Jerry Haleva

Jerry Haleva (born 1945 or 1946)[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
Born1945 or 1946 (age 77–78)
NationalityAmerican
Occupation(s)Actor, political lobbyst
Years active1991–2002 (actor)

Biography

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
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
  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. "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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