Jerry Haleva
Jerry Haleva | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1945 or 1946 (age 78–79) |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation(s) | Actor, political lobbyist |
| Years active | 1991–2002 (actor) |
Jerome M. Haleva[1] (born 1945 or 1946 (age 78–79))[2] 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
[edit]Jerry Haleva, a Sephardic Jew,[3] is a member of the Republican Party and has worked as a lobbyist for the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, among others.[4][5] In 1973, he was an adviser to a legislative committee investigating prison conditions in California.[6] He served in the California Senate in 1977 as chief of staff for William Campbell.[7] Haleva was nicknamed the "41st Senator" for "his aggressive style and legislative adroitness".[8] Haleva was thrice noted by the Fair Political Practices Commission for potential mishandling of funds.[8]
Both Haleva and Campbell were briefly investigated following the BRISPEC sting operation for possible connections to Paul Carpenter, who had been connected to racketeering activities.[1] They were mentioned in a tapped phone conversation by Carpenter's aide John Shahabian in August 1986. Campbell was described as "'available' to receive a cut of the contribution money in return for a potential vote on a bill" while Haleva was said to be a potential obstacle since he "will want a cut", telling an undercover FBI agent posing as a potential donor that if Haleva found out, they would "end up paying Jerry too. He’s famous for it". The FBI ultimately did not press charges against either Haleva or Campbell.[8][9]
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".[10] 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.[11] Besides the Hot Shots! movies and The Big Lebowski, he appeared in a few other films and also appeared in commercials (including for Nintendo).[5]
In the spring of 2003, when Iraq was invaded, he decided to stop working as Hussein's doppelgänger.[12][13] In January 2004 he came back to this decision and said in an interview that he was interested in continuing his acting career.[14]
As of 2016, he was a contract lobbyist (Sergeant Major Associates) and lived in Sacramento, California.[15]
Filmography
[edit]| 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
[edit]- ^ a b Frammolino, Ralph (September 6, 1989). "State Panel Opens 2nd Investigation of Top Campbell Aide". Los Angeles Times.
- ^ Willis, Doug (June 26, 1993). "Saddam-alike". The Journal News. The Associated Press. p. C1.
Haleva, 47...
- ^ "Hollywood's Saddam Impersonator Takes Time Off". The Forward. April 4, 2003. Retrieved September 2, 2021.
- ^ Hoeber, Thomas R. (1988). California government & politics annual, 1988–89. California Journal Press. p. 54.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "The American Express Card". Time. Vol. 102, no. 1–9. 1973. p. 116.
- ^ Academics and the legislature: case studies in scientific advice. Institute of Governmental Affairs, University of California. 1984. p. 58.
- ^ a b c Frammolino, Ralph (August 18, 1990). "Carpenter Trial Recording Names Campbell, Ex-Aide". Los Angeles Times.
- ^ Frammolino, Ralph (August 16, 1989). "Senator's Deputy Aided Firm That Gave Him Loan". Los Angeles Times.
- ^ "Interview with Jerry Haleva". CNN Sunday Morning. May 4, 2003. Retrieved September 2, 2021.
- ^ "California lawmaker is also an actor, in the tradition of Reagan". The Sacramento Bee. March 19, 2017. Retrieved September 2, 2021.
- ^ Friess, Steve (2003). "'Ddam Fun". Newsweek. Vol. 141, no. 9–17. p. 648.
- ^ Hubler, Shawn (April 8, 2003). "'No longer funny,' Saddam look-alike hangs up his beret". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved September 2, 2021.
- ^ Nestruck, Kelly J. (January 2004). "Back in the biz". Canadian National Post. Archived from the original on August 20, 2008. Retrieved September 2, 2021.
- ^ "Jerry Haleva: The Dude & The Dictator". All Hazards (Podcast). May 31, 2016. Retrieved September 2, 2021.
External links
[edit]- Jerry Haleva at IMDb