# Most Impersonated Celebrity? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 5, 2019, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-impersonated-celebrity/829010 "2019-02-05T15:51:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Dale\_Sams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@Dale\_Sams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dale_Sams)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2019, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-impersonated-celebrity/829010/41 "2019-02-06T01:37:25Z")
> [@Two\_Many\_Cats](#): > > I’m pretty certain that the reason comics don’t do impersonations any more is because celebrities have almost no recognizable mannerisms today. Can you really see anyone imitating Casey Affleck or Sam Rockwell or Jake Gyllenhaal? How would that be funny? I’ve worked in doing Matt Damon before…Casey wouldn’t be too hard. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2019, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-impersonated-celebrity/829010/42 "2019-02-06T02:09:29Z")
> [@salinqmind](#): > > There are no more stars. There are generic actor men with generic ‘man faces’ (as are most generic women ‘stars’.) . They are all interchangeable. Little brown hamsters running on the wheel of Hollywood. I can’t tell one from another. I can’t think of ANY present day ‘actors’ who have one distinguishing characteristic. They are all drones in spandex in Spiderman and Batman and Avenger movies. All just…meat. Like cattle, like Alfred Hitchcock called them. There was an episode of _ **CSI** _ where Grissom was investigating a crime in which one such “actor” was a suspect. My favorite line in that episode, so far as I remember it: “Cary Grant was a movie star. Gary Cooper was a movie star. He’s no movie star.” ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2019, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-impersonated-celebrity/829010/43 "2019-02-06T02:38:33Z")
> [@control-z](#): > > Most everyone can do a passable Arnold Schwarzenegger impression. Countless millions have said _I’ll be back_ in Arnold’s voice. It might be the most impersonated one-liner of all time. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2019, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-impersonated-celebrity/829010/44 "2019-02-06T02:53:12Z")
In a sense, all Rock n Rollers are doing a Chuck Berry impersonation. ---
**Author:** ![caligulathegod](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/caligulathegod/32/9685_2.png) [@caligulathegod](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/caligulathegod)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2019, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-impersonated-celebrity/829010/45 "2019-02-06T03:25:00Z")
My favorite “too soon” joke involved a celebrity impersonator. Vaughn Meader was very famous in the 60s for his John Kennedy impression. He did a comedy album called “The First Family” that was so popular (7million copes sold) that JFK used to give them out as Christmas gifts. Anyway, on November 22, 1963, the world was shocked by JFK’s assassination. Comedian Lenny Bruce went on with his scheduled show just a few hours later. Bruce walked onstage, stood silently for several moments, then said sadly, “Boy, is Vaughn Meader fucked.” ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2019, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-impersonated-celebrity/829010/46 "2019-02-06T03:27:14Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Are we calling it “impersonation” when someone just quotes a line in the celebrity’s distinctive speech patterns? That’s an impression, maybe, but not an impersonation. An impersonation includes at least some attempt at capturing appearance and mannerisms, too. The OP’s examples (Nicholson, Walken) are usually done as just voices, IME. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2019, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-impersonated-celebrity/829010/47 "2019-02-06T04:51:05Z")
> [@Sir\_T-Cups](#): > > 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? The extra joke in the scene is that Cruise is doing that impression for Kevin Pollak, who did a Jack Nicholson impression as part of his stand-up act. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2019, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-impersonated-celebrity/829010/48 "2019-02-06T05:09:36Z")
Johnny Carson: That is wild and whacky stuff. Sorry, just brainstorming on common things people sometimes say. I’ll return for more once I give it more thought. ---
**Author:** ![Banksiaman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banksiaman/32/3334_2.png) [@Banksiaman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banksiaman)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2019, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-impersonated-celebrity/829010/49 "2019-02-06T12:46:52Z")
Not a celebrity but a famous character. Homer Simpson’s D’oh! is probably going to be the only catch-phrase that will outlast the Simpsons. Its short and snappy enough to be used without deliberate intent. Perhaps that disqualifies it as a celebrity impersonation, its just become part of normal language? ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2019, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-impersonated-celebrity/829010/50 "2019-02-06T13:34:50Z")
Elvis Presley and it’s not even close. No one is in second place. > [@salingmind](#): > > here are no more stars. There are generic actor men with generic ‘man faces’ (as are most generic women ‘stars’.) . They are all interchangeable. Little brown hamsters running on the wheel of Hollywood. I can’t tell one from another. I can’t think of ANY present day ‘actors’ who have one distinguishing characteristic. That’s really quite ridiculous. All movie stars have always been somewhat similar - that is why they are movie stars - but many have had distinguishing characteristics. If you are literally saying Matthew McConaghey, Tom Hanks, Jennifer Lawrence, John Malkovich, Samuel L. Jackson, Jeff Goldblum, Woody Harrelson, Scarlett Johansson, Adam Driver and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson aren’t rather distinguishable and impression-ready I can only conclude you don’t go to the movies much. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2019, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-impersonated-celebrity/829010/51 "2019-02-06T14:23:40Z")
> [@BlankSlate](#): > > Who would be the most impersonated _female_ celebrity? Carol Channing. Having met and talked to her, I am amazed at how unique her voice really was, and how the impersonators did not get it right. ---
**Author:** ![Tibby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tibby/32/17030_2.png) [@Tibby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tibby)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2019, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-impersonated-celebrity/829010/52 "2019-02-06T14:49:06Z")
> [@RadioWave](#): > > For women, I would say someone from the golden age of movies like Greta Garbo, Bette Davis or Lauren Bacall. > > _You know how to whistle don’t you?_ I agree that Bette Davis was one of the most impersonated of celebrities (and one of the greatest actors of all time). Interestingly, one of her most iconic lines, \*“[what a dump”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3zShjyaTr8) \*from _Beyond the Forest_ is most remembered and imitated as Elizabeth Taylor [delivered the line](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=og1svYfNuDE) in _Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf_. Bette’s original version was low key; Elizabeth’s was [over the top](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWoAOohbr5M) (but fun). For you young people who may be unfamiliar: watch _Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf._ A great film and, in my opinion Liz Taylor’s finest performance (Sandy Dennis was excellent, too). Then,[fasten your seat-belts](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKHUGvde7KU) and watch every film Bette Davis starred in—that woman had the best acting chops in the business. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2019, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-impersonated-celebrity/829010/53 "2019-02-06T14:57:25Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > The extra joke in the scene is that Cruise is doing that impression for Kevin Pollak, who did a Jack Nicholson impression as part of his stand-up act. Pollak has a hilarious act in which he does famous actors playing Star Trek characters. He plays William Shatner, Robin Williams as Chekov, Christopher Lloyd as Mr. Spock, Jack Nicholson as McCoy, and Dudley Moore doing his Arthur character as Scotty. Howard Cosell was often imitated. Rich Little’s head will still be doing him in the 31st century. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2019, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-impersonated-celebrity/829010/54 "2019-02-06T15:00:39Z")
Walter Cronkite was imitated quite a bit, too. ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2019, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-impersonated-celebrity/829010/55 "2019-02-06T17:07:16Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > Carol Channing. Having met and talked to her, I am amazed at how unique her voice really was, and how the impersonators did not get it right. Wow. There’s something nuclear-powered about her - had to use her glass-shattering mug for an avatar at a hockey website. Not frequently imitated, but Alan Thicke and Mike Wallace in the hands of Harry Shearer is a special thing. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2019, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-impersonated-celebrity/829010/56 "2019-02-06T18:06:03Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > I suspect that most SNL cast members have a few impressions that they get fairly good at, as that’s part of the nature of the show – Tina Fey as Sarah Palin also comes to mind. And they all had to at least take a shot at doing[Hillary Clinton.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturday_Night_Live_parodies_of_Hillary_Clinton) > [@](#): > > The array of SNL cast members portraying Clinton has included Jan Hooks, Janeane Garofalo, Vanessa Bayer, Ana Gasteyer, Amy Poehler, and Kate McKinnon. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-impersonated-celebrity/829010.md?page=2)