Reggie Brown (impersonator)

Last updated

Reggie Brown
ReggieBrown.jpg
Birth nameReginald Dennis Odell II
Born (1980-09-28) September 28, 1980 (age 43)
Maywood, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Medium impersonation, comedy
Genres Impersonations
Subject(s)politics, popular culture

Reginald Dennis Odell II (born September 28, 1980) is a writer, actor, comedic impersonator and look-alike of former U.S. President Barack Obama.

Contents

Brown first made international headlines due to the controversy surrounding his performance at the 2011 Republican Leadership Conference, [1] his occasional television appearances, and his activity on YouTube. [2]

Early life and education

Brown is a native of Chicago, and was born Reginald Dennis Odell II in Maywood, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. [2] Like President Obama, Brown was born to a white mother and Black father. [3] When Brown was five years old, his father and mother separated leaving her to raise Reggie and his older brother Lawrence on her own. When Brown was 9, his mother married his step father, Lawrence Brown. A year later his step father was diagnosed with Leukemia and began a 3-year battle with the disease. At the age of 13, his step father died, leaving Brown and his siblings to be raised by a single mother. [4]

Brown attended the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign before dropping out of college to pursue a career in modeling. After joining Ford Model Management, he enrolled at The Acting Studios Chicago to take voice and acting classes. [5]

Career

Local reporter

From 2006 to 2008, Brown worked as a blogger for WMAQ-TV's Street Team, where he covered local events. On September 9, 2008, Brown won an Emmy for 'Outstanding Achievement for Alternate Media/ New Media Interactivity' for his contributions to the coverage of Looptopia Live as part of the Street Team from the Chicago/Midwest Chapter of The National Academy of Television Arts And Sciences. [6]

Obama impersonator

Brown claims that he first learned of his resemblance to Barack Obama at the age of 21, when Obama was still an Illinois state legislator. [4] Brown's career as a professional impersonator was launched by a series of appearances on Fox Business Network, starting with a mock debate against Representative Ron Paul on Stossel . [7] Brown subsequently appeared on Stossel for similar mock debates with Governor Gary Johnson [8] and Herman Cain. [9]

2011 Republican Leadership Conference controversy

Brown's controversial 2011 Republican Leadership Conference performance being ended early by Conference Chairman Charlie Davis amid allegations of racism Reggie Brown by Gage Skidmore 2.jpg
Brown's controversial 2011 Republican Leadership Conference performance being ended early by Conference Chairman Charlie Davis amid allegations of racism

Brown was the subject of a national controversy in June 2011 when, during a nationally televised performance by Brown at the Republican Leadership Conference, he was cut off mid-sentence by Conference Chairman Charlie Davis. [1] Davis told CNN that he ended Brown's performance because the Conference has a "zero tolerance [policy] for racially insensitive jokes." [10] At first, Brown disputed the factual basis of Davis' statement, claiming that the performance was ended because Brown "was over [his] time by a few minutes." [11] Later, Brown responded to the allegations of racism by stating that he "didn't hear any boos on any of the racial jokes" and that he felt "very safe delivering content like that" because he and the President are of a similar mixed racial background. [10] "I wouldn't touch anything that I don't think the President would feel comfortable with or hasn't done himself. He is someone I respect. I want to make him happy," said Brown. [10]

In the aftermath of the 2011 Republican Leadership Conference incident, Brown was invited by comedian Bill Maher to finish his act on HBO's Real Time with Bill Maher . [12]

YouTube activity

Brown appeared in a viral YouTube parody of Psy's hit song Gangnam Style , entitled Obama Gangnam Style! [13] The video received over 100 million views all over the world including over 30 million views from Twitter users in China, who reportedly believed that the real President Obama was responsible for the video. [14] He also impersonated Obama in the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, [15] and in the 2016 U.S. presidential election he debuted a cross between Obama and Donald Trump, speaking popular Trump quotes, on CollegeHumor. [16] He gave a similar performance in 2017 on Real Time with Bill Maher in a segment called "New Rule: What If Obama Said It?" [17]

Filmography

YearFilmRoleNotes
2008The Obama EffectBarack Obama
2010 Hannah Montana Barack Obama
iCarly Barack Obama2 episodes
Lopez Tonight Barack Obama
Piscopo After DarkBarack Obama
2011 Jimmy Kimmel Live! Barack Obama
Real Time with Bill Maher Barack Obama
Stossel Barack Obama3 episodes
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno Barack Obama
Workaholics Barack Obama
WWE Capitol Punishment Barack Obama
Mr. Bam Redistributes Your WealthMr. Bam
2012 Real Time with Bill Maher Barack Obama2 episodes
Huckabee Barack Obama10 episodes
Fred: The Show Barack Obama1 episode
2013 Funny Or Die Drake1 episode
Goodbye World Barack ObamaMovie
Austin & Ally Barack Obama1 episode
2014 I Didn't Do It (TV series) Barack Obama1 episode
Nicky, Ricky, Dicky & Dawn Barack Obama1 episode
2015Nickelodeon's Ho Ho Holiday SpecialBarack ObamaTV special
2016 Barbershop: The Next Cut Barack ObamaFilm
2017 War Machine (film) Barack ObamaFilm

Personal life

Brown currently resides in Los Angeles, California. [4] When asked about his political affiliation by NewsOne, Brown refused to comment as to whether he is a Democrat or Republican, stating that he is simply an "entertainer." [5]

Reggie is the founder of Outsmart Racism, a non profit organization (Pending) established to reverse the teachings of racism and put an end to it.[ citation needed ]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dinesh D'Souza</span> Indian-American political commentator

Dinesh Joseph D'Souza is an Indian-American right-wing political commentator, author, filmmaker, and conspiracy theorist. He has written over a dozen books, several of them New York Times best-sellers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bill Maher</span> American comedian and television host (born 1956)

William Maher is an American comedian, writer, producer, political commentator, actor, and television host. He is known for the HBO political talk show Real Time with Bill Maher (2003–present) and the similar late-night show called Politically Incorrect (1993–2002), originally on Comedy Central and later on ABC. In 2022, Maher started the podcast Club Random.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alan Keyes</span> American politician (born 1950)

Alan Lee Keyes is an American politician and perennial candidate who served as the Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs from 1985 to 1987. A member of the Republican Party, Keyes sought the nomination for President of the United States in 1996, 2000, and 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barack Obama</span> President of the United States 2009–2017

Barack Hussein Obama II is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African-American president in U.S. history. Obama previously served as a U.S. senator representing Illinois from 2005 to 2008, as an Illinois state senator from 1997 to 2004, and as a civil rights lawyer and university lecturer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Boehner</span> American politician (born 1949)

John Andrew Boehner is a retired American politician who served as the 53rd speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 2011 to 2015. A member of the Republican Party, he served 13 terms as the U.S. representative for Ohio's 8th congressional district from 1991 to 2015. The district included several rural and suburban areas near Cincinnati and Dayton.

The following is a timeline of major events leading up to and immediately following the United States presidential election of 2008. The election was the 56th quadrennial United States presidential election. It was held on November 4, 2008, but its significant events and background date back to about 2002. The Democratic Party nominee, Senator Barack Obama of Illinois, defeated the Republican Party's nominee, Senator John McCain of Arizona.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wayne Allyn Root</span> American political commentator (born 1961)

Wayne Allyn Root is an American conservative television and radio host, author, activist, conservative political commentator and conspiracy theorist. He is the host of two new television shows, daily at 7 PM ET on Lindell TV network (FrankSpeech.com) and Saturdays at Noon ET "America's Top Ten Countdown with Wayne Allyn Root" on Real America's Voice TV Network. He is also the radio host of "Wayne Allyn Root: Raw & Unfiltered" on AM 670 in Las Vegas and nationally-syndicated on the USA Radio Network, and formerly on Newsmax TV. Root was an opinion columnist for the Las Vegas Review-Journal. His newspaper columns are currently nationally syndicated on Sundays by Creators Syndicate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Jewish Democratic Council</span> Dissolved political lobbying organization

The National Jewish Democratic Council (NJDC) was a political lobbying organization that advocated within the Democratic Party for viewpoints aligned with the American Jewish community and in support of the state of Israel, and within the political process generally, between 1990 and about 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malik Obama</span> Barack Obamas half-brother

Abon'go Malik "Roy" Obama is a Kenyan-American businessman and former political candidate known for being the older half-brother of 44th president of the United States, Barack Obama, and the eldest son of economist Barack Obama Sr.

Barack Obama, who served as the 44th President of the United States, has elicited a number of public perceptions regarding his personality and background. As the first African-American President of the United States, his race and culture played a prominent role, both positively and negatively.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2012 United States presidential election</span> 57th quadrennial U.S. presidential election

The 2012 United States presidential election was the 57th quadrennial presidential election, held on Tuesday, November 6, 2012. Incumbent Democratic President Barack Obama and his running mate, incumbent Vice President Joe Biden, were re-elected to a second term. They defeated the Republican ticket of former Governor Mitt Romney of Massachusetts and Representative Paul Ryan of Wisconsin.

The following is a timeline of major events leading up to the United States presidential election of 2012. The election was the 57th quadrennial United States presidential election and was held on November 6, 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barack Obama citizenship conspiracy theories</span> Debunked conspiracy theories

During Barack Obama's campaign for president in 2008, throughout his presidency and afterwards, there was extensive news coverage of Obama's religious preference, birthplace, and of the individuals questioning his religious belief and citizenship – efforts eventually known as the "birther movement", by which name it is widely referred to across media. The movement falsely asserted Obama was ineligible to be President of the United States because he was not a natural-born citizen of the United States as required by Article Two of the Constitution. Studies have found these birther conspiracy theories to be most firmly held by Republicans strong in both political knowledge and racial resentment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Iman Crosson</span> American actor and comedian

Iman Crosson, better known by his stage name Alphacat, is an American actor, impressionist, and YouTube personality known for his impersonations of former U.S. President Barack Obama and his starring role in independent film Along the Roadside.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Bauer</span> American lawyer

Robert F. Bauer is an American attorney who served as White House Counsel under President Barack Obama.

The Southern Republican Leadership Conference (SRLC) is a political event held in the Southern United States before each presidential election. The event is attended by Republican Party activists, elected officials, and candidates for office. It has featured every major Republican presidential candidate since Ronald Reagan, and is best known for its presidential straw poll, which receives national media attention. In 2011, the event was dubbed the Republican Leadership Conference before restoring its original name for 2012.

<i>Dreams from My Real Father</i> 2012 American film

Dreams from My Real Father: A Story of Reds and Deception is a 2012 American film by Joel Gilbert. It presents his conspiracy theory that U.S. President Barack Obama's biological father was Frank Marshall Davis, an American poet and labor activist in Chicago and Hawaii, rather than Barack Obama Sr. The film claims that Davis, who had been a closet member of the Communist Party USA, influenced Obama's ideology, a claim disputed by Obama biographer David Remnick. The title is derived from Obama's memoir about his early life, Dreams from My Father (1995). Reviews of the film were generally negative, noting that Gilbert had not proved any of his allegations, and the film was described as a "pseudo-documentary" and in "bad taste".

The following is a timeline of the presidency of Barack Obama, from January 1, 2016 to January 20, 2017. For his time as president-elect, see the presidential transition of Barack Obama; for a detailed account of his first months in office, see first 100 days of Barack Obama's presidency; for a complete itinerary of his travels, see list of presidential trips made by Barack Obama.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2016 United States presidential election in Iowa</span>

The 2016 United States presidential election in Iowa was held on Tuesday, November 8, 2016, as part of the 2016 United States presidential election in which all 50 states plus the District of Columbia participated. Iowa voters chose electors to represent them in the Electoral College via a popular vote, pitting the Republican Party's nominee, businessman Donald Trump, and running mate Indiana Governor Mike Pence against Democratic Party nominee, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and her running mate Virginia Senator Tim Kaine. Iowa has six electoral votes in the Electoral College.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joe Walsh 2020 presidential campaign</span> U.S. Presidential election campaign in 2020

Former U.S. representative Joe Walsh's campaign for President of the United States in the 2020 election began on August 25, 2019, when he announced his candidacy during an interview on ABC's show This Week, concurrently with the release of a video and a tweet. Walsh was challenging incumbent Donald Trump for the Republican nomination, along with former Governor of Massachusetts Bill Weld. Walsh had been a strong supporter of Trump's during the 2016 election but had gradually become disenchanted with the President, describing him as "morally unfit". In view of Trump's high popularity among Republicans and Walsh's own history of controversial statements, Walsh was considered a long-shot candidate for the nomination. He announced the suspension of his campaign on February 7, 2020, after poor results in the Iowa caucuses.

References

  1. 1 2 Belenky, Alexander (June 20, 2011). "Reggie Brown, Obama Impersonator, Defends Performance At Republican Leadership Conference". Huffington Post. Retrieved March 20, 2014.
  2. 1 2 Brown, Reggie (c. 2012). "About Reggie". Reggie Brown. Retrieved March 20, 2014.
  3. ↑ Weiner, Rachel (June 20, 2011). "Obama impersonator surprised by backlash". The Washington Post. Retrieved June 22, 2011.
  4. 1 2 3 Manker, Rob (June 20, 2011). "Obama impersonator: A role I was born to play". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 22, 2011.
  5. 1 2 Gaynor, Gerren Keith (June 21, 2011). "Obama Impersonator: My Political Affiliation is "Entertainer"". NewsOne. Retrieved June 22, 2011.
  6. ↑ "About". NBC Chicago Street Team. c. 2006. Retrieved March 20, 2014.
  7. ↑ Pierce, Tony (April 29, 2011). "Ron Paul debates fake Obama on Fox Business". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 22, 2011.
  8. ↑ Tanabe, Karin (June 10, 2011). "Gary Johnson debates 'Obama'". Politico. Retrieved June 22, 2011.
  9. ↑ Stossel, John (July 14, 2011). "Herman Cain Debates President Obama". Fox Business Network. Retrieved July 17, 2011.
  10. 1 2 3 Harding, Alison (June 20, 2011). "Booted Obama impersonator defends performance at GOP gathering". CNN. Retrieved March 20, 2014.
  11. ↑ "Obama impersonator finds Republicans a tough crowd". Sun-Times Media, LLC. June 19, 2011. Retrieved June 20, 2011.
  12. ↑ Martel, Frances (June 25, 2011). "Bill Maher Invites Obama Impersonator Reggie Brown To Finish Controversial Act". Mediaite. Retrieved June 25, 2011.
  13. ↑ Brown, Reggie. "Obama Gangnam Style!". YouTube. Retrieved January 7, 2017.
  14. ↑ Minter, Adam (October 31, 2012). "Chinese Tweeters Dig Obama's Gangnam Style". Bloomberg. Retrieved March 20, 2014.
  15. ↑ Brown, Reggie. "President Obama Accepts The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge". YouTube. Retrieved January 8, 2017.
  16. ↑ "If Barack Obama Were Donald Trump (with Reggie Brown)". YouTube. Retrieved January 8, 2017.
  17. ↑ Moran, Lee (August 5, 2017). "Fake Barack Obama Reads Real Donald Trump Quotes To Expose GOP Hypocrisy". Huffington Post. Retrieved August 6, 2017.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.