A Few Good Men was on last night and right after the part where Tom Cruise does his Jack Nicholson impression, Mrs. Cups asked me who I think the most impersonated celebrity is. Jack’s gotta be up there, right?
I think the top two are Nicholson and Walken, but who else? Brando? Shatner?
Thought it might be a fun topic for ya’ll
Carey Grant (Ju-dee, Ju-dee, Ju-dee)
Most everyone can do a passable Arnold Schwarzenegger impression.
Mr. De Niro might not be imitated to much otherwise, but that one line sure gets a lot of play.
I’d go with Nixon, with peace signs, saying “I am not a crook!”
Well, pilgrim, I gotta say that John Wayne gets done a lot.
Wh-wha-what about Jimmy Stewart?
Elvis.
There are hundreds of celebrities who do Rich Little impersonations.
Yeah. Impersonating Elvis is literally a profession – probably one with more workers in the country than my own (a particularly focused area of US Navy logistics).
Everyone at some point attempts the Macho Man Randy Savage, Oooooh yeah!
Ed Sullivan, in his heyday.
Huh. I had the wrong “ooh yeah” in my head. I know who he is, but don’t know his catchphrase, apparently.
I would go with Elvis, as well.
I find it interesting that a number of the celebrities mentioned are now long dead, and that comedians who specialized in impressions, like Rich Little and Fred Travalena, had impressions of them as staples of their acts back in the 1970s (if not before).
I don’t get the sense that impressionists are particularly popular in modern comedy, and i can’t think offhand of an impressionist whose career started in the past thirty years, and who’s really broken through.
Musical tribute acts, particularly Elvis acts, seem to be the exception to that rule. A few years ago, my niece was briefly married to a guy who worked as an Elvis impersonator (who regularly won awards for his act), and it sounded to me like it was still a pretty lucrative path, if you were good at it.
I don’t want to torpedo or end my own thread, but Elvis is a reeeeeaaallllyyy good choice because there is literally a profession around it.
It’s probably Elvis.
Others come to mind:
Carl Sagan: Billions and billions.
Groucho: That’s the most ridiculous thing I evah hoid!
James Cagney: You dirty rat!
Brando: Stella!
Desi Arnaz as Ricky Ricardo: Lucy! You got some ‘splainin’ to do!
Rodney Dangerfield: I don’t get no respect.
There must be dozens more.
Who would be the most impersonated female celebrity?
Interesting question. Outside of strictly musical tributes, I’d guess Cher, or maybe Barbra Streisand – though both of them are obviously also singers, they both have quite distinct speaking voices and mannerisms, which are what impressionists latch onto.
It is interesting that female impersonators aren’t really a thing, now that I think about it.
Huh.
Carmen Miranda?
Non-USA, I think Michael Caine is right up there. My favourite. Although the best is Michael Caine impersonating Michael Caine impersonators.
Frank Caliendo? He’s kind of faded away recently, but ten years ago he was everywhere. And all he does is impressions.