Jerry Haleva (born 1945 or 1946 (age 77–78))[1] is an American actor and political lobbyist. He gained fame as an actor as a doppelgänger of Saddam Hussein due to his physical resemblance to the late Iraqi leader, with all of his film roles having him portraying Hussein.
Jerry Haleva | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1945 or 1946 (age 77–78) |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation(s) | Actor, political lobbyst |
| Years active | 1991–2002 (actor) |
Biography edit
Jerry Haleva, a Sephardic Jew,[2] is a member of the Republican Party and has worked as a lobbyist for the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, among others.[3][4] In 1973, he was an adviser to a legislative committee investigating prison conditions in California.[5] He served in the California Senate in 1977 as chief of staff for William Campbell.[6]
In 1989, a colleague of Haleva distributed a photo of the then-Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein among his co-workers with the text "Now we know what Haleva does on his weekends".[7] A few years later, Haleva contacted Ron Smith, who represented doppelgängers in the film industry, and Smith had a small role for Haleva in the feature film Hot Shots! (1991), followed by a more prominent role in its sequel, Hot Shots! Part Deux (1993). Haleva played Hussein in half a dozen films.[8] Besides the Hot Shots! movies and The Big Lebowski, he appeared in a few other films and also appeared in commercials (including for Nintendo).[4]
In the spring of 2003, when Iraq was invaded, he decided to stop working as Hussein's doppelgänger.[9][10] In January 2004 he came back to this decision and said in an interview that he was interested in continuing his acting career.[11]
As of 2016, he was a contract lobbyist (Sergeant Major Associates) and lived in Sacramento, California.[12]
Filmography edit
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Hot Shots! | Saddam Hussein | |
| 1993 | Hot Shots! Part Deux | Saddam Hussein | |
| 1998 | The Big Lebowski | Saddam | |
| Jane Austen's Mafia! | Saddam Hussein | ||
| 2002 | The First $20 Million Is Always the Hardest | Saddam Hussein | |
| Live from Baghdad | Hologram Saddam | Television Film |
References edit
- ^ Willis, Doug (June 26, 1993). "Saddam-alike". The Journal News. The Associated Press. p. C1.
Haleva, 47...
- ^ "Hollywood's Saddam Impersonator Takes Time Off". The Forward. April 4, 2003. Retrieved September 2, 2021.
- ^ Hoeber, Thomas R. (1988). California government & politics annual, 1988–89. California Journal Press. p. 54.
- ^ a b "Hit & Run 9.21.00: interview with Jerry Haleva". Suck. September 21, 2000. Archived from the original on June 12, 2011. Retrieved September 2, 2011.
- ^ "The American Express Card". Time. Vol. 102, no. 1–9. 1973. p. 116.
- ^ Academics and the legislature: case studies in scientific advice. Institute of Governmental Affairs, University of California. 1984. p. 58.
- ^ "Interview with Jerry Haleva". CNN Sunday Morning. May 4, 2003. Retrieved September 2, 2021.
- ^ "California lawmaker is also an actor, in the tradition of Reagan". The Sacramento Bee. March 19, 2017. Retrieved September 2, 2021.
- ^ Friess, Steve (2003). "'Ddam Fun". Newsweek. Vol. 141, no. 9–17. p. 648.
- ^ Hubler, Shawn (April 8, 2003). "'No longer funny,' Saddam look-alike hangs up his beret". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved September 2, 2021.
- ^ Nestruck, Kelly J. (January 2004). "Back in the biz". Canadian National Post. Archived from the original on August 20, 2008. Retrieved September 2, 2021.
- ^ "Jerry Haleva: The Dude & The Dictator". All Hazards (Podcast). May 31, 2016. Retrieved September 2, 2021.
External links edit
- Jerry Haleva at IMDb