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CLONE-Y
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A native New Yorker from Queens, David Siegel has lived in Glen Rock with his wife, Elaine, for the past two years. Haven't run into him? If you Google “George Clooney Look-Alike,” you’ll find him… everywhere!
Check out his website at davidasclooney.com |
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“I sent in your photo to a celebrity look- alike contest,” my mom said proudly, “and I think you may have won.” This was back in 2009, when I came over to my mother's apartment in Queens one day to take her out to lunch. After the usual big hug and kiss hello, I noticed she was clutching a copy of People, her favorite “escape from reality” magazine.
“What’s new in Hollywood, Mom?” I asked, in no way expecting what came next. “YOU are,” she said, as she opened the magazine to the center section. There I was, pictured next to George Clooney. Let me just say, it’s not every day you find your photo in a national magazine. And no, I did not “win.” A fabulous Leonard Di Caprio look-alike won the contest. 
But there I was, and my “side hustle” of the last 13 years was born!
It’s not like I never noticed the resemblance. Friends had made mention over the years, even back when Clooney was featured on TV’s “The Facts of Life, but I just didn't really think it was a big deal. Did girls react? Early on, not so much. After the magazine appearance, I started getting noticed. It didn't hurt that “ER,” the TV series, was putting the finishing touches on a 15-season run that year (2009), and Mr. Clooney was making movies left and right. A friend suggested googling “celebrity look-alike agents,” so I did, not really expecting this to be a thing. A few weeks later I was having coffee with a guy named Ron, who would travel regularly between Boston and New York for his job as a celebrity look-alike AGENT. Yeah…it IS a thing! And just like that, one month later I was working my first gig at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. Most gigs are corporate-type events. You might find me in a booth at a convention or walking the floor at a huge gala, mingling and taking photos with invitees. Coffee companies have used me in commercials and advertising, often capitalizing on the success of Mr. Clooney’s Nespresso ads, sometimes poking fun at the coffee giant. This magical side-hustle has taken me all over the world, appearing in commercials and print ads for clients in Israel, The Netherlands, and Italy. I have also traveled extensively around the U.S.
The pandemic made this crazy world of look-alikes difficult to navigate. After some time, like many businesses, we figured it out on the fly. Virtual events were very popular, and I was busy producing greetings for George Clooney fans all over the world on Cameo, a platform where people can hire athletes, actors, and all kinds of celebrities (and look-alikes) to create personal video messages for any occasion or holiday.
When my Netherlands client needed another commercial, I assembled a production staff here in New Jersey. We shot at a studio in Wayne and sent all video footage to my client back in The Netherlands where the final cut was produced and received with great enthusiasm. In-person events are finally opening back up. In fact, I just returned from Las Vegas where I had my first in-person gig in more than two years, appearing with my longtime friend Alisha, a Julia Roberts look-alike. It was great to be back. 
Regarding everything "David As Clooney," my mom was certainly my biggest fan.
The Glen Rock community has had some fun with this, too. I’m happy to say that a number of people here in town have used my services in my regular job as a design consultant with 3 Day Blinds, and sometimes when I enter a home, I hear, “Hey…aren’t you that George Clooney look-alike guy?”
Many take a page from my mother’s book and greet me on Rock Road with, “Hey George!” Regarding everything David-As-Clooney, my mom was certainly my biggest fan - she started calling me “George” and did so up until she passed in September (2021). I miss her dearly. As luck would have it, I have never met Mr. Clooney, although I do hope for a day when the look-alike gods and universe come together to make that happen – so I don’t know if he actually thinks there’s a resemblance. For now, I’ll just keep on doin’ what I do; having great fun with this happy accident. 🤵
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