# How much for you to be a decoy (body double) for a famous person. **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 18, 2018, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-for-you-to-be-a-decoy-body-double-for-a-famous-person/823129 "2018-10-18T04:36:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Projammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/projammer/32/559_2.png) [@Projammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Projammer)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2018, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-for-you-to-be-a-decoy-body-double-for-a-famous-person/823129/1 "2018-10-18T04:36:34Z")
By a random roll of the genetic dice you are a near twin of a famous person person who for whatever reason is unpopular enough with some group of people that there is a real threat of harm to him/her. For this scenario you are in complete agreement with whatever opinions they have that make them unpopular and subject to threat. Women’s rights in Saudi Arabia. Child sex trafficking in Africa. Choose your Cause du Jour. Your requirements aren’t too onerous. If they are going to be making a trip somewhere, you’ll be going via an alternate route. The occasional non speaking public appearance. Other similar situations. When you’re not on duty your time is your own. At all times your security detail is exactly the same as your employer. What are your salary requirements? Any reasonable request will be considered. You are also able to decline with no negative repercussions if you are highly risk averse. ---
**Author:** ![Dereknocue67](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6de8d8/32.png) [@Dereknocue67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dereknocue67)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2018, 8:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-for-you-to-be-a-decoy-body-double-for-a-famous-person/823129/2 "2018-10-18T08:20:07Z")
My requirement would be, the famous person would have to be my body double. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2018, 10:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-for-you-to-be-a-decoy-body-double-for-a-famous-person/823129/3 "2018-10-18T10:54:35Z")
I’m not sure there is a price for me. Regardless my declining the opportunity, I might also actually deliberately change my appearance so as not to be casually mistaken for the celeb. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2018, 11:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-for-you-to-be-a-decoy-body-double-for-a-famous-person/823129/4 "2018-10-18T11:18:24Z")
It would depend on who my enemy was. I’m confident a competent security detail could protect me from some random crazy person. I’d be less confident if my enemy were a Saudi Prince. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2018, 11:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-for-you-to-be-a-decoy-body-double-for-a-famous-person/823129/5 "2018-10-18T11:29:23Z")
I’m not taking a risk for someone else’s unpopular opinion. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2018, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-for-you-to-be-a-decoy-body-double-for-a-famous-person/823129/6 "2018-10-18T12:50:56Z")
I would have to quit my current job, so $1 million a year on a five-year contract, plus benefits. Also a $10 million life insurance policy. It matters which celebrity I am an exact duplicate of. If it’s Brad Pitt, no problem. If it’s Hillary Clinton, I want $2 million. And a different choice of pants suits. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Alpha\_Twit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alpha_twit/32/265_2.png) [@Alpha\_Twit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alpha_Twit)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2018, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-for-you-to-be-a-decoy-body-double-for-a-famous-person/823129/7 "2018-10-18T13:01:25Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > I’m not taking a risk for someone else’s unpopular opinion. Even if you happen to agree with those unpopular opinions? Unpopular does not automatically mean wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2018, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-for-you-to-be-a-decoy-body-double-for-a-famous-person/823129/8 "2018-10-18T13:13:28Z")
In general, the threat of violence in that situation wouldn’t bother me too much. Unless I’m the double for, say, Saddam Hussein in 2002, or Tupac Shakur in the mid-1990s, I think the threat of harm against famous people is usually overblown. However, the schedule of being on call what is probably fairly often and travelling quite a bit more in this particular manner isn’t really my bag. Also that the job appears to be pretty non-substantive is a strike against. Yeah, I’d do it for a while to bank some money to do other things in the future. Several hundred thousand a year, I’d guess. But maybe I’d ask for a million just to see how much I could get away with. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2018, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-for-you-to-be-a-decoy-body-double-for-a-famous-person/823129/9 "2018-10-18T13:38:42Z")
I don’t know how I’d respond if Tom Cruise’s people contacted me about this. Although I’m a dead-ringer for the dude, at 5’ 11" I’m close to 3’ too tall, so I doubt it will ever come up. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2018, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-for-you-to-be-a-decoy-body-double-for-a-famous-person/823129/10 "2018-10-18T14:05:26Z")
I’d do it for relatively little. Say $75k a year. ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2018, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-for-you-to-be-a-decoy-body-double-for-a-famous-person/823129/11 "2018-10-18T15:36:20Z")
> [@Projammer](#): > > At all times your security detail is exactly the same as your employer. That is the deal-breaker for me. If I ever looked enough like someone who needed a security detail to need a security detail I would probably find a way to add a scar or other mark to separate our looks. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2018, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-for-you-to-be-a-decoy-body-double-for-a-famous-person/823129/12 "2018-10-18T16:10:06Z")
Grow a goatee and be the “evil” twin.