Leo Blanco was 15 when he first entered an operating room. He wasn’t thinking about Michael Jackson yet — that obsession would come later and wouldn’t let go of him for a decade.
Since then, this Buenos Aires impersonator has undergone 13 surgeries: six rhinoplasties, two liposuctions, two ear procedures, permanent tattoos on his eyebrows and sideburns, and a chin molded with silicone.
In one of those operations, something went wrong and he lost half of one ear. Reports on how much he spent vary depending on the interview: some mention $30.000 dollars, while others —more recent ones— put the amount as high as $150.000. His mother, Adriana, has watched him go through every procedure with the same concern as always.
Today he is 27, has performed in seven countries dressed as his idol, and dreams of a permanent stage in Las Vegas.
But behind the glitter and makeup is a body that has endured scalpels since adolescence just to look like someone he never met in person.