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Pope impersonator ends career

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MIAMI, April 19 (UPI) -- After Pope Benedict XVI was named pontiff in Vatican City Tuesday, the career of an U.S. impersonator of Pope John Paul ended.

Seventy-nine-year-old Eugene Greytak has impersonated Pope John Paul II for more than 20 years at some 1,000 parties and hundreds of events, the Miami Herald reported.

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Greytak also appeared as the pope in 20 movies, including "Sister Act" with Whoopi Goldberg, "Hot Shots!" with Charlie Sheen, and "Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult" with Leslie Nielsen.

Greytak, who had been a real estate agent in 1978 when his likeness to Pope John II provided him with a new career, is getting calls of condolence instead of job offers.

"I was walking along the street in Las Vegas and there on the front page was a picture of him on the day he was named pope," Greytak recalled. "I said 'Geez, he looks just like me.' "

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