Reggie Brown (impersonator) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Reggie Brown
Birth name	Reginald Dennis Odell II
Born	1980 (age 44–45) Maywood, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Medium	impersonation, comedy
Genres	Impersonations
Subject(s)	politics, popular culture

Reginald Dennis Odell II (born in 1980) is an American actor and writer. He is well-known for being a comedic impersonator and look-alike of former U.S. President Barack Obama.

Reggie Brown first gained international attention because of his performances. He also became famous for his appearances on television and his videos on YouTube.

Early Life and School

Reggie Brown grew up in Chicago, Illinois. He was born in Maywood, a suburb of Chicago. Like President Obama, Reggie has a white mother and a Black father.

When he was five, his parents separated. His mother raised him and his older brother Lawrence. Later, his mother married his stepfather, Lawrence Brown. Sadly, his stepfather passed away when Reggie was 13.

Reggie went to the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign. However, he left college to become a model. After joining Ford Model Management, he took voice and acting classes.

Reggie Brown's Career

Local Reporter Work

From 2006 to 2008, Reggie Brown worked as a blogger for WMAQ-TV. He covered local events for their "Street Team."

In 2008, he won an Emmy Award. This award was for his work on "Looptopia Live." It recognized his great contributions to new media.

Becoming an Obama Impersonator

Reggie Brown says he first noticed he looked like Barack Obama when he was 21. At that time, Obama was an Illinois state lawmaker.

Reggie started his career as a professional impersonator on Fox Business Network. He appeared in funny debates against politicians like Ron Paul. He also debated Governor Gary Johnson and Herman Cain on the show Stossel.

YouTube Videos and Fame

Reggie Brown appeared in a very popular YouTube video. It was a funny version of Psy's song Gangnam Style. The video was called Obama Gangnam Style!

This video got over 100 million views worldwide. Many people in China thought the real President Obama made the video. Reggie also impersonated Obama for the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge.

In 2016, he created a mix of Obama and Donald Trump for CollegeHumor. He spoke famous Trump quotes as Obama. He did a similar performance in 2017 on Real Time with Bill Maher.

Reggie Brown's Filmography

Reggie Brown has appeared in many TV shows and movies. He often plays Barack Obama. Here are some of his roles:

Personal Life

Reggie Brown lives in Los Angeles, California. When asked about his political views, he prefers not to say if he is a Democrat or a Republican. He says he is simply an "entertainer."