10 Richest Alter Egos

Many of the oddest, most shocking and most novel celebrities in the past century have actually been a creative invention. The people behind these creations have the freedom of extensive artistic license to embody a wild, larger-than-life persona and whether the motivation behind the invention of an alter ego to inhabit is artistic or personal, the results are usually fascinating.

Artists, musicians, and comedians all use their alter egos to push boundaries or explore new creative territories. The character is used as a mask or buffer, protecting the artist from the public and allowing them to play a role that they’d otherwise find impossible. Indeed, sometimes the artist so fully inhabits their creation that they begin to have problems separating themselves from their fictional double.

A look at some of the leading alter egos in media today illustrates just how significant a cultural phenomenon the alter ego has been. It also, of course, demonstrates the huge money there is to be made from a successful alter ego.

10. Barry Humphries as Dame Edna Everage: $12m

The Australian satirist and comedian Barry Humphries is best known for his two alter egos Dame Edna and Sir Les Patterson, the former of which is one of the world’s longest running comedic inventions. Conceived in the mid 1950s, Dame Edna spent time on stage before migrating to TV screens.

Dame Edna’s distinctive ‘wisteria hue’ coloured hair and ‘face furniture’ were additions to the initially drab Australian housewife of the 1950s, whose appearance evolved into the more glamorous current version. Dame Edna has appeared on screen as a host, in multiple films, and has also written her own autobiography.

9. Steve Coogan as Alan Partridge: $12m

Alan Partridge is in the interesting position of being the creation of multiple writers, but is only portrayed by one of them. Though originally conceived by Steve Coogan, Armando Iannucci (the creator of Veep and The Thick of It), Richard Herring, and Stewart Lee for the BBC’s Radio 4 program On the Hour, Partridge quickly gathered a back story, aspirations, and an apparent friendship with the naturalist and comedian Bill Oddie.

Coogan’s character hasn’t been far from the radio or screen since his first show in the early 90s; he’s appeared on Comic Relief, The Brit Awards, and has his own autobiography and recent successful feature film.

8. Nicki Minaj as Roman (and her 13 other alter egos): $45m

Onika Tanya Maraj, who started her career as an actress, claims that her love of alter egos stems from her troubled childhood. In an interview with New York Magazine the rapper stated that “To get away from all [her parents] fighting, [she] would imagine being a new person.” First came the character ‘Cookie’, which led to the infamous ‘Harajuku Barbie’, and then the creation of Nicki Minaj.

Minaj has appeared on her records under the guise of Roman Zolanski (her demonic gay brother), his mother Martha, and a character who resembles Mother Teresa (which saw a scarfed Minaj blessing and healing her fans). Minaj is famous for her rapid evolution, which means that characters are often created, lived, and discarded in quick succession.

7. Sacha Baron Cohen as Ali G & Borat: $100m

When Borat first left British TV screens to make his international appearance in the 2006 British-American mockumentary Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan there was an enormous backlash against his creator Sacha Baron Cohen. The largely unscripted film saw the character insulting his native country of Kazakhstan, as well as the clueless Americans unlucky enough to be caught on camera.

Baron Cohen (an Academy award winning Cambridge Graduate) is best known for his various creations which include Ali G, Bruno, and Admiral General Aladeen, who have appeared on TV and cinema screens since the late 90s. Although the movie deals have earned Baron Cohen a large sum of money, they have also landed him multiple death threats from various terrorist organisations.

6. Eminem as Slim Shady: $140m