What's With All the Celeb Alter Egos?

More and more stars are promoting their work by adopting a brand-new persona — and it seems to be a pretty successful marketing tactic

- MOLLY McGUIGAN

Ever come across someone on TikTok who looks like a celebrity — a beauty influencer who's Bella Hadid’s doppelgänger, say, or a sports reporter resembling Matthew McConaughey? More often than not, they’re fun coincidences. But lately, stars are utilizing social media to adopt alter egos, oftentimes as a (massively successful) marketing tactic to promote their newest project.

When Saint Laurent Cowboy surfaced on TikTok in April 2024 with an explicit intention to “build community,” fans immediately recognized the face behind the account as musician Role Model, a.k.a. Tucker Pillsbury. Yet, the TikToker — who is very obviously Pillsbury, tattoos don’t lie — continued to post videos hating on Role Model while simultaneously hyping his own music. And it worked. To date, Saint Laurent Cowboy has racked up more than half a million followers, and Role Model's latest album is his most successful by far.