[IMG:L]Like most successful plastic surgeons who service the cosmetically-hyper-conscious entertainers of Hollywood, Dr. Nicholas Chugay has the standard office in Beverly Hills with the faux antique furniture, the coffee table laden with copies of the New Yorker, and the little, glossy pamphlets in which an attractive brunette asserts: “It’s not magic, it’s Botox.”
It is here that actors and models slip in discretely to have the small alterations done–a pesky wrinkle here, a slight sag there–the kind of minute adjustments that help keep the casting agents calling.
What really interested me about Dr. Chugay, however, was his other office–in the remote hinterland of Long Beach–where he sees his lesser known patients. Here his patients can order certain celebrity body parts.
[IMG:R]That’s right.
“I can offer the Leonardo DiCaprio chin, or the Sophia Lauren eyes, or the Britney Spears cheeks, or Jennifer Lopez’s buttocks” Dr. Chugay later told me.
He furthered, “The patients will simply bring in a photograph–or I will find one on the internet–and then I do computer imaging where I break the face into thirds; and I can compare the lips, or the angel of the nose, or the arch of the brow.”
The waiting room at Dr. Chugay’s Long Beach office was decorated with its vases of fake orchids, ornate gold fixtures, and mirrored wall paneling.
It resembled the “presidential suite” at a Days Inn.
[IMG:L]As I waited for the doctor, the door to the waiting room swung open and in walked a short Mexican-American man in his mid-thirties with jet black hair and a vague but discernable resemblance to Arnold Schwarzenegger.
The short Schwarzenegger look-alike sauntered across the room, took a seat next to me, and in a friendly manner introduced himself as Eric Corrales.
“I’ve got a blood test today,” explained Eric in an accent that seemed to be part Mexican and part Austrian.
“Any surgeries coming up?” I asked.
“They’ll be working on my nose on Wednesday,” replied Eric. “They’ll thin it out a little because that’s the way that Arnold’s is. The doctor says that my nostrils are a little too big.”
[IMG:R]“How’d he determine that?” I asked.
“He actually put my picture next to Arnold‘s and mapped out what needed to be done,” explained Eric. “That’s how he came up with our plan.”
“Your plan?”
“Yup,” replied Eric. “Last visit they worked on my jaw line to chisel it out more. On Wednesday the nose gets done. And after that, I am going to do laser treatment to soften up some of the scars on my face.”
My conversation with Eric was interrupted by the nurse, who poked her head trough an adjoining door and announced that the doctor was ready to see me.
Dr. Chugay was of medium height with blond hair and blue eyes. I asked him about Eric Corrales and the doctor quickly explained that he had operated on roughly two dozen people who wanted to look like celebrities.
[IMG:R]Using his fingers to tabulate an exact count, he began rattling off the alter egos of his patients. “I’ve had a Marilyn Monroe, a Tom Arnold, a Schwarzenegger, a Michael Jackson, two Elvis Presley’s…”
“Two Elvis Presley’s?” I asked.
“Yes,” replied Dr. Chugay. “One of them is living in Japan. You know, the Japanese just love Elvis, and this fellow is quite a successful Elvis impersonator.”
“Have you seen him perform?”
“Can’t say that I have,” replied Dr. Chugay.
[IMG:L]“What about the Michael Jackson look-alike?” I asked.
“Yes… Now he is actually a white fellow,” replied Dr. Chugay. “But he puts the makeup on, and does the whole act as well.”
Dr. Chugay also noted that he actually turned away more celebrity look-alike cases than he accepted, because often these prospective patients looked nothing like the stars they longed to resemble.
“Some people are totally unrealistic and I have to tell them: ‘You don’t really have the basic features that I need to work with,’” explained Dr. Chugay. “Mostly they accept it pretty well.”
Fortunately, for those patients who couldn’t have (or didn’t want) the whole celebrity package, there was another option: individual body parts.
“Why do these people do it?” I asked finally. “What motivates them?”
[IMG:R]“Some are just fans,” replied Dr. Chugay nonchalantly. “The Marilyn Monroe look-alike was just an admirer. In fact, her mother was a big admirer too.”
“Yes, but this goes beyond admiring, doesn’t it?”
“There is a celebrity cult in this country,” replied Dr. Chugay. “I guess sometimes people don’t feel secure about themselves and they want to identify with a celebrity.”
“What about the Elvis Presley impersonators?” I asked. “That’s insecurity too?”
[IMG:L]“No,” replied Dr. Chugay. “That’s a career decision.
Like with the Tom Arnold look-alike. When Tom Arnold was very popular, his look-alike would make very substantial amounts of money going to various conventions and sales conferences as an impersonator.”
“And what happens to these people –years down the road?”
“I’m not sure,” replied Dr, Chugay. “The truth is, it’s very difficult to find them.” Dr. Chugay went on to speculate that one of them was, in all likelihood, living in Japan–but this was just a guess. He then shrugged his shoulder and admitted with a smile, “I have no idea where the hell they are.”
This was adapted from the new book, Fame Junkies. Read the hot, page-turning exposé that everyone in Hollywood is talking about! Purchase a copy of FAME JUNKIES for a discounted price on Buy.com right now. Fame Junkies is also available on paperback.
Play the Fame Junkies Trivia Game on Hollywood.com!
Also on Hollywood.com:
[IMG:L]Fame Junkies – Volume 1: Meet America’s Youngest Fame Junkies
Why do more people watch American Idol than watch the nightly news on the three major networks combined? How come the average teenage boy desires fame almost as much as intelligence–while the average teenage girl craves fame more than intelligence? And why do 43.4 percent of teenage girls say that they want to be a “celebrity personal assistant” when they grow up, while only 13.6 percent say they’d want to be a U.S. Senator?
[IMG:L]Fame Junkies – Volume 2: Beneath the Red Carpet
OK, so merely one month later, the Oscars are already a quickly fading memory. In fact, the entire two-month-long American bacchanal known as “award show season” seems like it was a frantic, distant dream. At long last, Martin Scorsese is sleeping well. The vintage couture ‘borrows’ have been returned. The Hummer stretch-limos are back in their garages. But what about all the red carpets? I mean this quite literally…
[IMG:L]Fame Junkies – Volume 3: The Grooming of Baby Idols
American Idol’s controversial, Sanjaya-focused season is quickly building toward its climatic finale; however, for all those dazed contestants who have been brusquely eliminated–yet emotionally crippled by razor-tongued Simon–there is still hope. Look no farther than the International Model and Talent Agency (IMTA), which hosts two annual talent conventions, one of which is quickly approaching this summer.
[IMG:L]Fame Junkies – Volume 4: The Secret Lives of Stylists
Marcel Winter* has made a life for himself by dressing other people–mainly powerhouse celebrities. Their distinguished ranks include the likes of Halle Berry, Jim Carrey, John Travolta, and Nicole Kidman to name just a few. Over the years, Winter has also developed a successful second career as an analyst of celebrity fashion for several television networks, on which he identifies, candidly, the “best” and “worst” dressed attendees at the big events like the Oscars.
[IMG:L]Fame Junkies – Volume 5: The Devil’s Helper
Anyone wondering just how aggressive paparazzi photographers are these days should look no further than Britney Spears’ Malibu home. Earlier this week, two photographers–who were staking out Britney’s house–got into a heated scuffle as they vied to snap a shot of the recently-rehabbed star. In truth, the paparazzi have good reason to be so aggressive; an exclusive photo of Britney can earn upwards of $250,000 these days…
[IMG:L]Fame Junkies – Volume 6: Celebrity Stalkers, a Special Breed
In case you haven’t heard, just a few days ago, the actor Hugh Grant was arrested for allegedly throwing a container of baked beans at a photographer. No doubt, Grant is pursued around the clock by paparazzi and stalkers from all walks of life. Yet, before he tossed the beans, he should have really considered paying a visit to the offices at the L.A.P.D.’s “Threat Management Unit”–informally known as, “The Celebrity Anti-Stalking Unit.”
[IMG:L]Fame Junkies – Volume 7: The Monkey Business of Celebrity
Even those who claim to have no interest whatsoever in “celebrity news” have to admit that this week the headlines have been especially juicy. Paris Hilton, Sylvester Stallone, and Richard Gere have all had brushes with the law. The real question, of course, is not whether Paris will do hard time–though certainly there is, already, a reality TV show in the works–but why we, the public, get so caught up in all of this hoopla. Why do we find these stories so irresistible?
[IMG:L]Fame Junkies – Volume 8: Designing Tabloid Addiction
Do you know, by chance, exactly how many days, hours, and seconds remain before our favorite, lawbreaking heiress–Paris Hilton–heads off to the slammer? That’s a tough one. Can you, instead, perhaps explain why it is that Jessica Simpson keeps getting blonder in recent weeks? Not certain. Take a closer look at the glossy, weekly publication US Weekly magazine.
[IMG:L]Fame Junkies – Volume 9: Retiring with the Stars
Sixty years from now, when a four-prong cane or a bedside attendant may be in high demand for some, where exactly will Keira Knightley and Lindsay Lohan be? The answer, quite possibly, is a peculiar retirement home situated in Woodland Hills, California.
[IMG:L]Fame Junkies – Volume 10: Star Maps, Your Guide to Celeb Mansions
When it comes to knowing exactly where celebrities live, there is no greater expert than Bill Gordon. His book, The Ultimate Hollywood Tour Book, has sold over 40,000 copies and is considered to be the definitive celebrity atlas. … Among other things, Gordon offers his readers information on when a given house was built, who its various owners have been, and how much it sold for most recently.
[IMG:L]Fame Junkies – Volume 11: Having Your Own Celeb BFF
She just brightens your day with her smile. Do you ever have the uncanny feeling that Tom Hanks or Julia Roberts is an actual friend of yours? This is no coincidence. For years, Hollywood producers have looked for actors that have “best friend” appeal to star in their movies.
[IMG:L]Fame Junkies – Volume 12: Famed Celebrity Psychic Tells All
Virtually every person with a TV–or even half an inkling of interest in pop culture–has an opinion on the type of help troubled starlets such as Lindsay Lohan, Britney Spears, and Paris Hilton need. Some suggest psychoanalysts, others say drug rehab specialists, and a few suggest life coaches or meditation gurus.
[IMG:L]Fame Junkies – Volume 13: Lunch with the Ultimate Celeb Caretaker
The epicenter in the movie making industry exists–not on a sprawling movie studio lot or even in a gargantuan mahogany-paneled office–but in the 1920s-styled speakeasy in Beverly Hills known simply as The Grille.
[IMG:L]Fame Junkies – Volume 14: Nance Mitchell, Bikini Waxer to the Stars!
Every city has its unseen groomers–the people who do the behind-the-scene styling and garner little credit–and in Beverly Hills, Nance Mitchell is one such person. Nance is the city’s premiere bikini waxer. Her clients include Gwyneth Paltrow, Christina Aguilera, Vanessa Williams, America Ferrera, Ana Ortiz, Denise Richards, and Jeanne Tripplehorn–just to name a few.
[IMG:L]Fame Junkies – Volume 15: Tough Talkin’ Music Lawyer Serves Up Harsh Celeb Truth
When I first met John Branca, he was sitting behind his desk, hastily trying to rearrange a phone call. “What time am I supposed to be on with Van Morrison?” he yelled over my shoulder. “Quarter past eleven,” came a voice from the hallway. Branca is probably the most widely respected lawyer in the music industry.
