I'm a slave for Britney Spears! MAN makes thousands by performing as a tribute act... but says his uncanny resemblance is thanks to 'good genes' not surgery
- Derrick Barry first dressed up as Britney Spears for Halloween party
- Resemblance was so uncanny, decided to make it full-time career
- Hasn't had surgery but transforms himself with make-up and costumes
- The actor has performed as her on America's Got Talent and in Vegas
- He said being Britney is a 'uniform' and he's happy to be himself off-stage
When actor Derrick Barry decided to dress up as Britney Spears one Halloween, he had no idea it would change his life.
Friends and family were so astounded by his resemblance to the pop princess that they urged him to pursue a career as her professional lookalike.
Since then, the 31-year-old Californian has made a living by performing as Britney around the world. He's appeared on America's Got Talent and even had his own show in Las Vegas.
Derrick Barry appears on today's This Morning dressed up as his idol Britney Spears, he's made a successful career out of being her lookalike
Derrick, left, and the real Britney, right. He said it's thanks to 'good genes' that he looks so much like her and it helps his act that she hasn't changed her 'blonde bombshell' image over the years
Today, the actor appeared via video link on ITV's This Morning to explain that being Britney is strictly professional and when he comes off stage and removes his costume, he's happy to be himself again.
He said: 'You'd have to ask Britney what's it's like to be Britney but it's amazing to pay tribute to someone I have idolised since the beginning of her career.
'There's an element on stage where I have to impersonate her fully with her mannerisms, her characteristics, the costumes, the dancing and singing, so I see things through the eyes of her but I never feel like I am Britney. I am just portraying her at her best, in her prime.'
The drama school graduate added: 'I enjoy waking up as myself and then this is my uniform. There's a lot of misconception with drag, people think you're more comfortable being girl and that's why you are doing it.
'For me, it's just like being in theatre, wearing a wig and make-up and bringing a character to life.'
Derrick said being Britney is just a job and he is happy being himself, left. He said it takes an hour-and-a-half to do his make-up to look like the popstar, right
Derrick told presenters Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langsford that it takes him about an hour-and-a-half to do his make-up to look like Britney.
Thanks to being born with features similar to the popstar, he said he hasn't any any cosmetic surgery to change his look.
'I can just thank my parents for really good genes,' he said.
He added that it has been easy to portray Britney, 33, over the years thanks to her not altering her image too much.
Pictured on today's This Morning, Derrick said all you need to dress as Britney is a blonde wig, bra and pants
Derrick, left, says he loves paying tribute to Britney, right, while she's 'in her prime'
'She's a beautiful blonde bombshell, as long as I have blonde hair and bras and pants, that's sometimes all I need for Britney.
'I'm lucky she had had the same look through the years unlike someone like Lady Gaga,' he said.
Asked how he disguises his 'man parts' in the skimpy costumes, he explained: 'Everything gets tucked away and it's made to look perfect, it's like a magician, there's smoke and mirrors happening there.'
He added that Britney herself has seen him perform on The Tonight Show and that's when he realised he really did have a career as her lookalike. He's gone on to make half a million dollars with his tribute act.
He said: 'She said 'Oh My God' and had her hand over her mouth, that's when I knew I had to take this to next level and I ended up performing in Vegas in my own show.'
The lookalike appears on This Morning via video link to speak to Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langsford
The real Britney appeared on today's Good Morning Britain to talk about her Vegas show
Meanwhile, Britney herself appeared on today's Good Morning Britain to talk about her own Vegas show.
The mother-of-two said: 'I'm having a really good time in Vegas doing the show, it's a lot of fun.'
She added that if she hadn't been a popstar, she would have loved to have been a dance teacher.
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