The advent of the impersonator is one of the most curious phenomena in our celebrity-obsessed culture; there’s something fascinating about people whose love for a certain star extends into adopting that person’s style, image, and/or personality. They’re also rich subject matter for portraiture, as demonstrated amply by this series of portraits of Marilyn Monroe impersonators by LA-based photographer Emily Berl. Interestingly, Berl’s images serve to humanize their subjects as much as anything — as she points out at Feature Shoot, where we spotted these photos, “I’m less concerned about how much they look like Marilyn and more concerned about their motivations for becoming her.” The diversity of Marilyns on show is astounding, as is the diversity of ways in which each goes about capturing the essence of their heroine.
Photo credit: Emily Berl
Photo credit: Emily Berl
Photo credit: Emily Berl
Photo credit: Emily Berl
Photo credit: Emily Berl
Photo credit: Emily Berl
Photo credit: Emily Berl
Photo credit: Emily Berl
Photo credit: Emily Berl
Photo credit: Emily Berl