Plastic surgery is making some people's dreams reality
So what if you weren't born with Brad Pitt's strong jaw, Elvis Presley's dimpled chin, or Pamela Anderson's super-sized chest? With a few slices of the scalpel anyone can look like their favorite celebrity's long-lost twin. And if you're angling for a new career as a convincing celebrity impersonator, cosmetic surgery is the perfect way to stay ahead of the game (but is it a tax write-off?). Proving that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, the following people went under the knife with the ultimate goal of looking like their movie and music idols.
Michael Jackson
Why anyone would want to look like Michael Jackson is not for us to answer, but celebrity impersonator Navi-a native of Trinidad and Tobago-has gained relative stardom thanks to his uncanny resemblance to the King of Pop. And if there's one celebrity who knows how to keep an impersonator on his toes, it's Wacko Jacko. Navi has undergone multiple surgeries during the nearly 20 years that he's been imitating Michael.
In an interview with the BBC, Navi-who says he performs in over 125-150 shows each year-said that his surgeries "have taken my work and my strength as an impersonator to different levels." But he's not a strict facsimile of his alter ego-rather than butchering his face, Navi smartly sticks with a less severe Michael Jackson circa mid-'90s look. Still, Navi admitted that he has to be flexible with his looks. "I don't want to change but if he changes very radically I might have to in order to get the work."
Joan Rivers
It's pretty much a given that female impersonators like Frank Marino have had some form of, ahem, major surgery. And if you're going to pay homage to the legendary Joan Rivers, there had better be a scalpel in your sights. According to Marino's website, the "La Cage" female impersonator has undergone 10 surgeries to get Joan's surgery-enhanced look, including chin and cheek implants and multiple nose jobs. Grand total? More than $100,000.
"Frank Marino usually keeps his audiences in stitches but on his off time the doctors keep him in stitches," his site reads. "His personal motto has always been 'No pain, no gain.'"
Elvis Presely
He's got the jumpsuits, he's got the pompadour, and he's got the moves. And thanks to plastic surgery, Elvis impersonator Rick Lenzi has got the looks too. According to The Press Democrat, in Santa Rosa, CA, three female fans paid for Lenzi to have surgery on his nose and eyelids to achieve a more Elvis appearance; the performer also received porcelain veneers. Says Lenzi, "No one was blessed with what they call the Greek god-like look that Elvis had. If you look at the statue of David you can tell that the face of David and the face of Elvis Presley can actually intertwine with each other."