11 Feb 2008
Last night at the Bafta’s I experienced the madness of the celebrity cult more acutely than I’ve been aware of it before. I arrived at the same time as Keira Knightly and was engulfed by the flash of 200 press cameras as we entered the Opera House. The red carpet was lined with hundreds of screaming fans and a phalanx of reporters and media cameras. It was a celebrity frenzy.
After the ceremoney at dinner I sat surrounded by well known actors, all normal people relaxing over dinner, chatting happily to all and sundry. You couldn’t have experienced anything more informal or casual.
Only to be engulfed by the same mad circus as we left the hotel.
I’ve never been confronted so strongly with the bizarre nature of celebrity frenzy. I know the profession has always found this kind of public and media interest useful in attracting punters to the theatre or cinema, so no-one’s trying to discourage it, but what is it about being ‘famous’ that is driving this insatiable, ludicrous and growing fascination?
It has never seemed more bonkers to me than last night!