Chinese Barack Obama Impersonator Is Breaking Into Movies
A Chinese man makes a living impersonating Barack Obama and now he’s heading for a movie career due to his uncanny resemblance to the U.S. President.
Xiao Jiguo, 29, had a life-changing experience after a friend uploaded a video of him singing to a social media site. While viewers were not particularly impressed with his musical skills, they did comment on his resemblance to President Obama. After this, and despite the fact that he speaks virtually no English, Xiao decided to make a living as a Barack Obama impersonator.
XIAO JIGUO (29 yo), A Chinese Actor from Sichuan who involved on a Comedy Film as a Replica of The President OBAMA. pic.twitter.com/jghscu7UPS
— RIEFS SPRINGFIELDS (@Riefs68) September 20, 2015
According to India Today, the media took note of Xiao after he appeared on a TV talent show in 2012 called the Chinese Dream Show and since then he has appeared in a web mini-series, where he goes on dates with women, all the while impersonating Barack Obama.
To make himself look even more like President Obama, Xiao reportedly underwent minor plastic surgery, which led to him being featured in an ad campaign for the plastic surgery clinic in Hong Kong that performed his operation.
He also said that he watched several videos of Barack Obama to learn the U.S. President’s mannerisms and although he has no idea what President Obama actually does or how the White House functions, he has memorized President Obama’s inauguration speech to increase his mimicking skills.
Right now, he speaks very little English. As can be seen in the video at the end of this article, he says a few English words then carries on with total gibberish. However, despite the language barrier, it seems he has finally earned his big break, after he landed a part in a new Chinese detective comedy film called Huo Bao, which translates to Funny Fellows in English. Xiao will play the part of “Black Prince Charming,” a small-time, low-level gangster.
Xiao Jiguo, a 29-year-old actor from China’s Sichuan province, gets ready to impersonate US President Obama @POTUS pic.twitter.com/jDy6pKqBsw
— Farhan Jimale (@farhanjimale) September 19, 2015
The Mirror quotes Xiao as saying, “My character is not the real Obama, but a low-level gangster.”
“So when my boss tells me to beat people up, I’d do it.”
Xiao added that he has the same blood type as Barack Obama, which some people believe shapes a person’s personality, and that his birthday is one day away from the U.S. President‘s birthday.
According to Wang Xijin, fellow actor, producer and screenwriter of the movie, “All he has to do is to just stand there, and his looks will already leave a deep impression on the audience.”
“In this movie, he acts as one of the low-level gangsters, but his character strongly stands out because of his looks. Also, this is a comedy.”
Wang went on to say everyone knows that in America, Barack Obama is the boss, and that he enjoys all that comes with the position. However, in the film, his character is not doing so well.
With U.S. President Barack Obama set to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping in Washington on Friday, Xiao was asked how he would treat the Chinese President if he really was President Obama and not just an impersonator, to which he replied that he would throw a huge banquet.
“If I really were Obama, I would definitely throw a huge banquet. I would ask all the media to come and I’d say in front of them, ‘We are friends with China. Xi Jinping and I are brothers.”
Watch Xiao in the video below. Do you think he bears a striking resemblance to Barack Obama or is he just dreaming? Let us know by posting a comment.
[Photo via YouTube video screen capture / President Barack Obama by Pool /Getty Images News]
