Colonel Tom Parker was born in the Netherlands and entered the United States illegally as a stowaway on a ship when he was a teenager. Although he lived most of the rest of his life in the United States, he did not become a naturalized citizen. Parker’s lack of a U.S. passport gave rise to theories that this explained why Elvis Presley, whom Parker managed, never toured internationally despite his global popularity. There was a perception that Parker persuaded Presley to appear in a string of Hollywood movies instead of touring internationally, because Parker was worried about being deported. However, some biographers argue that Parker could have easily obtained a U.S. passport and that he was more concerned that Presley’s possession of drugs and guns would have complicated traveling across national borders.