Author Topic: PROFESSIONALISM: Stardom (and getting starstruck)  (Read 4391 times)

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Kimberly

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PROFESSIONALISM: Stardom (and getting starstruck)
« on: Apr 03, 2006, 04:06 pm »
How does one professionally handle being 'starstruck' while having to work with a high profile celebrity on a production? I guess this comes naturally with years of experience and a 'seasoned' SM?? I have a tendency to get starstruck and want to nip that in the bud pronto before I get to the level I'm aiming for. Suggestions? Other than to act mature in the situation and 'hide' it?  :oops:

Thanks everyone!  :D
« Last Edit: Jun 08, 2009, 11:14 pm by PSMKay »
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Mac Calder

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Stardom
« Reply #1 on: Apr 03, 2006, 06:51 pm »
Basically, you need to realise that they are just people doing their jobs.

Being a Jack of All Theatrical Trades (instead of being dedicated to a single role), I have had occasion to work outside of the theatre business, on concerts etc and have worked on a couple of tours. Some times there are some really big stars, and you know what I learnt? In general, they are either just like us, or they are arogant pigs which disgust me.

As an interesting side note - I find as far as stars go, males are a hell of a lot easier to deal with. IN GENERAL. There are some great women stars and some shocking men, but out of those I have met... males are much easier to deal with and down to earth, which makes dealing with them a lot better.

That said, I tend to not get starstruck.

And just a note, call me a cynical a$$, but the higher you put them on a pedestal, the further they will eventually fall. So instead of idolising them due to their public persona, just treat them as real people, and if they impress you, great, congratulations, and if they are little prissy divas, you will not be inclined to take their sh!te.

Kimberly

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Stardom
« Reply #2 on: Apr 03, 2006, 08:24 pm »
Thanks for that perspective. I applied for a government Theatre Specialist position with Wolf Trap Center for Performing Arts in Vienna, VA not too long ago (Dept. of the Interior) & had to assess this part of my personality after applying. Just in case I happened to land it!

Just say to myself 'they are people too'.........  :D I guess it wouldn't be as hard as I'm envisioning. Thanks again!
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centaura

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Stardom
« Reply #3 on: Apr 04, 2006, 12:54 pm »
For me, I find that they often don't look exactly like they do in their promo posters, so when I first encounter them backstage, I don't have instant face recognition.  Recently we had a big-name band that I really liked here, but I hadn't even known what to expect with what they looked like (I listen to their music, but had never seen a poster with their faces).  By the time that it got to the end of the night, I was so tired from being in the theatre for 12+hours, that I was only hanging  around the fan-club meet & greet so that I'd know when it was over and I could lock up - I never even looked at the band members.

I think years of being around actors - any type of actors famous or not - kills the awe of the profession in a theatre person.  You have so much more of a grounded base in what makes things tick.  I think its why theatre folks have an easy time adopting that "whatever" attitude when it comes to dealing with big names.  I would compare it to almost any art.  You may be awed by a master stained glass artist, if you know nothing about how to work stained glass.  But after a few stained glass classes, while the respect for the level of achievement of the master is still there, the 'awe' factor has been reduced, because what they're doing it no longer pure mystery.  Does that make sense?

-Centaura

Kimberly

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Stardom
« Reply #4 on: Apr 04, 2006, 02:20 pm »
Yes, that makes perfect sense, thank you! However, there are a couple big name actors that I'd love to work with but I also idolize.......I guess in the grand scheme of things though, when I'm trying to do a job and do it well, I'd be in another world mentally anyway. Therefore, the actor that makes me drool wouldn't seem so 'big' then. Don't mean to sound high school-ish or fan-ish, but I do think it's a real part of the whole theatre/entertainment world that one must get used to if they want to make it to the 'big time'!  8)

However, now, thanks to my fellow wise SM e-friends, I have a much clearer vision of just how it would work if I were to stumble upon a job working on a production with someone I was a huge fan of. Thanks again guys!  :D
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MatthewShiner

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stars
« Reply #5 on: Apr 04, 2006, 11:24 pm »
all actors want to be treated like the stars they think they are.

celebrities often just want to be treated like anyone else, except a select few who, in my experience, are a little less secure with themselves, then they expect to be dealt with as STARS!

I have found that by treating them as normal people after the third day, there the star struckness wears off.
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