Elvis Presley. Professional Elvis impersonators, commonly known as Elvis tribute artists (ETAs), work all over the world as ent ...

''),

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 a ...

(''see Michael Jackson impersonator'') and Madonna (see ''

Madonna impersonator A Madonna impersonator is an entertainer who impersonates American singer-songwriter Madonna. Professional Madonna impersonators have existed at least since the mid-1980s, and sometimes are sorted as "tribute acts". As an established artist, M ...

''). Entertainers who impersonate multiple celebrities as part of their act, can be sorted into

impressionists Impressionism was a 19th-century art movement characterized by relatively small, thin, yet visible brush strokes, open Composition (visual arts), composition, emphasis on accurate depiction of light in its changing qualities (often accentuating ...

and celebrity impersonators. Male drag queens have traditionally been called " female impersonators", although this terminology is now considered outdated.

Minstrel shows The minstrel show, also called minstrelsy, was an American form of racist theatrical entertainment developed in the early 19th century. Each show consisted of comic skits, variety acts, dancing, and music performances that depicted people spec ...

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

Decoys A decoy (derived from the Dutch ''de'' ''kooi'', literally "the cage" or possibly ''ende kooi'', " duck cage") is usually a person, device, or event which resembles what an individual or a group might be looking for, but it is only meant to lu ...

, 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 Celebrity is a condition of fame and broad public recognition of a person or group as a result of the attention given to them by mass media. An individual may attain a celebrity status from having great wealth, their participation in sports ...

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 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 Maurice LaMarche (born March 30, 1958) is a Canadian voice actor, comedian, and impressionist. He has voiced the Brain in '' Animaniacs'' as well as its spin-off '' Pinky and the Brain'', Big Bob in ''Hey Arnold!'' (1996–2004), and a variety of ...

* Frank Welker * Jim Cummings * Rob Paulsen * Tress MacNeille * Dan Castellaneta * 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 Syed Shafaat Ali is a Pakistani TV host and stand up comedian who is known for his impressions of Pakistani public figures. Biography Ali was born in on 8 February in Peshawar and studied engineering. In 2006, Ali co-hosted the '' 4 Man Show'' ...

* Anthony Atamanuik 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 Renee Hampshire (born March 10, 1981) better known by her stage name Ate Glow is a Filipino comedian and actress who is known for her impersonation of former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. Early life Glow was born Rene Boy Facunla on March ...

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 Roderick Keith Ogilvy "Rory" Bremner,"Rory Bremner". '' Who Do You Think You Are?''. Wall to Wall for BBC One. 2 February 2009. No. 1, series 6. (born 6 April 1961) is a Scottish impressionist and comedian, noted for his work in political sati ...

* 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, Obama was the first African-American president of the ...

Frank Caliendo Frank Caliendo Jr. (born January 19, 1974) is an American comedian, actor and impressionist, best known for his impersonations on the Fox Network television series ''MADtv'', and as the in-house prognosticator for '' Fox NFL Sunday''. In 2007 ...

* Jim Carrey *

Dana Carvey Dana Thomas Carvey (born June 2, 1955) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, impressionist, screenwriter, and producer. He is best known for his seven seasons as a cast member on ''Saturday Night Live'' from 1986 to 1993, which earned him fiv ...

Dmitry Orlov Dmitry Orlov may refer to: * Dmitry Orlov (banker) (1943–2014), Russian banker * Dmitry Orlov (ice hockey) (born 1991), Russian professional ice hockey player * Dmitry Orlov (writer) (born 1962), Russian-American engineer and a writer * Dmitri ...

, occasionally does impersonations of Berl Lazar *

Marc Dreier Marc Stuart Dreier (born May 12, 1950) is an American former lawyer who was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison in 2009 for committing investment fraud using a Ponzi scheme. He is scheduled to be released from FCI Sandstone on October 26, 2 ...

* Jimmy Fallon (does regular impersonations, but better known for impersonating famous singers) *

Will Ferrell John William Ferrell (; born July 16, 1967) is an American actor, comedian, and producer. He first established himself in the mid-1990s as a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy show '' Saturday Night Live'', where he performed from 1995 to 2 ...

Tina Fey Elizabeth Stamatina "Tina" Fey (; born May 18, 1970) is an American actress, comedian, writer, producer, and playwright. She is best known for her work on the NBC sketch comedy series ''Saturday Night Live'' (1997–2006) and for creating the ...

* David Frye *

Mikheil Gelovani Mikheil Gelovani ( ka, მიხეილ გელოვანი, Russified as Михаи́л Гео́ргиевич Гелова́ни, ''Mikhail Georgievich Gelovani''; – 21 December 1956) was a Soviet and Georgian actor, known for his n ...

portrayed

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

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

Sunil Grover Sunil Grover (born 3 August 1977) is an Indian actor and comedian from Mumbai. He came into limelight for his portrayal as Gutthi on television show ''Comedy Nights with Kapil'' but gained popularity for playing the role of Dr Mashoor Gulati an ...

* Charlie Chaplin—parodied

Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Nazi Germany, Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his death in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the le ...

in the film '' The Great Dictator'' *

Bill Hader William Thomas Hader Jr.''Finding Your Roots'', January 26, 2016, PBS. (born June 7, 1978) is an American actor, comedian, writer, and producer. He is the creator, producer, writer, director, and star of the HBO dark comedy series ''Barry'' (201 ...

Darrell Hammond Darrell Clayton Hammond (born October 8, 1955) is an American actor, stand-up comedian and impressionist. He was a regular cast member on ''Saturday Night Live'' from 1995 to 2009, and has been its announcer since 2014. Upon his departure, Hammo ...

* Hal Holbrook has portrayed Mark Twain * Jay Jason * Clay Jenkinson portrays

Thomas Jefferson Thomas Jefferson (April 13, 1743 – July 4, 1826) was an American statesman, diplomat, lawyer, architect, philosopher, and Founding Father who served as the third president of the United States from 1801 to 1809. He was previously the natio ...

, Meriwether Lewis,

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 Val Edward Kilmer (born December 31, 1959) is an American actor. Originally a stage actor, Kilmer found fame after appearances in comedy films, starting with ''Top Secret!'' (1984) and ''Real Genius'' (1985), as well as the military action film ...

has portrayed Mark Twain *

Jan Leighton Jan Leighton (December 27, 1921 - November 16, 2009) was an American actor and model who appeared in more than 3,000 roles. He specialized in portraying historic characters, but also worked as a voice actor and hand model. He was credited by t ...

, famous for his impersonations of historical figures, estimated at over 3,000 in his lifetime *

Rich Little Richard Caruthers Little (born November 26, 1938) is a Canadian-American impressionist and voice actor. Sometimes known as the "Man of a Thousand Voices", Little has recorded nine comedy albums and made numerous television appearances, including ...

, called "The Man of a Thousand Voices" *

Ross Marquand Roscoe Wayne Marquand (born August 22, 1981) is an American actor. He has played Aaron on the television series '' The Walking Dead'' since 2015, Red Skull and Ultron in various projects connected to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and has voice ...

Kate McKinnon Kate McKinnon Berthold (born January 6, 1984) is an American actress, comedian, and writer. She is known for her character work and celebrity impressions on the sketch comedy series ''Saturday Night Live'' (2012–2022), of which she was a cas ...

Vaughn Meader Abbott Vaughn Meader (March 20, 1936 – October 29, 2004) was an American comedian, impersonator, musician, and film actor. Meader began his career as a musician but later found fame in the early 1960s after the release of the 1962 comedy reco ...

* Jim Meskimen *El Moreno Michael * Sammy Petrillo, best known for his Jerry Lewis impersonation *

Jay Pharoah Jared Antonio Farrow (born October 14, 1987), better known by his stage name Jay Pharoah, is an American stand-up comedian, actor, and impressionist. Pharoah was a cast member on NBC's sketch comedy series ''Saturday Night Live'' from 2010 to 201 ...

* Jim Post 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 e ...

* Stevie Riks *

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 contin ...

* 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 *

Freddie Starr Freddie Starr (born Frederick Leslie Fowell; 9 January 1943 – 9 May 2019) was an English stand up comedian, impressionist, singer and actor. Starr was the lead singer of Merseybeat rock and roll group the Midniters during the early 1960s, an ...

* Larry Storch *

Jeffrey Weissman Jeffrey Weissman (born October 2, 1958) is an American actor. He has appeared in dozens of motion pictures and TV shows, most notably as George McFly in ''Back to the Future Part II'' and ''III'' and as Teddy Conway in ''Pale Rider.'' He has guest ...

has portrayed Mark Twain and Crispin Glover, the latter of whom sued over Weissman's impersonation of him *

Joe Wiegand Joe Wiegand (born April 15, 1965) is an impersonator who has portrayed U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt in all fifty U.S. states, after a career as a political consultant. Wiegand performed at the White House on October 27, 2008, as part of the ...

portrays 26th US president,

Kristen Wiig Kristen Carroll Wiig (; born August 22, 1973) is an American actress, comedian, screenwriter, and producer. Born in Canandaigua, New York, she was raised in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and Rochester, New York. She moved to Los Angeles, where she jo ...

Emlyn Williams George Emlyn Williams, CBE (26 November 1905 – 25 September 1987) was a Welsh writer, dramatist and actor. Early life Williams was born into a Welsh-speaking, working class family at 1 Jones Terrace, Pen-y-ffordd, Ffynnongroyw, Flints ...

impersonated

* Robin Williams *

Debra Wilson Debra Wilson, also known as Debra Wilson Skelton or Debra Skelton, is an American actress and comedian. She is known for being the longest-serving original cast member on the sketch comedy series '' Mad TV'', having appeared on the show's fir ...

* Howard X, best known for his impersonation of Kim Jong-un *

Gravity Noir Gravity Noir is a British synth-pop band that was established in the early 1990s. Background The founder of Gravity Noir, British-Belgian dual citizen Patrick John Angele Knight, performed as a Boy George tribute act and participated in sever ...

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 singer ...

Jess Harnell Jess Harnell (born December 23, 1963) is an American voice actor and singer. His notable roles include Captain Hero in the animated TV series '' Drawn Together'', Wakko Warner in '' Animaniacs'', Ironhide in the first three ''Transformers'' fil ...

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 The plain meaning rule, also known as the literal rule, is one of three rules of statutory construction traditionally applied by English courts. The other two are the " mischief rule" and the " golden rule". The plain meaning rule dictates that ...

statutory interpretation Statutory interpretation is the process by which courts interpret and apply legislation. Some amount of interpretation is often necessary when a case involves a statute. Sometimes the words of a statute have a plain and a straightforward meani ...

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 In common law jurisdictions, an acquittal certifies that the accused is free from the charge of an offense, as far as criminal law is concerned. The finality of an acquittal is dependent on the jurisdiction. In some countries, such as the ...

. Although in a

Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain states, 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 wes ...

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