A mild-mannered musician has become the world's first professional Kim Jong-un lookalike.
Howard, from Hong Kong, has endured endless jokes about his dictator double ever since Kim rose to power in 2011.
Now the 35-year-old is perfecting his wave and stern smile to bag work moonlighting as the ruthless general's impersonator.
Howard - who refuses to give his surname for fear of reprisals form the secretive state - said: 'The key to becoming Kim is to always look unhappy and dissatisfied. It is his trademark.
'The reaction whenever I step out in the Mao suit, make up and hair slicked back is always crazy.
'Sometimes I have to wear a baseball cap and sunglasses to try and avoid the attention when going about my everyday business.'
Howard says he fell into the role almost by accident when a picture of himself posing as the Dear Leader went viral on Facebook last April.
The reaction prompted him to set up a page on the social networking site advertising his body double services - and received a string of requests and offers.
Within weeks he had appeared in a controversial TV ad threatening to nuke America for an Israeli burger chain.
Howard, a Hong-Kong born Australian, added: 'It seemed like a good idea at the time to turn professional and I figured I might as well make a buck or two out of my likeness.
He needed a lookalike so I figured I best step up to the task given my likeness.'
And thankfully for the 35-year-old it is easy to keep up appearances in between gigs.
Howard added: 'Keeping up with Kim's look is extremely easy and enjoyable. All I have to do is eat and eat and then eat some more.
'It is fun to play him because it freaks people out. They don't expect to see this notorious dictator walking the streets of their city.
'But it is always nice to go back and just be myself at the end of the day.'
Howard says his his family have been supportive of his new career path after years performing in bands and producing music.
He said: 'My friends and family all think it is hilarious that I have the guts to play an evil dictator. In fact they are quite proud of it.'
(dailymail.co.uk)
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