Bourdin, The Chameleon

Not only was Bourdin able to slither his way into the homes, institutions and even hearts of many, he was also able to feed of the sympathy of those he would meet. Usually pretending to be a desolate child, people would take him in and give him food and clothes, aside from allowing him to live in the comforts of wherever he found himself being sheltered. He became so good at what he did that he had even learned how to speak and become fluent in 5 different languages, one of which was English.

Maybe He Believed It Too

By the time that Bourdin had turned 18, he had already taken on the identities of more than 12 different individuals. He even said about his experiences, “I’d been in shelters and foster homes most of my life. Suddenly I was told: ‘You’re free.’ How could I become something I couldn’t imagine?” So he would continue to portray different children, despite the fact that he, himself, was no longer considered a child.