'I've spent 40 years as Madonna impersonator - I've even toured with her'

28 January 2024 , 07:00

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Vlasis says her favorite career moment was performing for Seal, who she's a huge fan of (Image: No credit)

After living as a struggling actress in Hollywood, one woman was handed a lifeline in the form of a connection to the princess of pop herself - Madonna.

Denise Bella Vlasis was repeatedly told she resembles the blonde pop bombshell and decided that to 'make it' in Hollywood, she had to fully embody her celebrity lookalike. Now, she's been a celebrity impersonator for nearly 30 years and even toured with Madonna.

"Working as an impersonator, I kind of defied all odds, as very few have made a living. Agents told me, 'Madonna is a flash in the pan - you better get a real job,' but Madonna has taught me many things, and one of those is to believe in your dreams, believe in yourself, work your a** off, and don't stop doing the things that move you to the core," Denise shared with The Mirror.

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Denise Vlasis only uses her power for good - to put on great shows and comfort fans (No credit)

After getting her start in a Pepsi Legends Tour contest, she began getting non-stop calls (No credit)

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Denise got her big break after entering a Pepsi Cola Legends Tour, a small opportunity that would change the course of her life forever. She recalled: "I saw an ad for a Pepsi Cola Legends Tour where they were looking for a Madonna impersonator.

"So my mom rushed me to the audition. I had one record of Madonna's and barely a costume, but the producers liked my performance (which was made up on the spot) as I had never portrayed Madonna on stage at that point."

"Producers told me to put a show together, and then I was booked to be part of the cast of this travelling legends-style show. And that was it - I was hooked. With backup dancers and costume changes - I put all my creative abilities to work to bring Madonna to life."

While she does get comments from people saying she looks like the famous star, Denise notes that she's never let it go to her head or misused her amazing talent. In fact, she says it contributes to her unique personality.

Vlasis embodies Madonna most when she performs, she says (No credit)

She shared: "In my history of paying tribute to Madonna, all of my promos have always given credit to Madonna. In no way have I ever tried to fool the public - except in some delicate situations."

"I am an impersonator, not a 'lookalike' - my Madonna comes to life through my performance. I have a very clear look that is different than Madonna. Yes, there have been times in my life people thought I was her, but not because I was doing anything to fool them."

"I have my own clear identity, and I feel that is so important. I have known so many other Madonna lookalikes who try to live/pretend/be/want to be/and if you look at my interviews from 1985 to now, I have always stated who I am."

On the rare occasions that Denise did use her incredible talent to embody Madonna, she said she had a very good reason. She shared: "When I first started this work, I began to unfold its possibilities, so I reached out to every single charity for children... after helping my mom with a holiday party as Madonna and seeing the joy it brought to the children... I knew I possessed a certain kind of superpower being Madonna."

Denise Bella Vlasis makes an amazing living as a Madonna impersonator (No credit)

Vlasis says her favorite career moment was performing for Seal, who she's a huge fan of (No credit)

"So I pledged my life to use this superpower to do something good for others. I've sat in hospitals with dying children. I have sat at the bedsides of people taking their last breath of life. I have held the hands of young faces who did not know the difference between me or her and thought for a moment Madonna was singing right to them.

"In my 40 years walking in Madonna's shoes, I have made sure I only used her name to bring good, respect, love, joy, hope." Denise is now sharing her talents globally. She teaches other actors how to make a name for themselves in the industry. She's even written a few books about her career (which you can find here).

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Denise revealed: "I wear many other hats, such as producer, agent, writer, and musician. That turned into starting my own agency for impersonators and lookalikes, where I represent about 500 of the top in the industry."

Vlasis and her daughter work together to teach other actors how to do what she does (No credit)

Her career took off when she got to tour with Madonna, and perform for Seal and Christina Aguilera. And Denise is still available to book through Tribute Productions.

She said: "Madonna was literally my guide. We started out at the same time as hungry dancers looking for a way to tell our stories. All through my growing up years, there was always Madonna there to show me, teach me, tell me how to tell a boyfriend how to p**s off, or just remind me that there are so many ups and down, but your art will help through all of it.

"Madonna has taught me how to deal with life, people, haters, naysayers, Madonna has allowed me to reach people, to do honourable work for children, to touch someone's heart. And the doors just kept opening for me for some reason, so what I thought was a fad of sorts turned into a really successful career. There were pivotal moments where I had agents tell me, 'choose between normal actress work or Madonna' - and as you can see I chose Madonna."

* An AI tool was used to add an extra layer to the editing process for this story. You can report any errors to [email protected]

Yelena Mandenberg