After Struggling with Unemployment and Weight Gain, Leonardo DiCaprio Look-Alike Enlists in the Army
ROMAN BURTSEV – A 41-year-old Russian man who gained fame as a look-alike of Hollywood actor Leonardo DiCaprio has enlisted as a volunteer in the Russian army amid financial struggles and significant weight gain.
His journey into the public eye started in 2016 when, at 33, he joined a dating site to find love. His profile picture caught attention for looking like DiCaprio, leading to opportunities in advertising, media appearances, and participation in a Russian reality show about love.
Burtsev is eight years younger and heavier than the 49-year-old actor, earning him the nickname “Russian fat version of Leonardo DiCaprio.” He took on projects pretending to be DiCaprio and even made parody videos mimicking famous scenes from movies like The Revenant. However, the COVID-19 pandemic affected his life, worsening his weight issues and causing job loss. During this tough time, he moved in with his parents in Moscow and felt forgotten by society.
Despite plans to lose weight by 2022, Burtsev struggled to find stable work, making a small income from odd jobs in hardware stores and markets. Looking for better opportunities, he decided to join the army, along with many jobless Russians encouraged by the government to serve. When he enlists, he will receive a one-time payment of $20,000 (PHP 1.2 million) and a monthly salary of $2,000 (PHP 116,000). If he dies in service, his family will receive $130,000 (PHP 7.5 million).
Photos of Burtsev in army uniform carrying a rifle have emerged, but his resemblance to DiCaprio is less clear in these pictures. This surprising turn of events shows the struggles of many people facing economic difficulties and the drastic steps they may take to improve their situations.
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