Dalai Thapa spoke to Howard X to understand what it’s like to live life impersonating the Supreme Leader, Kim Jong-un
Picture this. An impersonator of Donald Trump is singing a breezy rendition of John Lennon’s Imagine on stage, while a Kim Jong-un impersonator is playing the drums. Trump sings ‘Imagine there are no Muslims, a very good thing to do. No more blacks or liberals, no Hispanics too.’
This is just another day in Howard X’s life. As the dictators continue dominating the fascination of media and pop culture, this impersonation has become a lucrative career for Howard X. Originally from Hong Kong but raised in Australia, Howard travels all over the world impersonating the Supreme Leader of North Korea, Kim Jong-un, who recently completed a decade since coming to power.
“I do commercials, get photos clicked, go to clubs for paid promotion,” he says. Howard has never shied away from goofing around as the dictator. On his YouTube channel, one can find random videos of him performing with Trump impersonators, or even showing up at the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea.
Kim Jong-un assumed power in 2011 and it was two years later that Howard realised he bore some resemblance to the world leader/dictator. He then got his hair cut and dresses tailored like the Supreme Leader for an April Fools’ prank. The response to his act and the uncanny resemblance to Kim prompted Howard to make impersonation his day job. This decision became final when Howard ended up getting an advertising deal with an Israeli food chain.
Poking fun at Kim Jong-un had already proved to be marketable after the success of the controversial comedy The Interview, in which Randall Park (of Fresh Off The Boat fame) played the dictator as a friendless, egoistic, Katy Perry-loving, man-child. Interestingly, once Howard X met Katy Perry at a Grammy ceremony and the pop singer mistook Howard as Randall Park.
For the Western world, such portrayals of Kim Jong-un reduced him to a gag, no matter how intimidating he is in his homeland. Not only does he exercise control over a rapidly-growing nuclear arsenal, he has succeeded in creating a god-like persona amongst his countryfolk. While the world struggles with decisions to contain the coronavirus pandemic, the North Korean dictator was quick to issue a shoot-and-kill order on anyone who contracted the disease.
Howard X has marketed well on this bizarre, and fearful persona. After his Israeli commercial, he posed as Kim Jong-un for several other advertisements for mobile phones, clothing brands, and internet networks.
“Of course, I don’t like Kim Jong at all.” Howard makes it clear that his act is just for satirical purposes. ‘Just like how this Adolf Hitler impersonator in Germany sings songs making fun of Hitler.’
As the doppelgänger points out, he’s part of a larger network of political impersonators who are emerging everywhere in the face of turbulent politics. For instance, there are impersonators of Boris Johnson and the Queen in the UK, and Donald Trump in the USA.
In fact, he and Dennis Alan, a Trump impersonator, have formed their own music group The Tyrants. They perform parody satirical parodies at live shows, along with other goofy antics. However, not all impersonators have had it easy like Howard.
“I knew this man in China. He looks very similar to Xi Jinping. I told him that he should impersonate him but then he says he’ll be arrested or kidnapped if he ever pulled off something like that.” Xi Jinping, the President of the People’s Republic of China doesn’t have much taste for satire as can be seen in China’s strict control over internet and creative content. Some pointed out that Jinping bears a resemblance to Winnie the Pooh. Communist observers thought that this soft-hearted children’s character would portray the leader as weak. Hence, all presence of Pooh was banned on the Chinese internet.
The humour aside, Howard doesn’t shy away from making political statements and poking fun at everyone. He clicked a photograph at a Hong Kong protest once, next to a person wearing a Winnie the Pooh head. ‘Hanging out with Xi Jinping’, read his caption.
Howard suggests that he would love to come to India too when he gets the opportunity. “I think there’s a Modi impersonator in India. I’m pretty sure he hates Modi. Just like how all of us impersonators, we don’t like the leaders we portray.”
He elaborates his philosophy of political impersonation further. “It’s really important to poke fun at these dictators. It turns them into a joke, and for a change, we feel less fearful about them. I am being funny but also sending a message through this act.”
While people definitely chuckle whenever Howard shows up as Kim Jong-un, there have been negative responses too. The biggest instance is when he got detained at an airport at Hanoi, when Trump and Kim were to attend a summit in Vietnam. He was deported at the North Korean government’s request but even then, the immigration officials were eager to click selfies with him.
Last year, Howard spent his time attending Presidential rallies in the United States, collaborating with other impersonators on the road. “Constant travelling, that’s the best part of my job.”
So, he keeps on traveling as Kim all over the world, except, of course, North Korea. “If I go to North Korea, I’ll be shot by Kim Jong. Simple as that. That guy, he has no sense of humour,” he chuckles.
Howard’s future as the ‘Supreme Leader’ seems to last for a few more decades as long as Kim Jong-un is still in power. As he said in the first half of 2020, “If Trump loses the elections somehow, the businesses of Trump impersonators would be affected. But in my case, Kim Jong is a dictator, a ruler for life. He’s here to stay. I’m here to stay.”
Howard X can be booked and contacted via Twitter (@KimJongUnDouble) and Instagram (@kimjongunlookalike).
