Why Movie Stars Aren't Happy: The Public Struggles of Celebrity Perfomers Can Lead to Misery

Movie stars aren't any happier than "normal" people. In fact celebrity performers may be more likely to struggle with addictions, sadness, and even depression because of their public struggles. Some experts say that models, movie stars, musicians and famous athletes may actually be prone to more bouts of unhappiness and despair than people who aren't celebrities.

Celebrity perfomers, movie stars, and other famous people are almost four times more likely to commit suicide than the average American, says writer and professor Jib Fowles (author of Star Stuck: Celebrity Performers and the American Public). Happiness as a movie star may be hard to achieve, in part because the public struggles of celebrity performers. Famous people make the headlines every day - and it's not always good news!

Public Struggles of Celebrity Performers

The public struggles of celebrity performers show that movie star happiness isn't guaranteed. For instance Kate Moss was addicted to cocaine and treated in a rehab centre. Marilyn Monroe, blonde bombshell movie star, was severely depressed before she committed suicide (or was murdered, according to some conspiracy theorists). Phil Hartman – TV actor, Simpsons’ Lionel Hutz voice – was shot by his wife Brynne, who then killed herself in their home in California. Rock star Kurt Cobain commited suicide. Anna Nicole Smith was found dead in a hotel room. These examples make movie star happiness seem hard to achieve.

Why Movie Stars Aren't Happy

Movie stars have no secrets. The public struggles of celebrity performers include break ups, disappointments, and weaknesses. The public struggles of movie stars are available for everyone to see, discuss and mock. We love reading about the gaffes and gossip of the rich and famous; the more embarrassing, the better. Can you imagine your personal life – your divorces, addictions, and mistakes – being available for the world to see? Movie star happiness or despair is public. It doesn't help that we're addicted to celebrity gossip, of course.

Movie stars' sense of self is (or could become) lost. Famous people may lose touch with who they really are and what they really think and like. The media and fans have their own ideas about who a movie star is, which makes it difficult for the celebrity performer to stay grounded in his or her own self. Movie star happiness is affected by knowing that the world perceives you inaccurately, or doesn't know who you really are. And, sharing your opinions on national tv (such as Tom Cruise’s speculations on Brooke Shield’s postpartum depression) could make you vulnerable to a massive public attack. The public struggles of celebrity performers can lead to misery!

Disappoinment at the top. Movie star happiness may be affected by the whole experience of reaching the pinnacle of success and realizing it’s not as fulfilling as you think. It’s like getting your first book published, or earning your first degree, or being on tv for the first time…at first it’s exhilarating, but then you eventually wonder, “Is this it? What else is there?”

It's lonely at the top. Some celebrity performers are bewildered by their fame, knowing that they’re not perfect – and not even as wonderful – as their fans think. This, the “imposter syndrome”, occurs when people don’t feel they deserve their success. Famous people may also fear being discovered, that the American public will find out that they’re not as wonderful as they’ve been made out to be.

Imposter syndrome may hit. Some celebrity performers are bewildered by their fame, knowing that they’re not perfect – and not even as wonderful – as their fans think. This, the “imposter syndrome”, occurs when people don’t feel they deserve their success. Famous people may also fear being discovered, that the American public will find out that they’re not as wonderful as they’ve been made out to be.

Movie star happiness is also affected by:

Fame no doubt has its benefits, but it could be a stressful existence. Movie star happiness is definitely not a guarantee. However, one person’s garbage is another’s treasure, and one person’s stress is another’s oxygen. If movie stars are in the ‘biz because they genuinely love entertaining, they may find the stress easier to take.

Oct 25, 2006 10:46 AM

Jodee Redmond :

I find it ironic that people pursue careers as entertainers because they want to perform, to have people look at them, so to speak, but then they complain when the attention they get becomes overwhelming to them. The people who seem to achieve the best balance are those to whom it is what they do, not who they are. They keep their private lives private and out of the public eye.

Nov 1, 2006 5:50 AM

Laurie Pawlik-Kienlen :

It's interesting how some celebrities are so private, like Michael Keaton. I almost never hear anything about him, and it makes me curious about his life! Other celebrities are often in the news, like Britney or Tom Cruise. I wonder if they seek it out somehow, an invasion of their private lives?

Nov 2, 2006 3:22 PM

Jodee Redmond :

You're right; some celebs keep their work separate from their private lives and are quite successful at it.

Perhaps it's impossible to be prepared for the level of attention that comes with celebrity status now. Maybe they feel like their fans are friends?

Nov 5, 2006 5:19 AM

Laurie Pawlik-Kienlen :

I don't know about fans being friends, but I just read a quote from Courtney Love: "I love being famous because no one else has it. Because it's psychicly charging. Because I get off on it."

Maybe all famous people feel this way, even if they won't admit it.

Nov 9, 2006 5:49 PM

Jodee Redmond :

To be a "good" politician, trial lawyer, actor, singer, etc., you have to have the "look at me" thing on the go. I guess that means these people get off on being in the spotlight, whether they admit it or not.

Nov 10, 2006 7:58 PM

Laurie Pawlik-Kienlen :

What's the difference between a fan and a cultist? Maybe a cultist is more involved/obsessed than a fan?

Sep 10, 2008 12:53 AM

Guest :

I realize this comment is two years too late - but Phil Hartman did NOT kill his wife. She shot him and then killed herself a few hours later. Aside from being associated with (and eclipsed) by Mr. Hartman, Brynn Hartman was not famous herself prior to their deaths. And, by most credible accounts, Phil Hartman was - domestic storms aside - quite a content and happy person.

Sep 27, 2008 4:33 PM

Guest :

I think even though we as public want to know out of curisty about movie stars lives. I still think to a certain extant movie stars should have a privite life of thier own if that is what they want, and if they always want to be in the public eye that is thier choice. However, if it gets overwelming, they should not. I think that these stalkers, magazines, medias, etc trying to make money off of thier garbage, happiness, etc, should really look at movie stars as humans just like us, and we ourselves, would we want someone to stalk us? I do not know many people in this world that likes to be stalked, in fact if someone wants to be stalked, that should be catorized as a disease. I think movie stars should think rationally, that even though they are famous, what is more importent: thier health or making million bucks. Yes people have careers, but as humans we should also know that sometime what we want to be does not match with our personality or even something we can not handle. We may be very successful in any one career, but when that career takes over our lives, is the time where we need to say, "I must take my life in a different path."