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I’ve often thought about which movie star it would be cool to be. Brando? Cagney? Pacino? But to be honest, for me, it’s all about the role in the film. Those iconic roles played by stars at the height of their powers, the career bests.
There’s an era of cinema from the late ‘60s to the mid ‘70s when a new breed of director reigned supreme – a golden time, where Scorcese, De Palma and Coppola all churned out arguably, their best work. For balls-out guy movies, who can beat Harvey Keitel in Mean Streets, Jack Nicholson in Five Easy Pieces, Marlon Brando in Apocalypse Now – all fantastic expositions of the kick-ass movie star (chick flicks, these ain’t).
So what does it take to be a star? I reckon it’s someone who seems to have all the confidence but with a casual air that shows it comes naturally. Are stars born or can they be made? The truth is, anything can be learned and there is a star in all of us (there is just the small part of getting other people to believe it). But it’s not easy; how come most people remain mere extras while work colleagues get the call for the close-ups, the three-picture deal and the massive salary hikes. There is a formula here.
STARS ARE MADE, NOT BORN
Anyone can be a star, you just have to believe in it (hey – if Sly Stallone can play Rocky at 60, there’s hope for us all). It’s not what people bring to the party that makes them stars, it’s what they do with it. IQ, personality and social skills all go into the mix but it’s how you go about your work that really matters. Believe in yourself.
WORK FOR THE GOOD OF THE BIG PICTURE
Great stars make great movies; they work to make the director and the cast around them look good. This can be a tough ask for people who are primarily achievement-driven. However, real stars know that helping others look good, such as your boss or the people who work for you, pays massive dividends. What are the company’s values and goals? What is your boss trying to achieve this year? Attune your goals to the larger organisation and assist everyone in making these happen.
BE ABLE TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE
Great movie stars can make a low budget quickie into a summer blockbuster; buy a ticket in this area. Look at the tough jobs in your company – could you tackle them? Get in there and volunteer. Find the opportunity, make a plan and execute it. The tougher the job, the less candidates there will be and the more premium you can put on your skills.
BE YOUR OWN AGENT
Make sure your career is well-managed for the long term. This doesn’t just mean your time – it’s relationships, your skill-set, your next project and the next couple of years. Real stars at work have five-year plans; they know what they want to achieve and by when. Look to up-skill yourself at every opportunity; select your next project before you finish your current one. Ask the question: what will this experience add to my uniqueness in the marketplace?
RECOGNISE WHERE YOU DON’T SHINE
Real stars at work are open about what is their core skill and what isn’t (mostly, they recognise what is not important and contract out the rest). Figure out who can supply the knowledge you need and cultivate a relationship there. But remember, nobody likes to be used and when trading skills, always deposit more than you withdraw. Build up your credits and watch people queue up to buy tickets for your show.
Everybody wants to be some sort of star, so there’ll be lots of competition. But that’s part of the fun, isn’t it? The trick here, is to manage what could conceivably be a selfish motive – ambition – into something everyone around you can benefit from – group achievement. Not many people work this one out.
Anyway, back to movie stars. If I had to choose one favourite character in any movie, it would have to be Peter Fonda in Easy Rider. He was the king of cool to Dennis Hopper’s doomed, fatalistic nihilism. The guys ride across America on a journey of self-discovery. Fonda ultimately finds what he’s looking for, as he delivers the immortal line to Hopper: “We blew it, Billy, we blew it.”
…See you at the movies
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