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Saddam's doubles play a role with lots of appeal for celebs
The Irish Independent ^ | April 19, 2003 | Bryony Gordon

Posted on 04/19/2003 1:09:21 AM PDT by MadIvan

SADDAM Hussein is not a man you would think anyone would choose to imitate. And yet celebrities are following the despot's lead and employing body doubles.

Britney Spears was apparently inspired to hire a lookalike who acts as a decoy to distract stalkers, after an aide told her that Saddam used the technique to avoid assassination.

Eminem, who is afraid of being shot, employs a man named Particles, while Russell Crowe was reported to have used a lookalike to deflect press interest in his wedding. Michael Jackson also regularly uses body doubles for security purposes.

Kevin O'Brien, who owns OBS security, a favourite firm of VIPs, says that pulling it off requires almost military precision: "Fans are not stupid - they will clock very quickly if something is amiss. They obviously have to get the dress, the look and the mannerisms down to a T."

Andy Harmer (24) a David Beckham lookalike who is used by the footballer for many of the adverts in which he stars,

"I've worked for him in Pepsi, Adidas, Castrol and Vodafone commercials," Harmer says, in a Beckham-esque accent. "They are shot over a couple of weeks and, obviously, David can't be there all the time, so he uses me for wide shots, behind shots and shots of my hands and legs."

But for some, being a body double requires more than a simple haircut. Latif Yahia, who worked as a body double for Saddam Hussein's eldest son, Uday, for four years before escaping Iraq in 1991 had to undergo plastic and dental surgery to make him look more like Uday, and had to start smoking and drinking.

During his time as a lookalike, he saw "killing and tortures and rapes," and faced several assassination attempts.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Extended News; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; US: California; US: District of Columbia; United Kingdom
KEYWORDS: doubles; hollywood; iraqifreedom; uk; us; war
Bizarre.

Regards, Ivan


1 posted on 04/19/2003 1:09:22 AM PDT by MadIvan
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To: hoosiermama; MeekMom; Dutchgirl; Freedom'sWorthIt; Carolina; patricia; annyokie; ...
Bump!
2 posted on 04/19/2003 1:09:40 AM PDT by MadIvan
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To: MadIvan
Michael Jackson also regularly uses body doubles for security purposes.

How hideous that must be..

3 posted on 04/19/2003 1:21:22 AM PDT by Mark17
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To: Mark17
Michael Jackson also regularly uses body doubles for security purposes.

What an awful life that must be!!

4 posted on 04/19/2003 1:26:11 AM PDT by WKB
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To: WKB
What an awful life that must be!!

For Michael, or the double? I suspect for the double.

5 posted on 04/19/2003 1:53:24 AM PDT by Mark17
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To: MadIvan
At first I thought the article meant that entertainers were planning on hiring SADDAM'S doubles, either as a strange act of solidarity with the dictator or for use as guards that would be intimidating. Can you imagine "Saddam" following you everywhere you go? Yuck! Now that is an idea for a movie--one of Hussein's doubles survives and tries to have a normal life. He finally gets a job as a store detective. At first they are pleased with him because he scares away the shoplifters. Then he gets fired because he is also scaring away the customers.
6 posted on 04/19/2003 2:27:33 AM PDT by Wilhelm Tell (Lurking since 1997!)
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To: MadIvan
Michael Jackson also regularly uses body doubles for security purposes.

How in the WORLD does Michael Jackson find someone who looks like he does?

7 posted on 04/19/2003 4:28:14 AM PDT by Illbay
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To: MadIvan
Bizarre.

Regards, Ivan

Not as bizarre as your putting up the Irish flag!

8 posted on 04/19/2003 4:29:06 AM PDT by Illbay
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To: Illbay
It's an article in an Irish newspaper, that's why. ;)

Regards, Ivan

9 posted on 04/19/2003 4:29:59 AM PDT by MadIvan
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To: MadIvan
Like the time I saw "Reagan".

I was working on Wall Street, around '84-'85. President Reagan was in New York to speak at the Stock Exchange, I believe. A co-worker and I went outside to see his motorcade pass by.

After waiting a while, a hundred police cars and motorcycles came around the corner, and there was the President, riding by himself in the back seat of a convertible limo (like JFK).

Except, of course, it wasn't him, but a pretty good look-alike, probably a Secret Service decoy willing to take one for the team. The car was followed by several sedans with blacked-out windows, one of which obviously carried the real Prez.

I would assume that is done more often than we'd think for low-key motorcades, especially in a sniper's paradise like Lower Manhattan.

10 posted on 04/19/2003 4:52:38 AM PDT by Jhensy
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To: Illbay
It probably isn't that hard, since Jackson often goes around wearing those masks or bandanas on his face.. all you'd have to do is be thin, have weird eye makeup, and have hair like his.
11 posted on 04/19/2003 6:04:45 AM PDT by Qwerty
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To: MadIvan
Speaking of body doubles, I've been compared to Dean Martin even though I'm as Irish as Paddy's pig.

I guess it's better than be a Jerry Lewis/Rivers body double.

12 posted on 04/19/2003 6:49:46 AM PDT by battlegearboat (line removed by matadore.)
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To: Illbay
His body doubles use the same great Plastic Surgeons that Michael does! :)
13 posted on 04/19/2003 6:58:24 AM PDT by Grampa Dave (Being a Monthly Donor to Free Republic is the Right Thing to do!)
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To: Qwerty
Now that you mention it, there's a certain area of town here where EVERYONE pretty much looks like that.
14 posted on 04/19/2003 7:35:03 AM PDT by Illbay
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To: battlegearboat; mattstat
I guess it's better than be a Jerry Lewis double


(P.S. - check humor...Mattstat has another one up today)

15 posted on 04/19/2003 7:39:00 AM PDT by ErnBatavia (Bumperootus!)
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To: ErnBatavia
Mattstat knows no boundries.

He's still yours BTW.

16 posted on 04/19/2003 8:47:44 AM PDT by battlegearboat (WTF happened to the war today? It's all Scott Peterson all the time!)
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To: MadIvan
Saddam's doubles play a role with lots of appeal for celebs

Since Hollywierd is full of phonies anyway who would notice?

17 posted on 04/19/2003 10:26:43 AM PDT by Mister Baredog ((They wanted to kill 50,000 of us on 9/11, we will never forget!))
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