Entertainment Today » famous celebrities

The World Of Celebrity Impersonators

HanunSabila — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 18:55:46 +0000

A celebrity impersonator or lookalike is an artist who copies or imitates a world famous celebrity, be it a film star, pop star, politician, sportsperson or royalty. A pre-requisite for being a celebrity impersonator is that the artist must bear at least a passing resemblance to the celebrity he or she aims to impersonate. A good make-up artist will do the rest.

We are in the throes of a media revolution which has spawned a new generation of in your face celebrities. Today, celebrities are in close contact with their fans through social networking sites like facebook, twitter etc. A spin-off of this revolution is the demand, nay, hunger among fans to see the celebrity in flesh and blood. But that is a far off dream. So they settle for the next best thing i.e. a celebrity lookalike. This is where companies providing celebrity impersonators come in.

We have celebrity lookalikes everywhere, on television shows such as American Idol, Big Brother and America’s Got Talent, or in the movies where they mostly have a comedy routine. Celebrity lookalikes are hired to make a special appearance at parties, carnivals, corporate events or any other occasion that the client wants. They are paid to mingle with the guests, put on an act or two, and generally to give everyone present a good time.

There are many entertainment companies which provide celebrity impersonators on hire. Almost every famous personality, right from pop stars like Madonna, Michael Jackson, Britney Spears, Cher, Beyonce Knowles, to film stars like Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise, Jennifer Aniston, is on the repertoire of celebrity impersonator agents and entertainment companies. You can get lookalikes of politicians like Barack Obama, his wife Michelle Obama, George Bush, Bill Clinton, and even the erstwhile vice-presidential candidate- Sarah Palin. Lookalikes of sports persons like David Beckham, Mike Tyson, Wayne Rooney etc. are also available easily. Among the famous royals of whom there is a good demand for celebrity impersonators are Queen Elizabeth II, Princess Diana and Prince Charles.

The really good celebrity lookalikes are invited on shows and might even get their one minute of fame through bit parts on TV or in the movies. Some really good Elvis impersonators and Beatles impersonators take the stage to perform in Elvis tribute shows and Beatles tribute shows all over the world and in Las Vegas in particular. But it takes a lot of hard work and perseverance to make it as a celebrity impersonator.

Las Vegas holds an annual convention of celebrity Impersonators at one of its casinos. Impersonators from all over the world at large, converge here to mingle with other performers of their ilk. They exchange notes and tips to improve their performances. Producers, agents and hiring companies also come here to hunt for new talent. A lot goes into making a show with celebrity impersonators a resounding success. There are make-up artists, producers, agents and technicians behind the scenes who work towards making the impersonators look good.

So, the next time you get to meet a celebrity, make sure that it’s the real one. You just might be shaking hands with his impersonator!.

John Thompson is author of www.royaltalentproductions.com.For more information about Celebrity Impersonators, Production Shows visit http://www.royaltalent.com

Top 10 Celebrity Fears

HanunSabila — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 01:24:09 +0000

Have YOU ever had a panic attack these can be really scary and may make you shake, sweat and breathe quickly. This happens to celebrities too!

A panic attack can cause a you to think something awful is going to happen, that you can’t escape, or that you might lose control. Some people who have panic attacks say that when the attacks are happening, they feel like they can’t think straight or that they’re “going crazy.”

Such panic attacks only last a short time. But to a person who is having one, they can feel much longer.

So what can bring on such a panic attack. Flying, heights, spiders, the dark. Any or all of these can cause a phobia in people including celebrities.

A national survey of 4,000 adults and 1,600 kids revealed that 56 percent of adults admit they now have a fear or a phobia. The survey found that 86 percent of adults and 91 percent of youngsters admitted to being afraid of something.

Nearly one in five adults also said they are scared of more now than they were as a child.

You may not believe it, but even rich and famous celebrities have common, everyday fears just like the rest of us.

So what scares the stars?

Top 10 Fears of celebrities.

1. If you suffer from Acrophobia: fear of heights you may experience immediate anxiety when high up. This apprehension may include a racing heart, shortness of breath, sweating, chest or abdominal discomfort, trembling, and an emotional response which involves an intense fear – of losing control, embarrassing oneself, or passing out. If you suffer from this you are not alone. Rock star Sheryl Crow says heights and hearing “scary” noises frighten her the most.

2. How many of you hate flying or: Aerophobia With this phobia you may have frightening thoughts (this plane might crash; I’m trapped; I must get out). Did you know that Jennifer Aniston, Cher, Michael Jackson and Whoopi Goldberg all hate and fear flying too. Avoiding this feared situation, means not flying. Such a sacrifice limits these celebrities lifestyles severely as they will find it hard to travel long distances.

3. How about situations like being outside, or in a crowd, or even being on a bridge. Such fears are known as: Agoraphobia a fear of being in places or situations from which there is no escape. You are not alone as Woody Allen and Matthew McConaughey who is scared of tunnels and revolving doors also shares this fear.

4. Anyone scared of spiders? Arachnophobia as they called it in the film about the same dread. You can guarantee Justin Timberlake would not have enjoyed this movie or Jaws as he hates spiders, snakes and sharks.

5. Do you break out in a sweat in those little closed in spaces? Uma Thurman is claustrophobic too. She says that in Kill Bill: Vol 2 where she is buried alive in a coffin. “There was no acting needed. Real screams available,” “It was horrific. Nobody wants to live that experience.”

6. When the weather changes and the skies darken do your hands sweat as the thunderstorm approaches? Well if you happen to be with Madonna at the time she will be scared as she suffers from: Brontophobia: fear of thunder!

7. The vampire slayer suffers from Necrophobia: a fear of death. TV’s vampire-slayer Sarah Michelle Gellar has a real fear of graveyards, so real that she refused to film “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” in a real one.

8. Do you hate your appearance in the mirror first thing in the morning? Alternatively, maybe you experience undue anxiety when you look at a mirror. This Eisoptrophobia a fear of mirrors is irrational. However this fear is grounded in superstitions. You may worry that breaking a mirror will bring bad luck or that looking into a mirror will put you in contact with a supernatural world inside the glass. Well imagine how poor Pamela Anderson feels for she fears mirrors too!

9. If you get the spooks when you see a clown then you might be suffering from Coulrophobia. Johnny Depp, Daniel Radcliffe and Sean “Diddy” Combs are frightened of clowns. “Something about the painted face, the fake smile,” Depp said in 1999 when he was promoting the film “Sleepy Hollow.” “There always seemed to be a darkness lurking just under the surface, a potential for real evil.”

10. Now here is a strange one! While there is no official name for the phobia of butterflies, it has been linked to Mottephobia (Fear of Moths), or a name such as Lepidopterophobia which is an animal group based on insects butterflies and moths. Who could be scared of such things? Well Nicole Kidman for one she says her greatest fear is butterflies!

So there you have it the top 10 list of celebrity fears. Did I mention poor the celebrity with the most phobias is well that award goes to Woody Allen. He’s afraid of insects, sunshine, dogs, deer, bright colors, children, heights, small rooms, crowds, cancer and anywhere except Manhattan. Imagine that!

Celebrity Sunglasses: When you Absolutely Gotta Have What They Have

HanunSabila — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 14:03:08 +0000

One surefire way of getting sunglasses instant notice would be to get Hollywood stars and celebrities to wear them. There’s no denying that celebrity patronage would surely get sunglasses retailers’ cash registers ringing non-stop. In a culture where almost everyone wants to emulate famous celebrities, there is no mystery to this phenomenon.

Let’s take a look at some sunglass brands and models made popular by the familiar face wearing them.

Designer label Police have a lot to be thankful for in soccer idol David Beckham, who was seen sporting them in several occasions. Though Angelina Jolie have been seen wearing different types of sunglasses in varied instances, she is more recognized in her aviator sunglasses. And when Britney Spears goes shopping, she always don a pair of oversized sunglasses, which although doesn’t encourage any anonymity, do much to enhance her glamorous image. Socialites Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie also love oversized sunglasses, with the former having a hand in promoting white framed pairs, while the latter preferring the Wayfarer brand.

And who could forget the movies that set off trends in sunglasses, particularly Top Gun and The Matrix trilogy? These films not just promoted the mere use of sunglasses, it made wearing them a personal fashion statement.

For a typical individual, it would take a considerable amount of savings and earnings to purchase just a pair of designer celebrity sunglasses. However, those who are intent on looking just as chic and glamorous as their favorite celebrities need not wait a long time and spend large amount of money to achieve just that. There are large selections of replica celebrity sunglasses available on the internet that offer the same style, the same design minus the logo, yet at the much lower costs, without sacrificing on quality. And because these replica celebrity sunglasses are inspired by actual models made by well-known designers, you are assured that you won’t go out of style in complimenting it with your outfit and the rest of your accessories. And most online retailers even offer replica celebrity sunglasses inspired by latest designs featured in the newest collections of high-end designers.

Visit several websites offering replica celebrity sunglasses and feel like a million bucks without hurting your pockets.