What it's like to be one of the world's top Obama impersonators

Strangers have spit in his face and thrown punches at him.

Others have tearfully hugged him, handed him babies or fainted in his presence. People have taken his photo more than 500,000 times - sometimes after waiting in line two hours for the chance at a selfie with him.

It's all part of the job for Reggie Brown, one of the world's top Barack Obama impersonators.

Brown, an alumnus of Montini Catholic High School in Lombard, travels the world impersonating the commander in chief. He has appeared in character on numerous television shows and movies, including "Jimmy Kimmel Live," "Real Time with Bill Maher," "Barbershop: The Next Cut" and the upcoming Brad Pitt movie, "War Machine."

Brown is so good - looking so much like Obama, nailing every detail of his speech and style and telling funny jokes - that he is paid anywhere from $7,500 to $25,000 for a half-hour appearance, he said.

And not just by people who want to pay tribute to the president. About 90 percent of his business comes from big corporations and Obama critics, including Republican and conservative groups. Earlier this month, Brown was flown first-class to Taiwan to perform at a birthday party of one of Asia's richest men in one of the most lavish parties Brown has ever seen.

While Brown enjoys roasting people in his performances, he's a strong Obama supporter and draws a line at how far he'll go to mock the president. People often ask for photos where they're pretending to choke him, but he refuses anything that implies physical violence toward the president.

However, he is OK with the "taking money out of your wallet" photo or the "fists up, pretending to fight" photo.

He's turned down lucrative offers from Republican super PACs to be featured on TV commercials intended to make Obama look bad.

"I just kind of told them to shove it, even though it was a lot of money," he said. "I'm not going to let them demean the image of the president ... I play the character clean. I play him fair. If they're a conservative group, I can be more self-deprecating, but I don't go to places and Obama-bash. If I hit the left, I hit the right."

Brown's wild ride as an Obama impersonator began almost 10 years ago when the actor, model and Emmy Award-winning writer was regularly told he looked like the then-senator from Illinois. Brown did his first Obama impression in 2008 during a mock debate on Fox Business Network, and that led to bigger and bigger gigs.

It took Brown many years to fine-tune his Obama character. He had to study and practice the president's speech and movements and perfect his look with makeup and large costume ears. He calls his costume his "Superman suit." Then there's the process of writing jokes and speeches and staying up to date on world events.

"You won't catch me walking to the store in character, looking for attention. I enjoy life as myself," said Brown, 35, who now lives in Los Angeles. "Doing this has enriched my life in so many different ways ... it's not always about the money. I just love making people laugh and entertaining."

Brown and Obama actually have a lot in common: they're both South Siders, biracial, and raised by single mothers. Brown attributes his success to his mother, Jane Brown, of Bolingbrook, fondly known as "the Obama mama."

After Brown's father died of leukemia when he was 13, his mother, a U.S. postal worker (she worked for 36 years in the Carol Stream and Bolingbrook post offices), raised five kids on her own and put them through private Catholic school.

"If she didn't put my brothers and sisters and me first always, and our education first always, I wouldn't be where I am at today," Brown said.

When Obama leaves office in January, Brown's not worried about work drying up. He still sees high demand for his motivational, multimedia or comedy speeches (both in character and out) and has been auditioning more lately as himself for acting and show-hosting jobs. He's also working on a documentary film about his experience, with the working title, "How I Became the President of the United States."

"I've got a lot of tricks up my sleeve," he said. "I'm just keeping my options open. I'm ready for whatever comes."

- Jamie Sotonoff

• Dann Gire and Jamie Sotonoff are always looking for people from the suburbs who are working in showbiz. If you know of someone who would make an interesting feature, email them at dgire@dailyherald.com and jsotonoff@dailyherald.com.

Three one-liners from Obama impersonator Reggie Brown

His comedy material differs from show to show, but here are a few popular jokes Reggie Brown tells while doing his Barack Obama impersonation:

• “Is it hot outside, or is it Al Gore?”

• “My favorite month is February, Black History Month. Michelle, she celebrates the full month. I celebrate half.”

• “I just got back from a vacation in my birth state of Hawaii or, as the Tea Partyers still call it, Kenya.”