A Russian who won a string of acting and advertising roles as a Leonardo DiCaprio lookalike has been sent to fight in the war against Ukraine.
Roman Burtsev, 41, won modeling gigs playing the Hollywood star but then saw work fall away.
The doppelgänger was initially affected by the pandemic when he became too heavy to convince as DiCaprio.
Burtsev has failed to regain his former prominence as the Russian face of the 49-year-old American – and was instead, like many unemployed men, ordered to sign up for Vladimir Putin’s war.
A Russian who won a string of acting and advertising roles as a Leonardo DiCaprio lookalike has been sent to fight in the war against Ukraine. Roman Burtsev (pictured) won a modeling gig as a Hollywood star
Burtsev has now been ordered to join Vladimir Putin’s war. He had been doing odd jobs at a marketplace. Here he is shown in his army uniform
The doppelgänger was initially affected by the pandemic when he became too heavy to convince as DiCaprio. Burtsev has failed to repeat his former fame as the Russian face of the 49-year-old American
He was reduced to odd jobs at a marketplace and hardware store, but was short of money.
The dictator’s military recruitment is notorious for sending men to their deaths as ‘cannon fodder’.
Still, being a fighter for Putin pays well above the going rate, because the dictator is so desperate for new soldiers.
By signing a contract and undergoing training, he will be eligible for a payment of £16,000, followed by £1,625 a month, while he continues to live on the front line.
If he is killed, his family could be eligible for up to £99,000.
The dictator’s military recruitment is notorious for sending men to their deaths as ‘cannon fodder’
Before he went to war, the lonely Russian DiCaprio lived with his parents and a cat in a rented state apartment in Podolsk, near Moscow.
One photo shows the paunchy Burtsev – eight years younger than DiCaprio – already on the front line with his army weapon in his hand.
He had previously been an IT specialist.
Weight has been an issue since 2016, when he started cloning DiCaprio despite adding 100 pounds of bulk.
He had hoped that his role as a lookalike would bring him fame, fortune and a wife and children.
But before he went to war, the lonely Russian DiCaprio lived with his parents and a cat in a rented state apartment in Podolsk, near Moscow.
