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Jerry Haleva

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Jerry Haleva
Born1945 or 1946 (age 78–79)
NationalityAmerican
Occupation(s)Actor, political lobbyst
Years active1991–2002 (actor)

Jerry Haleva (born 1945 or 1946 (age 78–79))[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.

Biography

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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

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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

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  1. ^ Willis, Doug (June 26, 1993). "Saddam-alike". The Journal News. The Associated Press. p. C1. Haleva, 47...
  2. ^ "Hollywood's Saddam Impersonator Takes Time Off". The Forward. April 4, 2003. Retrieved September 2, 2021.
  3. ^ Hoeber, Thomas R. (1988). California government & politics annual, 1988–89. California Journal Press. p. 54.
  4. ^ 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.
  5. ^ "The American Express Card". Time. Vol. 102, no. 1–9. 1973. p. 116.
  6. ^ Academics and the legislature: case studies in scientific advice. Institute of Governmental Affairs, University of California. 1984. p. 58.
  7. ^ "Interview with Jerry Haleva". CNN Sunday Morning. May 4, 2003. Retrieved September 2, 2021.
  8. ^ "California lawmaker is also an actor, in the tradition of Reagan". The Sacramento Bee. March 19, 2017. Retrieved September 2, 2021.
  9. ^ Friess, Steve (2003). "'Ddam Fun". Newsweek. Vol. 141, no. 9–17. p. 648.
  10. ^ Hubler, Shawn (April 8, 2003). "'No longer funny,' Saddam look-alike hangs up his beret". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved September 2, 2021.
  11. ^ Nestruck, Kelly J. (January 2004). "Back in the biz". Canadian National Post. Archived from the original on August 20, 2008. Retrieved September 2, 2021.
  12. ^ "Jerry Haleva: The Dude & The Dictator". All Hazards (Podcast). May 31, 2016. Retrieved September 2, 2021.
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