“I am not a particularly wild and crazy guy. But these gigs nicely supplement my income, and I’m saving up for a trip to Florida.” — Ryan Sears, Steve Martin lookalike

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In 1989, I spent a summer in Los Angeles documenting a new breed of Hollywood entertainers: celebrity lookalikes. These individuals, while resembling famous stars, found themselves relegated to the sidelines, treated as mere substitutes for their renowned counterparts.

I believe these underappreciated actors deserve the belated recognition they’ve been denied until now. In my eyes, they weren’t just stand-ins, but genuine performers with unique talents to share. Their untold stories are extraordinary and deserve to live on.

Now that we’ve entered a post-AI era where the line between truth and fiction will forever be blurred, it felt like an ideal time to release this collection. Enjoy. — Snerko, May 2023

Shooting locations map: https://bit.ly/closebutnocigar

All work copyright Snerko 2023