Should I be a celebrity impersonator?
November 16, 2006 12:15 PM Subscribe
So, I've been offered a job by a party company as a celebrity impersonator. If I decide to take it, and some corporate event requires someone who looks an awful lot like this guy, what sorts of thing can I expect to be doing?
I've asked the party company about this, and their answers were pretty vague, amounting to, "Basically, you'd just show up at corporate functions and act llike a celebrity." Before I go ahead with this sort of thing, I'd like to hear from people who have done celebrity impersonation before or who have worked with or known people who have, glean some anecdotes, something to give me a feel for what the job might entail.
It's something far outside of any sort of work I've done before, which has been naught but retail and tech support, and it does irk me that I can't leave the house without six or seven people telling me I look like Johnny Depp, but, still, I'm curious and willing to try something different. Also, they did tell me it pays pretty well, though they gave no examples, and I would like to confirm this.
I've asked the party company about this, and their answers were pretty vague, amounting to, "Basically, you'd just show up at corporate functions and act llike a celebrity." Before I go ahead with this sort of thing, I'd like to hear from people who have done celebrity impersonation before or who have worked with or known people who have, glean some anecdotes, something to give me a feel for what the job might entail.
It's something far outside of any sort of work I've done before, which has been naught but retail and tech support, and it does irk me that I can't leave the house without six or seven people telling me I look like Johnny Depp, but, still, I'm curious and willing to try something different. Also, they did tell me it pays pretty well, though they gave no examples, and I would like to confirm this.
Fending off potential suitors with a broom.
posted by box at 12:33 PM on November 16, 2006 [1 favorite]
posted by box at 12:33 PM on November 16, 2006 [1 favorite]
You're gonna get rich on ribbon cutting ceremonies, if you can improvise a working Edward Scissorhands costume.
posted by paulsc at 12:36 PM on November 16, 2006
posted by paulsc at 12:36 PM on November 16, 2006
I have friends who do Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton appearances; their fees are generally negotiable. He'll take jobs starting at $150 plus mileage and expenses for an hour's job, but she usually gets more, because as Dolly says "It costs a lot to look cheap." Have some fun with it.
posted by paulsc at 12:39 PM on November 16, 2006
posted by paulsc at 12:39 PM on November 16, 2006
Blow?
posted by backseatpilot at 12:44 PM on November 16, 2006
posted by backseatpilot at 12:44 PM on November 16, 2006
Jeez the possibilities are limitless. Frat parties = Hunter S Thompson. Bachelorette parties = Jack Sparrow. Comic or nerdish conventions = Edward Scissorhands. Hipster parties = Ed Wood. You've got a pretty deep ouevre to work with.
posted by spicynuts at 12:50 PM on November 16, 2006
posted by spicynuts at 12:50 PM on November 16, 2006
There was an interview on NPR with a Michael Jackson impersonator who was hired to reenact the trial on a daily basis. Don't know if Mr. Depp is in legal trouble to that extent, but you never know.
He, of course, made it very clear that he was an actor and playing Michael Jackson was just the role he was hired to play.
posted by plinth at 1:16 PM on November 16, 2006
He, of course, made it very clear that he was an actor and playing Michael Jackson was just the role he was hired to play.
posted by plinth at 1:16 PM on November 16, 2006
This thread is useless without pictures.
posted by tristeza at 3:35 PM EST on November 16
Dammit, Tristeza! Beat me to it.
posted by msali at 1:37 PM on November 16, 2006
posted by tristeza at 3:35 PM EST on November 16
Dammit, Tristeza! Beat me to it.
posted by msali at 1:37 PM on November 16, 2006
Best answer: I think the OP is wondering/worried that he might have to do some ... y'know ... acting, and he feels a bit out of his element.
What you might do, Johnny Mulp, is practice in front of a mirror (or with patient and objective friends) standing around looking comfortable in your skin yet also slightly bemused. Imagine having headphones on playing great music that only you can hear. The occasional grin or quick laugh ("Imagine your audience naked..."), even at the wrong times, would reinforce the pretense of quirky magnetism.
posted by rob511 at 1:39 PM on November 16, 2006 [1 favorite]
What you might do, Johnny Mulp, is practice in front of a mirror (or with patient and objective friends) standing around looking comfortable in your skin yet also slightly bemused. Imagine having headphones on playing great music that only you can hear. The occasional grin or quick laugh ("Imagine your audience naked..."), even at the wrong times, would reinforce the pretense of quirky magnetism.
posted by rob511 at 1:39 PM on November 16, 2006 [1 favorite]
Best answer: I haven't been a celebrity impersonator, but we've hired them at various times for events.
Expect to take lots of pictures with strangers, particularly horny old women. Walk around "in character" which should be fairly easy if you've got a voice even close. Make lots of references to the flicks he's in, be caught up on the most basic gossip (who he's dated etc) because you'll want some in character banter to move smoothly out of situations, etc.
Wandering around corporate theme parties. Posing for lots of (clothed) pictures at bachelorette parties. Showing up for superfan birthday parties. They're probably being vague because they're not sure what the demand will be for Johnny Depp.
posted by Gucky at 1:46 PM on November 16, 2006
Expect to take lots of pictures with strangers, particularly horny old women. Walk around "in character" which should be fairly easy if you've got a voice even close. Make lots of references to the flicks he's in, be caught up on the most basic gossip (who he's dated etc) because you'll want some in character banter to move smoothly out of situations, etc.
Wandering around corporate theme parties. Posing for lots of (clothed) pictures at bachelorette parties. Showing up for superfan birthday parties. They're probably being vague because they're not sure what the demand will be for Johnny Depp.
posted by Gucky at 1:46 PM on November 16, 2006
Well, I'd say try showing up with Vanessa Paradis. No one will pay much attention to what you do and I bet you'll have more fun. ; )
posted by micayetoca at 2:05 PM on November 16, 2006
posted by micayetoca at 2:05 PM on November 16, 2006
Response by poster: Alright, I'll indulge you bastards. It's a few years old, but here. And this one is a bit more recent. I don't think I look that much like him, but many people seem to disagree.
posted by The Great Big Mulp at 2:11 PM on November 16, 2006
posted by The Great Big Mulp at 2:11 PM on November 16, 2006
Come up with a funny joke for why you finally removed your "winona forever" tattoo.
posted by o2b at 2:12 PM on November 16, 2006
posted by o2b at 2:12 PM on November 16, 2006
Looking at your pictures, I think you could pull off John Lennon too. Just so you know...
posted by bkudria at 3:42 PM on November 16, 2006
posted by bkudria at 3:42 PM on November 16, 2006
Look up some of the 'memorable quotes' from his movies/roles at the IMDB; that should give you a pretty good idea of the sorts of things people will be expecting of you. If you can learn to mimic them pretty well, you're set!
posted by kimota at 4:27 PM on November 16, 2006
posted by kimota at 4:27 PM on November 16, 2006
You'll probably need to wear sunglasses and/or contacts, not your glasses.
posted by limeonaire at 6:11 PM on November 16, 2006
posted by limeonaire at 6:11 PM on November 16, 2006
Also: watch the major movies he's been in, many of which are mentioned above. Also see if you can find some interviews or TV features about him online—YouTube would be a good place to start.
posted by limeonaire at 6:12 PM on November 16, 2006
posted by limeonaire at 6:12 PM on November 16, 2006
Doing Depp as a impersonator seems like it would be more likely to be "Depp as Jack Sparrow" or "Depp as Edward Scissorhands" vs. "Depp as Depp" as Johnny Depp is known more for his immersion into his roles vs say...showing up to red carpet events.
I kind of agree with this, which basically means that anybody can be a Depp impersonator (do you really have to look like him to be recognized as Edward Scissorhands? You probably can't even tell underneath all that facial makeup). The same goes for Jack Sparrow (all that pirate gear, then the eye makeup).
So I imagine that a Depp impersonator would have to play up the "star persona" part, and not his characters. Watch the Oscars ceremony, or the Tom Petty video (where he more or less sends himself up).
posted by war wrath of wraith at 8:02 PM on November 16, 2006
I kind of agree with this, which basically means that anybody can be a Depp impersonator (do you really have to look like him to be recognized as Edward Scissorhands? You probably can't even tell underneath all that facial makeup). The same goes for Jack Sparrow (all that pirate gear, then the eye makeup).
So I imagine that a Depp impersonator would have to play up the "star persona" part, and not his characters. Watch the Oscars ceremony, or the Tom Petty video (where he more or less sends himself up).
posted by war wrath of wraith at 8:02 PM on November 16, 2006
Depp was living in France at one point - how is your French?
posted by mlis at 8:24 PM on November 16, 2006
posted by mlis at 8:24 PM on November 16, 2006
Not sure if this helps, most likely not, but here's my favorite Johnny Depp story. I was a counselor for some kids at a rich-kids summer camp, and one of them told me about how one day he and his family had gone out to eat at the Ivy restaurant (a fancy celebrity spot in LA) and how he was leaving with his "doggy-bag" of leftovers afterwards and saw this homeless guy squatting across the street under a tree. He was really skinny and dirty wearing ratty clothes and looked like a strung-out junkie, so this kid goes over and offers him his leftovers saying "you look like you might be hungry, you can have my food if you want." The guy looks at him a long moment and says, "I'm waiting for my wife, we just ate there. I'm Johnny Depp." And sure enough his hot glamorous wife comes out a few moments later and kisses him and he walks off with her.
Which is all to say, that if you're going for Depp-realism instead of his characters, you might want to dress like a homeless guy.
posted by np312 at 9:33 PM on November 16, 2006 [2 favorites]
Which is all to say, that if you're going for Depp-realism instead of his characters, you might want to dress like a homeless guy.
posted by np312 at 9:33 PM on November 16, 2006 [2 favorites]
Best answer: Watch all his best-known movies. Watch them again. And again. Come up with costumes for:
- Jack Sparrow (easy, except for the hair ornaments - those take a bit of time),
- Edward Scissorhands (hard),
- Benny (Benny & Joon)(super-easy),
- Willy Wonka (moderately difficult and probably expensive - a purple velvet longcoat, whee!),
- whichever others you might decide you like/want to do
Then practice, practice, practice the mannerisms of each. Jack Sparrow is ridiculously easy to do, if you know what you're going for - constant center of gravity shifts, uneven walk, and hands held high in front of oneself, making extravagant motions. Edward Scissorhands is centrally quiet, smooth rather than jerky in body motions, and holds himself inward rather than throwing his hands about haphazardly as Sparrow does (for obvious reasons. heh.). Just study the characters, learn to love them and impersonate them, and you'll have a -fantastically- marketable product.
I tell you this not because I am a -professional- celebrity impersonator, but because my Jack Sparrow imitations are the single most reliable way to get people to remember me, and have in fact gotten me multiple jobs. (Strangely, I apparently look a bit like him myself, albeit female...)
Good luck, and have fun!
posted by po at 9:58 PM on November 16, 2006
- Jack Sparrow (easy, except for the hair ornaments - those take a bit of time),
- Edward Scissorhands (hard),
- Benny (Benny & Joon)(super-easy),
- Willy Wonka (moderately difficult and probably expensive - a purple velvet longcoat, whee!),
- whichever others you might decide you like/want to do
Then practice, practice, practice the mannerisms of each. Jack Sparrow is ridiculously easy to do, if you know what you're going for - constant center of gravity shifts, uneven walk, and hands held high in front of oneself, making extravagant motions. Edward Scissorhands is centrally quiet, smooth rather than jerky in body motions, and holds himself inward rather than throwing his hands about haphazardly as Sparrow does (for obvious reasons. heh.). Just study the characters, learn to love them and impersonate them, and you'll have a -fantastically- marketable product.
I tell you this not because I am a -professional- celebrity impersonator, but because my Jack Sparrow imitations are the single most reliable way to get people to remember me, and have in fact gotten me multiple jobs. (Strangely, I apparently look a bit like him myself, albeit female...)
Good luck, and have fun!
posted by po at 9:58 PM on November 16, 2006
- Benny (Benny & Joon)(super-easy)
Not to come off as completely anal, but Johnny Depp's character in this movie is named Sam. Benny is the brother.
posted by Famous at 12:06 AM on November 17, 2006
Not to come off as completely anal, but Johnny Depp's character in this movie is named Sam. Benny is the brother.
posted by Famous at 12:06 AM on November 17, 2006
- Benny (Benny & Joon)(super-easy)
Not to come off as completely anal, but Johnny Depp's character in this movie is named Sam. Benny is the brother.
Dangit, I knew that. I really did. *bonk self*
posted by po at 12:10 AM on November 17, 2006
Not to come off as completely anal, but Johnny Depp's character in this movie is named Sam. Benny is the brother.
Dangit, I knew that. I really did. *bonk self*
posted by po at 12:10 AM on November 17, 2006
np312's comment about dressing like a tramp is right, my dad has met Johnny Depp a couple of times, and said he really did just look like a homeless person. (albeit a beautiful one)
(er... my dad didn't say the part about being beautiful, i feel i should add. i was just assuming that part!)
posted by angryjellybean at 1:43 AM on November 17, 2006
(er... my dad didn't say the part about being beautiful, i feel i should add. i was just assuming that part!)
posted by angryjellybean at 1:43 AM on November 17, 2006
Response by poster: ... you might want to dress like a homeless guy.
... he really did just look like a homeless person.
I've heard this, too, which I think is one of the reasons people think I look like him, I've got a little bit of a stereotypical 1950's hobo look to me. Lots of beat up old sport coats and fedoras.
posted by The Great Big Mulp at 4:54 AM on November 17, 2006
... he really did just look like a homeless person.
I've heard this, too, which I think is one of the reasons people think I look like him, I've got a little bit of a stereotypical 1950's hobo look to me. Lots of beat up old sport coats and fedoras.
posted by The Great Big Mulp at 4:54 AM on November 17, 2006
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Saucy Intruder at 12:23 PM on November 16, 2006