# What do celebrities do between gigs?



## Bullgrit (Jul 6, 2010)

I was just reading the wikipedia entry for Robert Lynn Asprin (holy crap, he's dead!?) and I see he took a break from writing in the 90s. This got me thinking about the concept of what do celebrities do when they're not working on their "celebrity job".

Like when a popular TV show ends -- what do the stars do until their next show? Especially if they have years of "down time"? I assume popular stars make enough money during their popularity that they can live through their down time. Yes, no?

What do they do when they go years without working?

And if they don't make enough money through the popular times, what do they do to make money during the down time? What kind of job does a former TV/movie/music star get?

Going back to RLA, for example, what did he do during the decade he wasn't producing new books? Did he just lounge around watching TV, living off his wealth accumulated through his previous work? Or did he get a "regular" job to pay the bills? Did he sit in a cubicle all day? Did he write stereo owner's manuals? Did he ever have to ask "Do you want fries with that?"?

What do celebrities do when they are between their celebrity jobs? Can they have a normal job without constantly being recognized as a celebrity?

"Thank you for coming in to the interview, Robert. By the way, you have the same name as one of my favorite novelists? Have you ever read _Another Fine Myth_?"

Bullgrit


----------



## Hand of Evil (Jul 6, 2010)

Depends on the celebrite: hot starlette, Maxum & other photo shoots, binge drinking and dating rock stars.  The guys: who cares.


----------



## Mark CMG (Jul 6, 2010)

Bullgrit said:


> What do celebrities do between gigs?





I'm gonna go with "cryogenic storage" of some sort.


----------



## coyote6 (Jul 6, 2010)

I've only seen the first episode, but I think that's what Entourage is about, no? 

Some of 'em party. Some of them get addicted to substances or activities. Some look for work in their chosen area. Some despair of getting work again. Some get busted (see also, addictions) Some (many?) get into magazines in various ways, probably as a way to insure that they get work again (by keeping their name, face, & "brand" recongizable to the public). Some go into rehab. Some go into rehab on TV. Some create TV shows parodying celebrities that go into rehab on TV. Some go bankrupt, financially, morally, & otherwise. Some just live their lives, like everybody else (except for being famous and possibly rich).

Jack White seems to spawn new bands.


----------



## Deset Gled (Jul 6, 2010)

Bullgrit said:


> What do celebrities do when they are between their celebrity jobs?




I think the fleetingness of celebrity status allows many people to transition into normal life easier than you would think.  The ones that are so famous they are known everywhere generally have enough money that they don't need to work normal jobs.



In 1998 I met Michael Bower (aka Donkeylips, Michael Bower (I)).  According to his IMDB page, he had last worked in 1996 and would not work again "in the industry" until 1999.   When I met him, he was working in a T-shirt store at Universal Studios.

Gary Coleman worked a number of gigs as a security officer.

Jimmy Stewart was a pilot.


----------



## Viking Bastard (Jul 7, 2010)

The lead singer in Iron Maiden is a commercial pilot.


----------



## Umbran (Jul 7, 2010)

A number of film and TV actors do live theater when they aren't in front of the cameras.


----------



## Relique du Madde (Jul 7, 2010)

Mel Gibson gets himself in alcohol induced racial scandals.


----------



## Remus Lupin (Jul 7, 2010)

coyote6 said:


> Jack White seems to spawn new bands.




I don't think that can technically be called "down time," then. Though he does seem to be musically promiscuous. No wonder Meg divorced him.


----------



## Theo R Cwithin (Jul 7, 2010)

During downtime between my gigs, I typically spend time in my personal zoo and rare orchid garden; visit my probation officer; get involved with weird cult-like religions; break up with my latest supermodel girlfriend; and peruse ENWorld.  

I also wear sunglasses so my fans don't recognize me.


----------



## Desdichado (Jul 8, 2010)

Asprin specifically (allegedly) quit writing for such a long time because he was charged with tax evasion, and any money he made from writing would have been garnished by the IRS.  As a back-door approach, he did a bunch of "co-authored" stuff.

Plus, it's entirely possible that he lived off his wife's income at the time too, as well as con appearances, royalties that continued to come in on past books, etc.


----------



## Man in the Funny Hat (Jul 9, 2010)

Deset Gled said:


> Jimmy Stewart was a pilot.



That's a bit misleading.  He wasn't a _commercial_ pilot, though he easily could have been.  He did fly a lot in his spare time but what happened is that he joined the army (doing  so _before_ the US entered the war because of Pearl Harbor) and entered the Army Air Corps which later became the USAF.  At first he trained other pilots and did some publicity work, but eventually got himself into a combat unit in Europe and attained the rank of Colonel.  After leaving the service he went back to movies.

Celebreties do the same things that everyone else does when they have time on their hands.  They go to movies, take vacations, take up hobbies, paint, write, take photos, buy a ranch, stump for causes they really know nothing about, go out to lunch a lot, party, stop wearing underwear, watch Judge Judy, the Weather Channel and Law & Order.


----------



## Herschel (Jul 9, 2010)

Heroin. Lots & lots of heroin.


----------



## TarionzCousin (Jul 9, 2010)

Each other.

Not yours. No, you can't have.

[sblock]
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





[/sblock]


----------



## Bullgrit (Jul 9, 2010)

I have no idea who that is. But, nice.

Bullgrit


----------



## Dire Bare (Jul 10, 2010)

Man in the Funny Hat said:


> Celebreties do the same things that everyone else does when they have time on their hands.  They go to movies, take vacations, take up hobbies, paint, write, take photos, buy a ranch, stump for causes they really know nothing about, go out to lunch a lot, party, stop wearing underwear, watch Judge Judy, the Weather Channel and Law & Order.




This.  Celebs aren't another culture, they are just people who happen to be well known for a variety of reasons.

This thread reminds me of celeb rags that have "Celebs are Just Like Us!" sections!  Look!  They go to the beach!  Look!  They go grocery shopping!  Wow!


----------



## JohnRTroy (Jul 10, 2010)

For people in Hollywood, this is one of the reasons why actors make high salaries, it's to prepare for the downtime.  

I remember when René Auberjonois, during the time DS9 was going strong, was interviewed by a DJ.  The DJ asked him to whisper his salary.

DJ:  You make THAT much PER EPISODE.

RO:  Yes.  But then again, there are whole years where I don't work at all, and not for a lack of trying.  It was almost 10 years between Benson and DS9.

Then again, some leave the business and never look back.

For musicians, it depends on their fan base and fame level.  Some are famous and have loyal fans to go on arena level tours.  Others usually retire, then after enough time has passed for fans to become nostalgic they may be able to tour as a side thing.


----------



## Man in the Funny Hat (Jul 10, 2010)

Bullgrit said:


> I have no idea who that is. But, nice.



For your edification, that would be Scarlett Johansson.  And omg is that a great photo of her.


----------



## Dannyalcatraz (Jul 10, 2010)

Time.

As in "Jail."


----------



## Dannyalcatraz (Jul 10, 2010)

JohnRTroy said:


> For musicians, it depends on their fan base and fame level.  Some are famous and have loyal fans to go on arena level tours.  Others usually retire, then after enough time has passed for fans to become nostalgic they may be able to tour as a side thing.




And other factors.  Some become studio musicians or producers or label executives and withdraw from the public side of the industry.

Others?

Well, Syd Barrett went nuts.  Janice Joplin died.  Jimi OD'ed.

Jim Martin, guitarist for Faith No More, became a farmer.

Benjamin Bossi, Romeo Void's saxaphonist, had to give up music completely due to damaged hearing- sound over a certain dB level would basically render him deaf.

Warren Cuccurullo, guitarist for Frank Zappa, Missing Persons and Duran Duran did a stint in porn (including releasing a "device" modeled after himself) between 1999-2004 before returning to music.

Gary Glitter went to jail on charges of possession of child porn in Britain, and followed that up with a conviction for obscene acts upon a minor in Vietnam.  Not going to be much call for him to headline a concert after he gets out...


----------



## Relique du Madde (Jul 10, 2010)

Farmville.....  until this happened:


----------



## ggroy (Jul 10, 2010)

JohnRTroy said:


> For people in Hollywood, this is one of the reasons why actors make high salaries, it's to prepare for the downtime.
> 
> I remember when René Auberjonois, during the time DS9 was going strong, was interviewed by a DJ.  The DJ asked him to whisper his salary.
> 
> ...




Right away, almost half of that goes straight to the IRS (federal taxes) and the California tax man (or another state).  Many such salaries place these people in the upper income tax bracket.


----------



## Theo R Cwithin (Jul 10, 2010)

Dannyalcatraz said:


> Others?
> 
> Well, Syd Barrett went nuts.  Janice Joplin died.  Jimi OD'ed.
> Jim Martin, ..
> ...



How did you miss Bryan May?  He finished up his PhD in astrophysics after a 30+ year hiatus as lead guitarist for Queen, etc.

Actually, he might be a better example of what astrophysicists do in their down time.


----------



## Crothian (Jul 11, 2010)

JohnRTroy said:


> For people in Hollywood, this is one of the reasons why actors make high salaries, it's to prepare for the downtime.




No, it is not.  Few actors make such high salaries.  Yes, there is down time between jobs but they get paid that much because of the revenue TV and movie bring in.  Smart actors do save for the lean times but not all of them do.


----------



## Dannyalcatraz (Jul 11, 2010)

the_orc_within said:


> How did you miss Bryan May?  He finished up his PhD in astrophysics after a 30+ year hiatus as lead guitarist for Queen, etc.
> 
> Actually, he might be a better example of what astrophysicists do in their down time.




I mentioned him in another thread about surprisingly deep celebs last year.

I wasn't trying to be comprehensive, though.  Otherwise, I'd have noted that Skunk Baxter of the Doobie Bros (and others) is also a military contractor.

I remember reading about a NFL star who was a worm farmer.

Heck, my church's music minister is a Christian rock star...and has an airplane parts business as well.


----------



## Theo R Cwithin (Jul 11, 2010)

Dannyalcatraz said:


> I mentioned him in another thread about surprisingly deep celebs last year.
> 
> I wasn't trying to be comprehensive, though.



Oh yes, I know.  A comprehensive list would be a long, long list indeed.  I just had to throw his name out there since he usually ends up on lists like this.  

I think it's a general rule that celebs go through different jobs-- even careers-- just like the rest of us.  It's just that the celebs get the whole fame and fortune thing that the rest of us manage to miss.


----------



## Dannyalcatraz (Jul 12, 2010)

And, FWIW, Brian May is the bomb.  I'm thinking about buying one of his guitars.


----------



## Fast Learner (Jul 12, 2010)

A fair number try to get into fashion in some way, designing clothes or perfume or what have you.

A surprising number of ex-celebs (especially sports celebs, but also actors and singers) get into real estate. They often have good looks and charm that can make real estate more successful.


----------



## Mark CMG (Jul 12, 2010)

Fast Learner said:


> A surprising number of ex-celebs (especially sports celebs, but also actors and singers) get into real estate.





And insurance and car sales.


----------



## Bullgrit (Jul 12, 2010)

> Celebs aren't another culture, they are just people who happen to be well known for a variety of reasons.
> 
> This thread reminds me of celeb rags that have "Celebs are Just Like Us!" sections! Look! They go to the beach! Look! They go grocery shopping! Wow!



I'd argue that celebrities are a different cutlure. By definition. They're whole career is about staying known, in the public face.

Sure, there are people who reach celebrity status unintentionally, without it being a career. But for these people, being a celebrity is not a career anymore than I'm a plumber just because I fixed a toilet this weekend.

But for people who have to put something out to the general public regularly -- famous actors, singers, musicians, authors, politicians, etc. -- celebrity is a career. And that is a different culture.

The normal American culture (to narrow it down) does not include whirlwind tours of the country, signing autographs, and always being "on stage".

Bullgrit


----------



## Theo R Cwithin (Jul 12, 2010)

Bullgrit said:


> *eing a celebrity is not a career anymore than I'm a plumber just because I fixed a toilet this weekend.*



*

You, sir, have dashed all my hopes and dreams.



.*


----------



## Umbran (Jul 12, 2010)

Bullgrit said:


> The normal American culture (to narrow it down) does not include whirlwind tours of the country, signing autographs, and always being "on stage".




I think you're being a bit too narrow in your definition of "culture".  Being in a different career does not, generally, mean you're in a different culture.


----------



## Deset Gled (Jul 12, 2010)

Dubble poost.


----------



## Deset Gled (Jul 12, 2010)

Bullgrit said:


> The normal American culture (to narrow it down) does not include whirlwind tours of the country, signing autographs, and always being "on stage".




Oddly enough, this describes my job as a field service engineer pretty well.  I travel to customer sites, sign off on Preventative Maintenance checklists and repair bills, and am always working in front of the customer.  Apparently, I'm the celebrity of the engineering world.

The culture still feels pretty American, though.


----------



## Desdichado (Jul 12, 2010)

Bullgrit said:


> But for people who have to put something out to the general public regularly -- famous actors, singers, musicians, authors, politicians, etc. -- celebrity is a career. And that is a different culture.



No, that is a different career.  Same culture.


----------



## Bullgrit (Jul 12, 2010)

Drug dealer.
Heart surgeon.

Different careers. Same culture?

Bullgrit


----------



## Dannyalcatraz (Jul 13, 2010)

Mark CMG said:


> And insurance and car sales.




I'm in Texas, and I know Aikman had a dealership at one point.

Staubach has a real estate development company (doing work near the Galleria, FWIW).

And if you've been following the news, MLB legend Nolan Ryan is part of a group trying to buy the Texas Rangers team.


----------



## coyote6 (Jul 13, 2010)

Bullgrit said:


> Drug dealer.
> Heart surgeon.
> 
> Different careers. Same culture?




Very possibly. The drug dealer might have been the heart surgeon's neighbor in high school or college roommate. Hell, the drug dealer might _be_ the heart surgeon. Surgeons can prescribe medication, right? Folks get prescriptions to hillbilly heroin from someone.

I get what you're saying, but not all celebrities are Paris Hilton; are Kim Kardashian, Lil Wayne, Robin Williams, Bill Gates, John Elway, and Clint Eastwood all part of the same "culture"?

Celebrity undoubtedly affects how you live, but it doesn't necessarily make you part of some foreign culture or even subculture. Wealth might tend to put them into similar subcultures -- but wealth and fame aren't entirely synonymous. For example, Charles Manson is famous, but he isn't wealthy (as far as I know, anyways).


----------

