The world of celebrity culture is, to some, a strange thing. The idea of following and even deifying someone because they were in a movie or wrote a certain piece of music is, to be frank, strange. However, some celebrities also give us light into their personal lives – and sometimes they give us insights that can make very little sense. Here, then, are some odd facts about major names in our media today.
Many celebrities use fictional names
Have you ever read a book and found out that the author does not go by that name? Well, acting is the same. The world of celebrity is full of people who trade on a name that is not their own. Name changes are common, with many people choosing to go with something more bombastic or memorable. Less positively, many actors and actresses change/mask their names because they worry their real name showcases their heritage in a way that could see them as prejudiced.
Not every celebrity is squeaky clean
We’ve all seen the media stories of X celebrity being tied up in Y scandal. This is pretty common. Many horror stories exist of celebrities striking out at staff on their sets, or for getting caught doing something they probably shouldn’t have. Some, such as Tim Allen, even end up serving time in prison. Celebrities can feel like they walk in rarefied air compared to the rest of us – often, though, they need to face the long arm of the law just like the rest of us.
Not every actor wanted to be in movies or TV
Most actors and actresses wanted to be on the silver screen since they were young. It requires incredible discipline, effort, and, yes, a fair amount of luck. However, not every actor or actress grew up intending to be in movies. Take Reese Witherspoon, for example; she studied at Stanford before deciding that she would quite like to try out acting. Many celebrities have looked at alternative career paths before ending up on the screen.