Celebrity Look-Alikes Face Challenges
Physical Similarity to a Star Doesn't Guarantee Fame and Fortune
Dec 5, 2008
"Looking like a celebrity, either naturally or intentionally, can be a positive or negative experience depending on a person's self esteem," Pennsylvania-based psychotherapist Judith Belmont, M.S., N.C.C., L.P.C., said in a recent phone interview.
"For some, it can be like being born with a winning lottery ticket. A successful celebrity impersonator can find instant fame without doing much except look like a star."
Without talent backing up the look, however, Belmont adds the instant success will probably have a short shelf life.
"Tasting fame and then not getting called back can be devastating," she says.
Be Yourself, Not the Celebrity
Belmont cautions those frequently mistaken for a star or who enhance their looks to imitate a star to maintain a personal identity separate from the celebrity. "Being constantly mistaken for a star can seem like a wonderful compliment, but there's a risk of losing your sense of self," she says. "Also, when you compare yourself to someone 'larger than life,' there's a danger your experiences will always seem to fall short."
Belmont recalls a former client who looked surprisingly like Reese Witherspoon.
"She was completely caught up in the fact everyone told her she looked like Reese Witherspoon, to the point of dressing like the actress and adopting her mannerisms," says Belmont, who fears the resulting narcissism compelled her client to pursue extramarital affairs, damaging her already fragile marriage.
Anna Nicole vs. Tina Fey
Belmont cites Anna Nicole Smith as an extreme case of an individual merging their persona with a celebrity's.
"Like Marilyn Monroe, Smith had an unhappy childhood and a string of indiscriminate romances. Both appeared in Playboy. There are so many images of her dressed and made-up like Monroe, striking Monroe-like poses, that I use them in seminars to illustrate the loss of sense of self. Smith seemed to find solace in becoming the embodiment of Marilyn Monroe."
Also like Monroe, Smith ultimately died tragically from a drug overdose in her 30s.
"Anna Nicole Smith lacked emotional resilience, and also remained bitter about her upbringing. Her inability to forgive and forget may have made her vulnerable to losing her personality in the celebrity she idolized. She wished to be someone else."
"Conversely, someone with strong self-identity will tend to do fine in life no matter who they look like," Belmont says. "Look at Tina Fey of Saturday Night Live. Her imitations of Sarah Palin have been a boon for her career, and it's clear Fey continues to have a personality independent of the Alaskan governor."
Hey, You Know You Look Just Like...
Whether the celebrity is perceived as a "good" or "bad" character can have an emotional effect, Belmont says.
"Imagine being someone who looks like Barack Obama," she says. "People may treat someone who looks like Obama as though he is the real thing. Without a strong sense of self, a lookalike could be made to feel lacking if he isn't also an Ivy League grad or doesn't act 'presidential.'"
Ultimately, Belmont says celebrity look-alikes must be vigilant about maintaining their own personalities, even if lavished with star treatment.
"Fame moves on and stars come and go," Belmont says. "With humor and a healthy dose of realistic expectations, celebrity look-alikes can establish themselves as individuals, even if they work as a professional impersonator. The most important thing is to stay true to yourself."
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