# My brother is really good at impersonations - how can he get into some artistic work? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 31, 2009, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-brother-is-really-good-at-impersonations-how-can-he-get-into-some-artistic-work/515891 "2009-10-31T22:54:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![The\_Bith\_Shuffle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ce73a5/32.png) [@The\_Bith\_Shuffle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Bith_Shuffle)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2009, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-brother-is-really-good-at-impersonations-how-can-he-get-into-some-artistic-work/515891/1 "2009-10-31T22:54:19Z")
My brother is amazingly talented at doing impressions. You’ll have to take my word on this. He can do great impressions of dozens of different people. Some of them I consider world class, ie they would pass on SNL or something like that. I’m not asking how he can make money doing this - I know that there’s no simple way to do that. But even without making money, how can he get involved in some sort of work where this skill is useful? ---
**Author:** ![freckafree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/freckafree/32/3050_2.png) [@freckafree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/freckafree)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2009, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-brother-is-really-good-at-impersonations-how-can-he-get-into-some-artistic-work/515891/2 "2009-11-01T00:04:29Z")
There seems to be quite an up-and-coming industry in supplying “novelty” voices for GPS units. The voices, much like ringtones, are available on a pay-per-download basis. I’ve seen specific ones (Sean Connery) and generic ones (drill sergeant, redneck, etc.). I would think the first step for this kind of work would be to put together a sample tape with short examples of his best impressions. ---
**Author:** ![thirdname](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@thirdname](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thirdname)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2009, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-brother-is-really-good-at-impersonations-how-can-he-get-into-some-artistic-work/515891/3 "2009-11-01T00:10:10Z")
There’s a Doper who works as a voice-over artist. I don’t remember who it is, but you could ask her for advice. Anyone remember? I tried searching but didn’t get anything and now I have to wait 5 minutes. ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2009, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-brother-is-really-good-at-impersonations-how-can-he-get-into-some-artistic-work/515891/4 "2009-11-01T03:00:54Z")
He can impersonate Steven Spielberg and take over Dreamworks. ---
**Author:** ![enomaj](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/59ef9b/32.png) [@enomaj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enomaj)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2009, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-brother-is-really-good-at-impersonations-how-can-he-get-into-some-artistic-work/515891/5 "2009-11-01T13:50:07Z")
Here is some info I found interesting. [http://www.povonline.com/cols/COL101.htm](http://www.povonline.com/cols/COL101.htm) [http://www.povonline.com/Voicework.htm](http://www.povonline.com/Voicework.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2009, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-brother-is-really-good-at-impersonations-how-can-he-get-into-some-artistic-work/515891/6 "2009-11-01T14:51:32Z")
If your brother can do these impressions in YouTube videos, perhaps he can make himself famous like Brandon Hardesty: > **[Brandon Hardesty](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brandon_Hardesty)** > > Brandon Allan Hardesty (born April 13, 1987) is an American comedic performer and actor. Hardesty posts original comedy videos as well as "uncanny" recreations of scenes from movies, playing every part himself. The Village Voice writer Julian Dibbell has called his works "web culture at its finest." > Hardesty was born in Baltimore, Maryland, the youngest child in the family. He is the son of Susan and Brent Hardesty, who is a pianist. Hardesty's mother collected silly hats and placed a suit of ar... ---
**Author:** ![cuauhtemoc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecb155/32.png) [@cuauhtemoc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cuauhtemoc)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2009, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-brother-is-really-good-at-impersonations-how-can-he-get-into-some-artistic-work/515891/7 "2009-11-01T15:36:35Z")
He should join an improv group. If you live near a college there’s bound to be one nearby. I do impressions too. Here’s Robert DeNiro: “Are you talking to me?” Here’s Sean Connery: “Ah, Mish Monneypenny!” Here’s Jack Nicholson: “You can’t handle the truth!” Pretty good, huh? I’ve got a million of them. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2009, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-brother-is-really-good-at-impersonations-how-can-he-get-into-some-artistic-work/515891/8 "2009-11-01T16:30:10Z")
> [@The\_Bith\_Shuffle](#): > > My brother is amazingly talented at doing impressions. You’ll have to take my word on this. He can do great impressions of dozens of different people. Some of them I consider world class, ie they would pass on SNL or something like that. > > I’m not asking how he can make money doing this - I know that there’s no simple way to do that. But even without making money, how can he get involved in some sort of work where this skill is useful? He could get lucky on Youtube or whatever, but practically speaking, if your brother wants success in the entertainment field, he needs to begin working. Join local clubs, classes and theatre groups and work his way up. Develop a standup act and stand in line to do free stuff at clubs and open mike nights. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2009, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-brother-is-really-good-at-impersonations-how-can-he-get-into-some-artistic-work/515891/9 "2009-11-01T17:20:25Z")
If he would do a killer Barack Obama he would get massive work. Almost no one I’ve seen or heard does anything close to a good (or even halfway decent) Obama voice impression. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Bith\_Shuffle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ce73a5/32.png) [@The\_Bith\_Shuffle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Bith_Shuffle)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2009, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-brother-is-really-good-at-impersonations-how-can-he-get-into-some-artistic-work/515891/10 "2009-11-01T17:23:50Z")
> [@astro](#): > > If he would do a killer Barack Obama he would get massive work. Almost no one I’ve seen or heard does anything close to a good (or even halfway decent) Obama voice impression. He does. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2009, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-brother-is-really-good-at-impersonations-how-can-he-get-into-some-artistic-work/515891/11 "2009-11-01T17:32:12Z")
> [@The\_Bith\_Shuffle](#): > > He does. Then tout him for radio station voice over and commerical work. Make some demo tapes or CDs or whatever it is that voice over people do to get work.