We were lucky to catch up with Michael Walters recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Michael, thanks for joining us today. Do you feel you or your work has ever been misunderstood or mischaracterized? If so, tell us the story and how/why it happened and if there are any interesting learnings or insights you took from the experience?
People often think that celebrity impersonators are people who lack the creativity to come up with their own ideas and cultivate their own talents. They think that there is a lack of talent or capability in recreating the act of a well-known entity or persona. Nothing could be further from the truth. Celebrity Impersonators or Tribute Artists (as many of us prefer to be called), are often individuals with the unusual ability to recreate, or in many cases reincarnate, an act that might be forgotten or is no longer around. It’s an unusual ability to be able to bring back memories or keep alive the very spirit of a legendary talent.
I believe it’s vital to our culture to be able to celebrate a star or educate audiences as to why a particular star was legendary to begin with.
Sometime, people do indeed mistake us for the real celebrities: Some people believe that celebrity impersonators are the actual celebrities. It does indeed happen. We are certainly not out to deceive anyone. In fact, it’s not uncommon to have people insist we are the real deal. If that happens, we do try to set them straight, but if that cannot be accomplished, we do feel great that our illusion was so well crafted that people truly believed in our work.
Then, there are people who think we are just look-alikes with no discernible ability. While appearance is important for impersonators, we also study the speech patterns, mannerisms, and behaviors of the celebrities we impersonate to create a convincing portrayal. It’s also about capturing their essence and personality.
In involves a lot of work, passion, commitment and fortitude to get to the top of this profession. Another of the biggest misconceptions about our business is that we make the same money as the people to whom we pay tribute. We typically invest more in becoming the character we portray than we will ever get out of it. Why do we do it then? Because we love doing it.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I was born in Hope, Arkansas, delivered by the same nurse who delivered President Clinton. That nurse just happened to be my Grandmother. I always include that, because it’s such an odd and unusual little fact about me.
I began performing from a young age, able to mimic voices I heard on TV. Fortunately, these impressions got better over the years.
As a performer, I appeared in over 75 stage productions, including turns as Max Bialystock in The Producers, Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof, Albin/Zaza in La Cage Aux Folles, The Padre in Man of La Mancha, Jud Fry in OKLAHOMA!, Pap Finn in BIG RIVER, and his Carbonell Award-winning turn as Major General Stanley in The Pirates of Penzance. More information can be found about my acting career at www.michaelwaltersonstage.com
As an award-winning celebrity impersonator, my portrayal of Comedy Icon Dame Edna Everage has taken me all over North America with several editions of my own one-man tribute show. My newest show, “Overdressed for the Apocalypse”, will have its’ world premiere on September 7th at Off-Broadway’s legendary Triad theatre. This is the same theatre where “Forbidden Broadway” premiered, along with “Forever Plaid”. I couldn’t be more excited to bring this new show to New York, with original music, brand new comedy and gorgeous costumes.
One of the things I feel most proud of is the attention to detail that I and my partner invest in my replica costumes, wigs, jewelry and staging that doesn’t exist outside of Edna’s actual shows. My glasses are an actual pair of Edna’s stage-worn glasses that I won at an auction.
When I first donned the “wisteria” coif and rhinestoned glasses in early 1999, I never dreamed I would still be performing the Character today- not to mention being chosen by Dame Edna’s original creator, Barry Humphries in a couple of look-alike contests, or having the honor of appearing at a special event on Humphries’ Birthday in 2010. I was equally surprised when I discovered that producers all over the world would be eager to present my impersonations.
Today, my “One Dame” stage show gets rave reviews. My performances feature the outrageous comedy you’d expect from Dame Edna as well as an “Edna-graphical” narrative of show stopping Broadway numbers.
My ‘life as Edna’ started at a mystery dinner theatre in Orlando, Florida. The cast all performed multiple roles– sort of in rotation. Everyone was having trouble with this new character they wrote; a psychotic Julia Child. They asked me to do it, and for some reason I thought ‘DAME EDNA!’ They got me a purple wig and a pair of rhinestone glasses- and off I went! Early on, my impersonation of The Dame was pretty tragic, but somehow or another it was a hit! I was having a blast and getting good laughs. Then strangely enough, audience members would approach me after the show and ask if they could have the character appear at their party or charity event. Always the starving artist, I leapt at the chance! The character has really evolved and become a part of me. It’s always a wild ride and I was so grateful to Barry (Humphries) for his genius. More information can be found at www.dameednashow.com
I am also widely recognized for my spot-on impersonation of The Legendary Jackie Gleason. I have earned the blessing of the Gleason Estate, as well as starring roles in musical productions of Jackie’s 1960s musical Take Me Along, and the Paper Mill Playhouse world premiere of The Honeymooners The Musical.
When I am not working on acting projects, I enjoy spending the Holiday season as a professional Santa Claus. I have appeared as Santa on Broadway (Gutenberg the Musical, Guest Star) and on the Jimmy Fallon Show. That is in addition to my official partnerships with Bryant Park, FAO Schwarz, and several of the City’s best-known hotels. More information on that can be found at www.TheCitySanta.com
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
Applause. Pure and simple. Actors do it for applause. Money is nice, but it’s rare that money is our reward for a job well done. We love recognition, awards and accolades, but for me, it’s being able to be told: Good Job! I’m not shy, but it’s rare that I like to stick around after a show to receive more compliments and adulation from people. I like to get my applause at the curtain and leave as soon as I can. That is my reward – just to know I made people happy for 90 minutes. It’s a blessing.
Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?
I think “civilians”, as I call them, wonder why we get into a business that’s so unstable and unsteady as a career in show business. It’s almost pathological. We need to get in front of an audience. We need to show off, as it were. We were blessed with talents that want to be displayed. No, not want, NEED. If we don’t, there’s no outlet that is a suitable substitute. Every actor or performer has a distinct and different journey. No, we likely will never be rich, but that’s not the point. I can speak from my experience that we all are looking for that one “big break”, but in the meantime, we find ways to satisfy our desire to get out there and entertain.
People go into show business despite its instability because of their passion.Many people are passionate about performing, creating, or entertaining, and they are willing to take on the challenges of the industry because they love what they do. The entertainment industry provides opportunities for creative expression and fulfillment, allowing people to bring their artistic visions to life.
Contact Info:
- Website: Www.dameednashow.com