Being a zombie might sound like a lot of fun. You get to walk around anywhere you want killing people and eating their brains. You don’t have to worry about cancer or any other disease, because you are already dead. But you know what is going to happen. Assuming some jackass doesn’t end your zombie career early by shooting you in the head, each person you could eat then in turn becomes a new zombie. Soon the zombies outnumber the normals and then you eventually end up starving to death because you run out of brains. That is certainly something to be avoided. But the good news is that you can become the a living dead person without becoming a homicidal monster or giving up your desire for a balanced diet.

Becoming a historical impersonator may not be the best way to become rich, but it could be one of the more rewarding ways to make money. As of this writing, I am living in Maryland. I know a gentleman who impersonates the famous Baltimore newspaper man, H.L. Mencken. I don’t know that he makes a ton of money doing it, but he enjoys it. He has been doing it for years. I have also met Mark Twain and Edgar Allen Poe impersonators. You can hire them for parties, social events, and even business retreats. I bet that some government agencies, such as the IRS, would love to hire a good historical figure to speak at their conferences about some generic concept like teamwork or problem solving.

So, how do you get started? First, you have to pick a dead person. Think about historical people, either well known or lesser well known, people who have lived in your community or who have had some connection to your general area. If the person you think about isn’t well known, that’s okay. You could find a niche market for him or her. Find someone interesting. Find someone who looks like you or who you could be made to look like. If you are a white man, you probably don’t want to became a Harriet Tubman impersonator. That probably won’t be well received. You don’t need to be an exact double for your target. With makeup, clothing, mannerisms, and speech, you can get away with impersonating many different people. But you have to stay within reason. If you are impersonating someone of a different sex and/or race, you are likely to be unsuccessful.

The hardest part comes next. You must read everything that you can find that was written by or about this person. See if he or she had a diary or autobiography. Look at other writings about this person. Maybe write out an outline of the person’s life, his general values, views, and biases. Also, research views on the type of accent that the person might have had and tried to develop something that sounds similar. Figure out what age of the person you want to impersonate. If you are 30, for example, you might want to be a 30 year old Frederick Douglas, and not an 40 or 20 year old one. Study and think about where he was at that point in his life. As you grow older, the character you impersonate will grow older as well. Finally, find period clothes. Talk to a local costume shop, look at old pictures, and search around online until you get something close. Don’t carry around a digital watch, cell phone, out of period eye-glasses, or anything else that would make you seem unprofessional.

Come up with a good act. Write up scripts of lectures that you could give as your historical person. Think about how he or she would think about modern issues or concerns in light of events in his own life. Think about how your person would speak about issues such as leadership, teamwork, and other important ideas in business as compared to his own life and philosophy. What advice, for example, would an Abraham Lincoln give to executives about growing their business? For more social events, such as weddings, think about what your character would say about love and friendship. Be prepared to talk to a wide variety of audiences regarding various topics.

You will need a good website where people can book you for events. See what other impersonators in your general area are charging and charge less. You will also need to print up business cards so people know how to reach you and find your website. You might just try walking around town as your character, interacting with people you meet and handing them your card. See if local historical societies and groups have need for your services. Volunteer at first, but later ask if there is room in their budget to pay you a stipend. Create internet videos of yourself as your character. Aside from increasing your visibility in the community, you can also make money from the ads.

You should not expect to be able to quit your day job with this, but perhaps if you become good enough you could get a job acting on TV or a movie. But even if you don’t, you will learn more about history, help others to learn, and have lots of fun in the process.