Seeing Stars and How to Catch Them

by AnnaLiese Burich ‘17

We really can be “behind the scenes” of Hollywood! (I’m hilarious)

We all knew it when we applied, we all knew it when we chose to come here, and we all know it every time we leave the house: celebrities live in LA. We live amongst the stars; this is Hollywood, land of glamour and paparazzi and home to every one of our favorite entertainment industry professionals (except the odd ones out who live in New York – whatever).

This is super cool and definitely something that can boost our Snapchat games, but there is a more serious side effect of living so close to greatness: the greatness can help us become great, too. I – and countless people I know here – want to work in the entertainment industry alongside these stars. In all of our pre-professional classes here at USC, we hear time and time again that networking is everything, that no matter your resume you cannot get a job if you don’t form connections. And the higher the connection the better. So every time I see a celebrity in LA, my first thought is, “Hey, so cool! They were on my TV screen and now they are sitting next to me at brunch!” but my second thought is, “They have the power to get me a job.”

Here’s how I see this going: If I say something just witty enough, I can lure them into my web. We will get to chatting, and I will casually mention that I want to work in the business. They, enamored with my charm, will volunteer to put in a good word for me if I just send over my resume and a sample of my work. We laugh, we exchange contact information; that night, I sent an even wittier email referencing one of our new inside jokes and attach a resume. The next day, boom. I have a job.

Now, yes, I am aware this is far-fetched. But it’s not entirely impossible. Many celebrities are beyond well-connected: they own their own production companies. This past summer, I worked for Steve Carell’s production company, Carousel, and I’ve had friends work for the likes of Ed Helms, James Franco, and Will Ferrell. These celebrities are pretty to look at and funny to laugh at, but they are also actually capable of hiring me for the job of my dreams.

Steve encouraged me every day, as you can see.

The first way – and the most practical way - my dream could come a reality is through USC itself. Two of my classes this semester are almost entirely taught by A-list guest speakers, and I know that countless other classes here are run in the same way. In the past four weeks, I’ve learned from a writer/showrunner of The Office, head writers and creators of Parks and Rec and Brooklyn Nine-Nine, the creator of Heroes, and the Head of Comedy at Amazon Studios. Very casually very important people. Yet, after class, no one – including myself – goes up to them and introduces themselves. Why is this? I could be chatting with them and giving them my business card, and then connecting with them on LinkedIn and maybe getting coffee with them. But instead, I pack up my bags and leave.

In analyzing my actions, I’ve determined that I’m starstruck and afraid to be bothering them after their long work day - and I’m assuming that this what everyone else is thinking, too. But it’s really hit me that I should just do it and talk to them. That’s how they got where they are today, so they would not be offended in the least if I did it too. We’re not just students; we’re working adults and I think we forget that sometimes. USC gives us the tools to network - all we have to do is use them.

And this networking extends beyond class, too: out and about in the world, I’ve recently had a few run-ins with personal heroes—coincidentally both known for their work on Parks and Rec. First, at the Taylor Swift concert, Adam Scott brushed past me in the stands and I almost hugged him, and the other weekend at a bougie Sunday brunch, Ben Schwartz was seated at the next table. In the Adam Scott instance, I didn’t have much chance to live out my networking dream given the high-powered concert environment, but at brunch I actually could have. My friend asked him for his extra chair, and he very amicably agreed. One more charming follow-up zinger and we could have been in the In Crowd.

See how close - physically and emotionally - Adam and I got?

But could we actually network with them? Would we be bothering them to chat them up? The traditional Los Angeleno way of thinking is that you shouldn’t outwardly show that you care about being in the presence of a star—you gotta play it cool. So, we casually sat next to Ben Schwartz at brunch and very carefully did not look at him. But would he actually have minded if we had talked to him? Many people – I’m largely thinking dads, but some youths as well – make it a habit to chat with and make friends with everyone in their immediate area wherever they go. We accept these chatters as simply friendly people—so why is there a taboo against friendly conversation with celebrities? If I bantered with a Regular Joe after asking to borrow a chair at brunch, I wouldn’t feel like a nuisance; I would simply feel friendly.

My best friend and me at brunch.

So maybe—just maybe—celebrities would appreciate a nice banter session with a stranger. Maybe they are actually quite lonely, living in a bubble of people afraid to bother them. Maybe we actually should treat them like a regular person; maybe this means engaging in friendly conversation, as opposed to strategic avoidance.

Maybe Ben Schwartz would have given me my next job if I had wowed him with my engaging intellect and winning smile; maybe he would have simply charmed me back and never seen me again; or maybe he would have smiled and gone on with his day. But I highly doubt he would have hated me forever and ever for bothering him.

So, moral of the story: it doesn’t hurt to be friendly with anyone, including celebrities. Don’t play it cool. Just be charming. Worst case, you get a smile. Best case, you get a job.