Star complex

(First of Two Parts)

Ideally, we should discourage entertainment people from having star complex. But showbiz is make-believe. So let’s be real.

Until a decade or so ago, the word diva didn’t have a negative connotation yet.

Today, however, being a diva and having star complex are almost synonymous — though I insist that there’s still a world of difference between these two showbiz terms.

 But I realized through the years that having star complex is not necessarily bad. It can serve as defense mechanism for the famous television-movie star for the following reasons:

It protects you against abuse. If you don’t maintain a safe distance between yourself and some people within your circle and the public in general, you will get swarmed with favors.

You cannot allow yourself to be within reach and readily available to just anyone who will sell you insurance plans, real estate properties and gadgets you don’t need. People in sales are a persistent lot and they may try your patience if you deal directly with them and the repercussions can be ugly.

The word “no” cannot come from you. Somebody has to play villain on your behalf. In most cases, the talent managers intervene and it is their duty to protect their wards (who give them their commissions per project).

Although this is not positive at all, stars have to create an impression that they are not always accessible — for their own protection.

There are people who don’t understand how showbiz operates and think in the most simplistic ways. A long, long time ago, I remember Baby Gil (who is with Viva) telling me about a person we both know outside of showbiz who was pestering her to get Sharon Cuneta’s contact number. This person wanted the megastar to cut the ribbon for the opening of a dormitory in Baguio. Land transportation would be provided — plus overnight accommodation in the dorm. Yeah — like they’d allow Sharon to sleep in peace.

For all that trouble, what was Sharon supposed to get? A free Baguio vacation!

No, it is not that simple. The megastar has her schedule — that is already tight as it is. Making a side trip to Baguio will not ease her load.

There was also this acquaintance from 12 years back who asked me if my “celebrity friends” and I could drop by Ateneo grade school for a program the parent-teachers association was organizing at the Loyola Heights campus. No, they didn’t have the budget — not even for gas money.

It was not going to be that easy, I told him. Why not? “Dadaan lang naman sila. (They will only pass by.)” That was what he kept telling me.

I had to point out to him that it’s not like Ateneo is in the center of the metropolis. Even I had to abandon the family residence in that area because traffic there had become a nightmare.

I also had to tell the clueless acquaintance of mine that it was particularly more difficult for the female celebrities to attend the event since they had to spend on makeup and around that time, services were rendered for P2,500 per face. Were they willing to reimburse that? No!

He insisted that they don’t have to put makeup on. Easy for him to say. He wasn’t the one bound to get snide remarks for not looking good enough for a personal appearance.

Since he wasn’t going to get off my back, I volunteered some of the minor comics who were hanging around with me in the studio that time. I had established a good relationship with some of them and I could just treat them to a round of beer after.

“Nah! We prefer the established ones,” he remarked. “Puede na si Judy Ann (Judy Ann will do).”

That was the last time I talked to him. Good riddance.

To boost your confidence. If you are joining showbiz, having confidence is a must. A lot of showbiz people have inferiority complex (incredible, but true). This is the reason why some need to develop star complex — to stay afloat in the business.

Hollywood legend Bette Davis was never regarded as a great beauty. But she had talent — and star complex.

Prior to joining the movies, she was already a Broadway actress. When she came to Hollywood for the first time, she took the train from the East Coast to Los Angeles. At the train station, she was upset that there was no studio representative to pick her up. When she phoned the movie company, the explanation she got was: “We sent somebody to meet you there, but he said that there was no one who got off the train who looked like a movie star.”

To this, Ms. Davis replied: “But he should have known by the poodle I had in my arms!”

Hers may not have been a pretty face, but since she had great talent, she made use of this and the rest she compensated for by behaving like a star and that got her a long way in cinema. Bette Davis was not only an actress. She was also a star.

For self-preservation. Having star complex allows you to have a certain kind of detachment from reality — especially the harsh realities of show business. One reality you have to deal with is hearing unkind remarks — some said in your presence. How many female celebrities have experienced sharing a restaurant bathroom mirror with non-showbiz women and she hears them talk about her like she wasn’t there?

Having star complex will allow you to live in a bubble (no matter how artificial it is) that would serve as a protective layer or cushion so that you don’t get emotionally damaged by cruel remarks or rejection. You can rebuild your shattered emotions and tell yourself, “No matter what people say, I get paid to be seen.”

Now, I am not encouraging every personality who reads this to develop star complex this instant. Having it and being able to handle it are two different things.

In the concluding portion of this two-part series, I will tell you who should develop star complex and when it is already safe to start growing one.

But at this point, I will already tell you when to lose it: 1) During the actual work on the set. Tardiness, being unprofessional and those who throw their weight around are what give star complex a bad name. 2) At home where you should simply be yourself and be in touch with reality in the company of loved ones.

(To be concluded)