Barack 'Fauxbamas' muse about their futures as Obama's presidency ends

Hope and change. Just maybe not in that order.

Those are two things Barack Obama's impersonators are bracing for as the president prepares to leave the White House in January.

During his two terms in office, America's first black president gave performers of colour — some from unexpected ethnic backgrounds, like one Chinese actor — the chance to earn a living by playing the commander-in-chief.

As bookings start to slow down for some of them, four of Obama's best-known impersonators reflect on what they might do next, and reveal how their uncanny resemblance to the former senator from Chicago gave them new lives.

Hometown Obama

Reggie Brown, 35, Los Angeles via Chicago
As seen on: Real Time with Bill Maher, Barbershop 3, WWE Monday Night Raw, the 2011 Republican Leadership Conference

I'm going to play Obama until I can't anymore. I've been able to make a great living and set myself up for retirement.

The first time I heard about Obama was from my brother. He was working at the East Bank Club in Chicago. He said, "Reg, you look just like this guy Barack who plays basketball at the gym." I was like, OK. Then, I was waiting tables, and this woman kept staring at me and said, "Oh my god, you look just like my professor at the University of Chicago, Barack Obama. Google him."

As of next week, it's going to be 18 countries that I've been to. Tanzania was amazing. One of the audience members loved the show so much, he sent me and the Sarah Palin impersonator I was performing with on a two-day safari on a game reserve he owned. I'm a huge animal guy, and I'm watching the scenery go from dark dirt to lush green. I started crying, realizing how my dreams came true.

I would say 90 per cent of my clients over my two terms in office have been conservative.

Watch video of Reggie Brown as Obama:

My basic appearance rate to do a kick-off speech and VIP photo shoot for clients starts at $5,000 plus travel, and then it goes up for my half-hour comedy show. All the expenses are always on the side, net from $15,000-25,000 for an appearance and $50,000 for a commercial, so it can be big numbers. But I'm not about the money. It's more about the experience and living life.

Lately, I have started to see a little bit of a slowdown trend, but I don't think anyone has prepared anything like what I have. My new keynote is the story about how I, an unassuming mixed kid from the south side of Chicago, raised by a single mother, eventually became president of the United States. I'm telling them I'm Reggie Brown, and over the course of the talk, I remove my fake ears, wipe the makeup off my face. A lot of people like that because it sends a positive and inspiring message.

I might cross over into doing some management of the next president, but I also have bookings right up until July of next year, a lot of corporate dates. I've been seeing a rise of Hillary impersonators, one who I may manage. People are asking me, "Do you know a Hillary?" I've also got some Trump impersonators some bookings before.

Indonesian Obama

Ilham Anas, 42, Jakarta
As seen on: Indonesian television; commercials in the Philippines, Hong Kong and China

I'm 100 per cent Indonesian, so I can't believe why God chooses me as Obama's impersonator. Obama is African-American. So why choose me? It's a gift from God. I think my ears. I have same ears with Obama. I have same lips with Obama, teeth and nose. But I never have plastic surgery, it's a real face.

Frankly, I feel sad about Obama's retirement. For me, Obama is the best as a leader. Since a few months ago, there are fewer requests for me as Obama. Maybe because Obama is not too much making news in the world.

In 2008, I was a photojournalist. My sister told me I am very similar with this man, Obama. She said, "Hey, that's your brother on TV!" My colleagues in my office also said like that. They asked me to wear a suit. They took some pictures to spread on Facebook. In two days, my pictures were received in America, in Japan.

My first job as Obama came from the Philippines — a TV commercial for stomach medicine. In Indonesia, salary for journalists is not too good. So when I take part in a commercial shoot, of course it's very good payment for me.

Watch video of Ilham Anas as Obama:

I had many opportunities as Obama. I travelled in many countries in Asia. I travelled in America also, for commercials, movies, events. I make some money. With this money I can buy my house and my car.

When I go to America for the American film market, after going to a location, I go to the mall, the supermarket, I'm still using the suit. Many people scream, "Wow, that's Obama! Obama!" An old lady almost fell to the floor because she was in the elevator with President Obama.

I'm enough popular in Indonesia. Now I'm an actor, I'm a movie producer because I take part in many movies and I try to learn about how to produce movies. Maybe with my knowledge about movie production I can grow my business.

Obama will retire. But like other American presidents, like Clinton, like Jimmy Carter, Obama will still be popular in the world. I will keep being Obama's impersonator. 

I was very interested to meet with Obama in 2010, but at that time, I'm in Hollywood, Obama is in Indonesia. Too bad. This is not my fortune.

Bronx Obama

Louis Ortiz, 45, New York
As seen/heard on: Flight of the Conchords, Bronx Obama, This American Life, The Jeff Probst Show, The Onion

I'm on set right now. I can't say for what. I'm in Australia in two weeks on a different project, but I can't talk about that either. Darn confidentiality agreements.

Before I became Bronx Obama, I was unemployed for a year after working 14 years for Verizon and getting let go in 2006. I never had a suit, a passport, black shoes, nada. Now I've been around the world a few times.

As far as preparing for the end of the Obama presidency, that's a matter of national security. But seriously, I can't give up my plans. All these other Fauxbamas are running around scared about the end of his presidency, not me. There's a book to follow my documentary, Bronx Obama. That's airing on Showtime.

Watch video of Louis Ortiz as Obama:

I travelled to Poland, Copenhagen, Canada, Norway and east to west in the U.S. screening the film in the Documentary Film Festival circuit. I've performed for the Dalai Lama in Australia and was honoured to meet him, shake hands and have a chuckle with him.

Once the president is out of office, the president will always be the president. I capitalized on this since before he was president and I'll capitalize on this for the next 25 to 30 years. You gotta remember, this is the first African-American president. There are Bushes and Clintons that are still working as impersonators today. Imagine looking like the first black president. I'll have work for a very long time.

The plan going forward is simple, drink till the well runs dry, milk the cow till there is no more milk. Stay on this ride till the wheels fall off. I'm a thrill-seeker and this is one unsuspecting hell of a roller-coaster ride.

Now that his two terms are up, besides sadness there's also new life for a few buddies I have that impersonate Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. God Bless America.

Tonight Show Obama

Dion Flynn, 46, Brooklyn
As seen on: The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon

There are times I put on this suit and I feel like a superhero.

One of those times was when I got called for an emergency deathbed appearance as Obama in Chicago."We need you to make an Obama appearance, this woman's mother is dying, we need you." I showed up, I sang Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah, and she was two days away from death. She was heavily medicated, but she was with it, awake and talking. She wasn't entirely certain I wasn't the real president.

Aside from being on television with videos that have 12 or 13 million views. I mean, the videos where I'm playing the president on The Tonight Show get millions, it's great. I'm a creative person, a writer, a public speaker, and an expert in improvisation and human excellence. I gave a TedX Talk about how playing the president saved my life, The Audacity of Silliness.

I'm African-American and Irish-Italian. When I'm performing on stage, one of my opening lines is, "I look like Barack Obama had a baby with the Grinch," because that's how I feel like I look. People at NBC fill in my thinning hair with a product called Toppik, and when I got up there and started playing with Jimmy Fallon [on The Tonight Show], that's when the nerves went away.

Watch video of Dion Flynn as Obama:

I am doing work now that I never would have done, if I hadn't slightly resembled Obama. I've done live appearances all over the world, all over the country. I'll do IPOs, mergers and acquisitions, corporate retreats for the largest corporations in the world, anniversary parties, sheva brachots — that's a Jewish wedding party.

These days, I'm working day and night on my Hillary Clinton impersonation. That's a funny line, right? Seriously, let me tell you a story real quick: John Morgan is the No. 1 George [W.] Bush impersonator, he's astonishing. I did a gig with him in New Jersey, and I'm there as Obama. So it's me, Abraham Lincoln, John Adams, Clinton, then John Morgan leans over to me — the No. 1 Bush impersonator still working — and he says, "Don't worry about it. I've been feeding my family for 13 years with this gig."

There's nothing ending for me in January, there's just more and more opportunities. I feel there's a higher something looking out for me, giving me guidance. If my comedy, my writing can be of service, I'll never be short a job.