Actor and comedian Steve Bridges, an impressionist who used wigs and prosthetics to imitate presidents and other public figures, was found dead on Saturday at his home in Los Angeles. Randy Nolen, Bridges’ manager, reported a maid found his body on Saturday morning after he returned from a trip to China. Bridges,48, is believed to have died from natural causes, which will be confirmed after an autopsy is conducted, according to Craig Harvey of the Los Angeles County Coroner’s office.
Bridges developed an inventory of over 200 impressions including television actors, broadcasters, and presidents such as Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, and George W. Bush, who joined him twice on stage in Washington. In 2006, Bridges appeared at the White House Correspondents Association dinner alongside Bush, impersonating the president by voicing his inner thoughts during a presidential speech. President Bush called Bridges’ family on Monday to express his condolences, reported by Nolen. Bridges’ journey to changing faces to one of the presidents could take as long as four hours in the make-up chair. “From the neck up, everything but his teeth was covered in a prosthetic piece of some sort,” Nolen said. Bridges would also do shows as himself, without the make-up, and title the show “Steve as Steve” relying only on his many impersonations including those of Bill O’Reilly, Tom Brokaw, and Rush Limbaugh.
