Hermitage turns security guard into Jackson double
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Despite Dave McArdle’s uncanny resemblance to Jackson — lean face, silvery hair and identical height — his looks weren’t what brought him to work at the historical site. He started there as a security guard.
“A lady asked me if I could portray Andrew Jackson. She said I could be his twin,” McArdle, 61, recalled.
The woman who spotted McArdle’s potential was Carolyn Brackett, then director of marketing for The Hermitage.
“The novelty of having someone who looked like Andrew Jackson was unique at the time,” McArdle said.
McArdle’s transformation into a 19th century figure is made complete with a black cape, top hat and cane like Jackson used.
Much of his time is spent entertaining schoolchildren who come to visit The Hermitage. A little boy once asked whether he got to meet the president replied: “Yes, I did. I got to shake his hand, and it was warm.”
McArdle is more than just a body double though. To talk with authority about the man he’s portraying, McArdle took up study of Jackson’s life.
“And I’ve progressed since then — modestly,” he said with a smile.
Jackson’s legacy includes his reputation as a war hero and a champion for democracy and the common man. But he also is denounced for the way he treated American Indians.
McArdle has found a way to deal with those conflicting traits.
“I go by what is written, the documentation of the facts,” he said, adding that the Ladies Hermitage Association has prepared him to deal with the public. “I have all the right people to go to if I run into any problems.”
He is a stickler for accuracy. He once was asked to portray Jackson delivering a campaign speech, but since history showed no record of Jackson ever doing that, McArdle declined.
Besides their looks, McArdle said he and Jackson share some other traits — membership in the Freemasons and fondness for horseback riding.
“And gambling,” McArdle said. “I could do a little gambling.”
“From what they say, I’m the exact height as Jackson’s statue,” he added. “But he’s 20 pounds lighter.”
And although McArdle didn’t exactly describe himself as mischievous, he did say, “I have an unusual sense of humor.”
There also are significant differences between the two. McArdle never wanted to work in politics or business. He’s also mellower than Old Hickory, who had a reputation for a hot temper.
“David is very good-natured,” said McArdle’s boss Elizabeth Kellar, director of archaeology at The Hermitage.
Jackson was born in South Carolina; McArdle hails from the Bronx. Perfecting the Southern accent is something McArdle concedes needs some work.
He remains somewhat awed by his role in bringing a piece of history to life.
“It’s almost a spiritual thing when you honor someone’s character,” McArdle said. “It’s very humbling.”
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