I first worked with Reggie Brown, world-renowned Barack Obama impersonator, on an episode I wrote of a Nickelodeon series, “Fred: The Show,” back in 2012, while Obama was in the middle of his presidency. The physical and vocal resemblance Brown had to our 44th President of the United States was uncanny, and made me eager to work with the actor again.
We got that opportunity a few years later, in 2014, on a show I co-created for Disney Channel, “I Didn't Do It“, where Brown once again embodied Obama with the perfect blend of humor, gravitas and humility.
In recent years, Brown has kept as busy as ever and made a successful career out of being the definitive Obama impersonator — he's frequently booked to speak at corporate events across the globe.
It's hard to write an Obama impersonator into every show you work on, so I'd lost touch with Brown in recent years. It was therefore a welcome surprise when, while covering the teaser trailer release of Lil Nas X's highly anticipated new music video “J Christ,” I noticed Brown grace the screen with his signature Obama smile alongside a handful of other familiar celebrities (or, their impersonators rather).
Brown was kind enough to make a few minutes to talk with ClutchPoints about the process of making the video, and what it was like to work with Lil Nas X.
He explained there was a great deal of secrecy surrounding the shoot. While he was booked online just like any other gig, these clients “were very secretive about who the artist was, which made me apprehensive because I'm very selective about the projects I take when I involve myself as my Obama character.”
“I always try to keep it respectful to him,” Brown elaborated.
“I didn't find out until the day of shooting who the artist was,” Brown explained.
And how did he feel when he found out that artist would be Lil Nas X?
“I was relieved,” Brown admitted, “because I do think that he's a very talented young artist — obviously controversial, pushes the limits of, you know, social norms — but it was awesome.”
As far as what controversies we could expect from the new “J Christ” video, however, Brown wasn't so sure. “I was curious to see what direction we were going to go with the video,” he said. “The parts that I'm in, I wouldn't call controversial or anything.”
J CHRIST MUSIC VIDEO THIS FRIDAY!
🤍🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/s4V2vgpUdu— ✟ (@LilNasX) January 10, 2024
Brown cautioned that he hasn't seen the full video yet however.
As far as what Lil Nas X was like to work with, Brown said it was “good vibes from the beginning.”
“When we first met, I just came out of wardrobe as he came out of the SUV with his security guards around him. He was wearing the yellow version of those viral red oversized boots [MSCHF’s Big Red Boot] with this fur skirt and some cutoff t-shirt with all these holes in it,” Brown explained. “I jumped right into my Obama impression [as Obama] ‘Hey, how are you? It is so good to see you' and he's like ‘Oh my God!'”
Lil Nas X introduced himself as Montero and asked Brown, “Are you always in character?!” Brown broke out of Obama mode to introduce himself as Reggie, and the two quickly hit it off. Brown called Lil Nas X, who also directed the video, “a super cool dude, great energy, and very easy to work with.”
I tried to get some details and specifics about the theme of the video, but Brown admitted “I have no idea” since the only scenes the impersonators were featured in were pretty much the ones shown in the teaser trailer. “I'm really excited to see it,” Brown said.
He said a rewatching of Lil Nas X's last major music video release from 2022, “MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name)”, might be in order to shed some details.
That video infamously featured the rapper traversing through the imaginary world of Montero, about to go to Heaven, but then sliding down a stripper pole and ending up giving the Devil a lap danced instead.
The teaser trailer for “J Christ” certainly gives off a more celestial impression, but the celebrity impersonators add a new wrinkle that is going to leave fans guessing right up until it drops at midnight it seems.
As for Reggie Brown, his talents are as in demand as ever, especially with another election cycle approaching. “I call it the gig that keeps on gigging. Because of [Obama's] historical significance, I'm still working all over the world.”
He says he still gets a presidential reaction when he walks into a room in character. “People hand me their babies immediately for some reason… and they react as if I was really him. That lets me know I'm doing a good job, thankfully,” says Brown.
Appearing as Obama in Lil Nas X‘s new music video “J Christ” is just the latest twist in the unique success story that is Reggie Brown, and fans of both his and the rapper are excited to check out the new anthem shortly.
NOTE: In addition to being an entertainment journalist, Josh Silverstein is a TV comedy writer who has worked with Reggie Brown on Nickelodeon's “Fred: The Show” and the Disney Channel's “I Didn't Do It.”
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