‘Obama’ loves Trinis

During the formal part of the event a ticker tape message flashed across the screen: “Breaking News. President Barack Obama pays a surprise visit to Trinidad,” creating a buzz of excitement.

Shortly after the MC announced the arrival of the former president, Reggie Brown, a six feet two inches tall American actor, writer and comedian with strikingly similar features to Obama walked in, surrounded by the ‘Secret Service’.

Brown later described the experience to Sunday Newsday. “None of the guests knew I was coming and we caught them all off guard. That’s one of the best parts of my job, getting to see first-hand the audience’s reaction as ‘the president’ enters the room.” Of the event he said, “The people were shocked and greeted me with a warm Trini presidential welcome. I think that they responded well to my jokes and after I spoke everyone wanted a photo or an Obama selfie.” He added, “The audiences here in TT are some of the best in the world and they always show me love. I’m looking forward to returning again and maybe catching a Carnival.” Brown was last in TT in 2011 when he did six comedy shows. He said when he got the call from Ross Advertising to come to speak at the new MovieTowne complex, tailored as a big New York theme, he was told that Derek Chin, one of this country’s big developers was very excited about the opening and so was he. “For years, I have been anxiously awaiting an invitation to return to Trinidad and last week it came. I had availability in my schedule and jumped at the opportunity. I was looking forward to catching up with old friends and making new ones.

“It is good to come back after six years. I ran into some of my old friends that I made at my last comedy tour here.” He was taken to the Black 2 Blue Cooler fete his first Carnival fete experience.

“I didn’t know what to expect. I heard different things from different people.

Some people said expect to get muddy, wet, all these things, so I went wearing shorts, T-shirt, gym shoes and it was fun. We partied from 4-9 in the morning,” Brown said, adding with a hearty laugh, “Yea! It was mind-blowing. You guys are crazy.

Really. You guys party like I have never experienced anywhere in the world. I have to come back for Carnival one of these days.” Following a bad experience with his last manager in 2012, Brown said he became his own manager, started his own website and released an Obama Gangnam Style video that took his website from the bottom page of Google straight to the top. He said, “I regained control of my career with 100 million worldwide views of that video, and for the past four years I have been managing myself, doing bigger and better events and bookings than ever.” Last year Brown did a movie with Brad Pitt called War Machine, which is set to be released soon. He has also made appearances in Barbershop 3: The Next Cut with Ice Cube (Calvin Palmer) Nicki Minaj (Draya) and Common (Rashad), and appeared in Nickelodeon’s Ho Ho Holiday Special (2015). Additionally, he has made repeat appearances on HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, The Disney Channel and Nickelodeon, Lip Sync Battle, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Huckabee and Comedy Central’s Workaholics.

However, one of his crowning achievements was actually meeting then President Obama in February 2012. He said “The look on the president’s face was priceless and it was a moment I will never forget.” Outside of the US, Brown has fulfilled engagements, all impersonating the former US president, in 19 countries including South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, Mexico, Australia and London, just in the last year.

But now, given that the presidency has changed Brown has started delivering his keynote speech called “How I Became President of the United States”. He said, “It still has the Obama effect where I come out in character to make everyone drop their jaws and start with a comedy set. Then about 20 minutes in, I switch it up, deconstruct that character, literally removing my makeup in front of the audience and then I share my story. I talk about how I overcame all the major challenges and setbacks I had to go through in my life and career, the ups and downs, triumphs and tragedies, including the loss of my dad, my criminal ex-manager and how I ultimately ended up living out my dreams through impersonating a father figure I wish I always had, President Obama.

I launched the keynote last year in Brussels and have performed it in Mexico, Microsoft India and other internationally recognised speaker’s organisations.

It has been very well received and I am already booked to perform it throughout the rest of this year.” However, he added,“ While it is the gift that keeps on giving, I don’t want to solely stay in this character for the rest of my life.

I just booked my first role outside of Obama on a show called Just Add Magic where I’m playing a newscaster.

That was released on Amazon on January 13.”The past eight years Brown says have been such an amazing experience. “I have entertained audiences all over the world and some of the CEOs have even offered me jobs to help me in my transition.

I always felt I had a greater calling in life.

I love helping people and something on the humanitarian level is in my heart. I am still trying to figure out how I can make the world a better place. I feel like I am one idea away from something big. I just know that at this point, we have to save the planet. There is no alternative, where else can we go? Conservation is something that I live in my everyday life, and something that I am passionate about.” While most of his time is now spent performing his multimedia comedy show for private and corporate events, Brown said he is now in a sound place and doesn’t have to rush into anything in which he doesn’t want to be involved. If, however, he is invited back to TT , Brown said he would be return in a heartbeat to do more shows, saying it’s been an opportunity of a lifetime.

Of his just concluded weekend of fun in the sun Brown said, “I’m glad I experienced that breakfast cooler fete (Black 2 Blue), the boat experience (out to Monos Island), visits to Smokey and Bunty (where he did karaoke) and the birthday party (where he joined the rhythm section).” He said he was particularly glad that nobody knew who he was outside of his TT friends.

“I’m glad that a lot of people don’t know who I am when I’m out. Celebrity is a tricky thing. When I am the president, you see how overwhelming that could be. Everyone wants a picture of you....engage in conversation...I try and give as much as I can and never want to turn anybody away, but it’s a lot of time and energy and sometimes you just want to relax.

“First and foremost, life shouldn’t be about money. I’ve always put my happiness first. To me being ‘rich’ is being happy. Right now I am focused on my happiness and trying to figure out how to make the world a better place.”