10.23.2009

Celebrity Look-alike

I am always getting celebrity comparisons. For years it seemed that every other person I met would exclaim, "You look just like Scarlett Johansson!" And I would smile ruefully and shake my head.
"Really? You think so?"
"Yes! It's amazing you look exactly like her!" They would assure me, sometimes mentioning my fluffy hair and full red lips. I would keep smiling and thank them, but inside my head I was stamping my little foot and declaring 'No no no!' See the thing is; I've never particularly cared for her. Not to be uncharitable, but I don't find her attractive, and I don't like her acting style whatsoever. If I was in the mood to ruffle some feathers I would voice my opinion, and chuckle inside during the ensuing defense of her beauty and talent. So usually I just smiled and took it as a compliment.
Sometimes Rachel McAdams would be mentioned, or that girl from the iceskating movie. I even got a Taylor Swift - tho I'm a mere 5'3" to her astonishing 6' height; but it was nearly always Scarlett. This went on until I pixied my hair, and the comparisons abruptly ended.

Over the last year my hair has grown into a bob with a mind of it's own, and I took the plunge and colored it a rich dark brown with a subtle hint of red. I felt gloriously like my own unique, individual self.
My sister and I were walking downtown, and in an effort to explore shops we'd never been in before entered a scrapbooking store next to my work.
"Oh my god! You're Alice!" someone shrieked. I spun around, wildly startled, to see a woman practically leaping at me from behind a table. My first instinct was to grap my sister and throw her at the oncoming commotion and RUN for my life. Instead I covered my terror with a calm smile and said "Excuse me?"
"You're Alice! From Twilight! You just need to flip out your hair and change your outfit but you look just like Alice!" she babbled ecstatically. "We're having a Twilight Festival and need an Alice look alike to do psychic readings. You could just make stuff up you know, like, OOH! 'I see a handsome man in your future' or 'you will have ten kids and five dogs' and oh it would be so much fun you're perfect!" She paused for breath but as soon as I started shaking my head she plunged headlong into persuasion. "Oh I just can't believe this! You know you want to. It would be so much fun! Doesn't she look exactly like Alice?" she demanded in my sisters direction. Halleleyah was practically in stitches trying to conceal her laughter and could only say "oh hm um I" before she was run over.
"You don't have anything going on next weekend right? You'd love it - we really need someone - oh my goodness you look exactly like Alice!"
 I finally recovered enough to find my voice, and tried to politely refuse. It was not very effective, and we made our escape as quickly as possible.

The dear woman pops in every day that I work. She cannot remember my real name, but calls me Alice, and is forever trying to convince me to participate in the numerous Twilight events in Forks and Port Angeles. (I hold firmly to my charming refusal, but I'm afraid that one day I may crack!)

I'm sure the comparisons are well meant, but with acting being my passion I can't help balking at the thought of being exactly like another actress out there. I don't want to be the next Scarlett Johansson, or Alice Cullen (I don't actually know her real name). If I burst onto the scene, I want people to know it's me, Charisa Silliman, without a hint of anyone else.

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