A Bob Monkhouse impersonator is so good fans keep thinking the comedy legend is still alive.
Comic Simon Cartwright did a play as him years after his death and people thought it was the real deal.
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He said: “The publicity shots I’ve done look pretty realistic. I remember standing next to a poster of me as Bob and some people were saying, ‘Oh my God, I thought Bob Monkhouse was dead’. They thought it was the real thing. It was flattering.
“I put a lot of effort into costume and make-up. I’m quite obsessive. You have to be.”
Simon is good at mimicking Bob’s voice because he had a lesson from the man himself.
(Image: Paul Clapp)
He said: “I first met Bob in 1989 when I was a fledgling entertainer and I was on Opportunity Knocks. He took a shine to me and was very kind. He was generous with advice.
“He actually gave me masterclasses on how to do him. It was bizarre. I remember sitting in a dressing room with him and he was in a pair of boxer shorts with a glass of wine.
“It was incredible. He was analysing himself and trying to pass on tips to me.”
(Image: Mirrorpix)
Bob actually died in 2003 – so fans certainly wouldn’t be expecting to see him crop up on screen at any point.
He was famed for multiple movies and TV shows including The Golden Shot, Bob’s Full House and Dentist on the Job.
Bob died after a two-and-a-half year battle with cancer as his manager described him as “one of the finest men I’ve ever known”.
(Image: Press Association)
In the years since his death, he’s continued to be remembered through different avenues – with Simon Cartwright also playing Bob in film The Last Laugh and in TV comedy Toast of London.
Simon is currently performing as Frankie Howerd in play Howerd’s End, which is touring the UK. Visit markfarrelly.com
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
