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How can I ask out Emma Watson?

By Alan Chenkin,  Learned about celebrities by reading the tabloids in the checkout aisle.

Many actors/actresses , like Emma Watson, are in high demand – and their schedules may not permit a lot of a social life. While you may be successful approaching her (Please don’t be creepy or a stalker – she may be very different in person from the characters that she plays) realize that you may be rejected, because her goals are not in sync with yours. AND, Ms. Watson is very private about her personal life – and may already be actively dating someone.[1]  You also don’t want to run afoul of her security people or Police, who consider her safety of paramount importance.  In any case, here are some web references for you:
Dating Famous – Backstage
Even if Ms. Watson dos not acknowledge your affection, you still may get an autographed picture from her publicist.[2]
Thanks for reading my blog!
Footnotes

 

Edited and expanded from my answer in Quora. 
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What offends you most about Hollywood celebrities?

By Alan Chenkin, Learned about celebrities reading magazines at the supermarket checkout
The one thing that both offends and intrigues me about celebrities is their hypocrisy and denial, sometimes shallow – sometimes calculated – that makes them so entertaining!
Figure that celebrities need a following, and do everything to get the paparazzi to “catch” them having pizza or making out in a park, and when they get a modicum of fame, denounce the paparazzi as a pack of wolves and predators stalking them 24/7. (can you have it both ways?).
Remember its not just Hollywood….. This is an entertaining film related to this topic:
No matter what, celebrity watching and what they do for the fame and their fan base is astounding!
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Are you required to be tall and beautiful to become a Hollywood actor?

Alan Chenkin, Learned about celebrities reading tabloids in the checkout line.
It’s nice to have genetics that give you height and looks, but talent and hard work are the real thing, requiring training, rehearsal, and commitment to the craft.
The featured image above this article compared the actors in “The Fast and the Furious” by Height.
A most prolific and hard-working actor is Danny DeVito, who does not let his height interfere with his Hollywood success.  At a staggering 4′ 10″, DeVito’s filmography speaks volumes to his talent and acceptance.
Lots of actors are tall and stunning, and are eclipsed by short and talented – Look at Jason Alexander, 5′ 5″, who had a starring role in Seinfeld:
Have you ever heard of this lady, Academy Award Winner, Linda Hunt?  4′ 9″ of acting powerhouse.  She carries a gun in the TV series NCIS Los Angeles.
Embrace who you are, hone your skills, talent attracts people, regardless of your appearance. 
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This post is expanded from my answer in Quora.
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Will the Oscars still exist in 20 years?

By Alan Chenkin, Videographer who enjoys the Arts.
 
I would take an educated guess that the Oscars will be around for a long time.
The Oscars are chosen by ballot by the members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Membership is by invitation only and was originally extended only to writers, directors, actors, technicians, and producers. This elite club, with a membership of only 6,000 people, selects the nominees and votes on the winners.[1]
Academy Awards – Wikipedia – A detailed overview of the Oscars
All the Oscars: (We Care About) – “Here is a neat little reference book for Oscar fans. It lists the winners and nominees for all the Academy Awards we care about most. This new, expanded edition includes Best Picture, Best Actor, Actress, Supporting Actor, Supporting Actress, Best Director, Best Score, Best Song, Best Visual Effects, Best Animated Film, Best Foreign Language Film, and more, for all eighty-nine years of the Academy’s history, from 1929 to 2017.”  Available from Amazon Books.
With Money, Fame, Fortune, and an organized Academy leading the way, the Oscars are an established, working, and visible organization that will endure (I hope) for a long time.
In twenty years – and hopefully a lot more –  I hope we will be enjoying the Oscars and cheering for our favorite actors performances!
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Footnotes
 
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What has Hollywood portrayed accurately?

By Alan Chenkin, Learned about celebrities reading magazines at the supermarket checkout
When Hollywood makes a documentary, it is usually portrayed “somewhat” accurately – but if it is a movie “based on real events”, liberties may be taken to make the film more marketable and appealing to the target audiences.
In addition, the actual historic locations may have been updated or changed, so that the producers have to come up with a facsimile or alternative site for shooting parts of the film.  If you watch Charleton Heston as Moses in “The Ten Commandments” movie, many liberties were taken in “re-creating” ancient Egypt for the movie.
From the Web:
Keep in mind this is just my opinion, many of the directors and writers don’t have direct experience with the subject, due to age, distance, or lack of available information – which forces them to take artistic liberties with a story.
 
For an example, “Saving Private Ryan” had a lot of consultants (many veterans) for the recreation of the wartime scenes; some veterans were moved to tears from the reality of the D-Day landing on Normandy beach.
 
The fighting scenes were so real, that (IMHO), they overshadowed the story.  Hanks and Spielberg also collaborated on the WWII Museum in New Orleans, which also has a “Hollywood” touch, but is true to its mission.  (I have visited the museum and can vouch for its realistic feel.  If you go, see the movie they show first).
 
At best, Hollywood can only recreate a series of events.  Even with historians and written records, the lack of actual first-hand accounts and items lost to time, or worn out, make it necessary for the production company to improvise.  If that fits with the story, and it feels “real”, we can usually forgive some artistic license.
 
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Edited and expanded from my answer on Quora.

 

Last Word:
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Would the Alien movie series be better if Arnold Schwarzenegger had the lead role?

When we have tough choices when interviewing people for leadership roles.  It’s easy to play armchair quarterback, especially after the fact.  You have to wonder if a blockbuster, experienced predator killer like Dutch would have been better in Aliens than Ripley, thrust into the role by corporate circumstances.  She transforms from a woman just doing a job to jousting with the a species determined to use every other species (specifically humans) as a means to procreate.
Alien benefited from Sigourney Weaver’s vulnerability and inner strength in the Alien movies. Arnold Schwarzenegger, Already a blockbuster, “Kick-Ass” movie star, would have done a good job, but we already expect him to be a “super-tough bad-ass” alien killer.
The closest example is Arnold in “Predator”.
I am a big Arnold Schwarzenegger fan, but I don’t think he would be a better Ripley.
But wait, there is MORE-  
Sigourney Weaver has a feminine sensitivity that Arnold just Muscles through.  He is a Juggernaut of pure horsepower, while Ripley is more emotive.  Both are effective in their roles, and accomplished actors.  In my humble opinion Arnold would be obviously miscast in Alien, or the picture would have to be re-structured for his acting persona.  Likewise, Sigourney would not have the comic presence of Arnold in “True Lies“.  Think about it.
 
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Last Word, Delivered by the Governator:
Arnold on Hatred in the US
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Why doesn’t a rich, handsome celebrity like Leonardo DiCaprio have a wife?

 Mr. DiCaprio has made comment on his single status several times.


 
On getting married one day: “That time will come when that time comes. The truth is, you can’t predict marriage. You can’t plan it. It’s just going to happen when it happens.” [1]
In 2014, while chatting with CBS News, he said, “I mean, the truth is, it’s gonna happen when it’s gonna happen. And — and I — I — you know, I’m just gonna let it happen naturally.”[2]
Who is he attracted to?
Leo told TV host Gayle King he looks for “humility, a sense of humour and not a lot of drama” in his girlfriends.[3]
As (George) Clooney said during the 2015 Golden Globes, while accepting the Cecil B. DeMille Lifetime Achievement Award, “It’s a humbling thing when you find someone to love. Even better if you’ve been waiting your whole life.”[4]
Marriage is not the single focus of this active thespian and businessman; he is working hard to act, produce, and promote his causes (like climate change).

Personally, I am a fan, and hope Leo finds success in romance as well as his work.
Footnotes
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Can I be a successful actor even though I’m 6’3′?

While tempted to be snarky here, I believe that you have a serious concern. I implore you to treat your height as an advantage, and not a handicap, so that you can focus on roles and audition pieces that work well with a tall actor.
Matthew McGorry  7′ 6″
Andre’ the Giant  7′ 4″
Peter Mayhew 7′ 2″
Richard Kiel  7′ 1″
Ted Cassidy 6’9″
brad Garrett 6′ 8″
Maybe you have heard of these actors.
The most important thing an actor can have is not a physical attribute, it is DRIVE. DESIRE. The need to practice your craft and be the best – to inspire people around you so that your ability to convey emotion and empathy WINS THEM OVER. Without nurturing your acting chops, you will not win roles.
So, figure out the best way to showcase your stature, look at the manner and dress of similar actors, and refine your style. Take acting classes – Go on auditions – LEARN and ADAPT. It is not easy, but there are rewards to being a good actor, even if you don’t become a “successful” actor. Understand that financial success does not always mean success as an actor.
Sometimes our perceived handicaps are, in reality, great strengths!  Have your “Ugly Duckling” moment, so that you can free yourself to explore roles that only tall actors can play well.
Get out there and Break a Leg!
Note: This is an expanded blog from my answer published on Quora
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What factors can cause an actor to become very capricious? – Or, Why do Actors Act CRAZY?

Many actors and Actresses live in a “Bubble”.

Normalcy in their world is bizarre to our lives, and they have to deal with the “Harvey Weinstein’s” of the world, and financial pressures, fan adoration (or scorn), while trying to be a world class actor. Many are juggling multiple relationships, with ex’s, co-stars, children, relatives, their manager, and agents. Some with good intentions, some bad. All have to be evaluated. Add possible addiction issues, co-dependence, ego, and drama. And you wonder why they have Capricious behaviors??

Some articles from the internet:

20 Famous People Who Have No Idea How Reality Works Anymore – Cracked
Oscar Levant: Hollywood’s First Celebrity Meltdown -NPR
6 Insane Meltdowns by Actors on Set of Their Greatest Movies – Cracked

But there is Hope:

15 Stars Who Came Back From Huge Meltdowns – Screenrant
Going Off Script: How I Survived a Crazy Childhood, Cancer, and Clooney’s 32 On-Screen Rejections – Storm Large on Amazon  books

I can’t pretend to know any of the backstory to these articles, or how much the truth has been stretched (celebrity meltdown = Clickbait) for advertising revenue. So take it at face value, and know that it is Hollywood.  Capricious behaviors may be too mild a term; The relentless drive for fame and celebrity may have actors, like lemmings, diving off the Hollywood hills en-masse!  (As long as the Paparazzi and ET are there to cover it).

In the Hollywood world, where crazy is normal and fame elusive, the pressures on Actors to be “what the studios, fans, and management want” can be enormous (and enormously conflicting). This creates people who are out of sync with what we consider a normal life. Did I mention that the paparazzi are always stalking them too? It is surprising that even more actors don’t succumb to the relentless pressure.  


Keep reading the tabloids at the supermarket, it is the barometer of crazy for us average, non-actor people to observe.  (Pro tip: look for the longer line, so you can actually take a magazine of the rack, and read it until you get to the register).  It’s how I got my Hollywood and Celebrity education. Really.  Ask my fans….

Sylvester Stallone, biography on amazon

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What do you think of Benedict Cumberbatch?

I am a fan.

Benedict Cumberbatch[1] is a striking actor with a unique appearance and good speaking voice. I especially liked his character in Star Trek (Khan), which was a nice counterpoint to the original performance by Ricardo Montalban.[2] His Screen credits can be seen on IMDB.[3]
This does not mean that every role he plays is automatically my favorite; I am hoping he has a long career and his fame will allow him roles that highlight his strong points; many actors take roles (sometimes ANY role, if you are hungry for work) and risk getting typecast. Cumberbatch turned down the role of Dr. Who,[4] partly for that reason (and the off-screen commitment to be “The Doctor”).  Nicolas Cage, by comparison, hardly turns down a role – which keeps him working, but often has him working in obscure “B” movies.  Cumberbatch is clearly cherry-picking his roles, and focusing on his strengths.
Benedict Cumberbatch (Photo from IMDB [5]

Khan’s impassioned speech,  well worth watching (from “Star Trek into Darkness” – Movie available on Amazon)