What’s the difference between a celebrity and a star?
Well, a celebrity is a person, or sometimes an animal, whereas a star is a large ball of burning gas.
But never mind that right now.
In less literal terms, a celebrity is someone who gains fame or notoriety for a period of time for any reason, good or bad.
One other key factor of being a celebrity is that it tends to be temporary. It’s the proverbial 15 minutes we are all supposedly promised, rather than the enduring legacy of true stardom.
Not always, of course, stars are celebrities, but it is fair to say that not every celebrity is or becomes a star.
Celebrities fade over time, but stars burn brighter as the years go by. Time and again they touch our lives in ways that leave lasting memories even after they pass on.
A star’s legacy stretches across the decades, bridging the gap between generations in ways that create bonds between the young and the old.
They are multifaceted people who constantly recreate themselves, always offering us something fresh and new so that while each generation may remember them as something different, we all come together in recognizing the collective impact their talent has had on the world.
So when a man who collected iconic roles the way others collect stamps or shoes takes his final bow, we can’t help but take notice.
Even if you weren’t emotionally attached to what some would call his most famous character, it’s likely he still touched your life in some way. You know his face and his voice and at some point he made you laugh or cry or smile. Or maybe scared you a little. He did make an excellent villain.
(Affirmative!)
Rest in peace, Anthony Stewart Head. Thank you for the life lessons and the memories.
Image of Anthony Head by Raven Underwood courtesy of Wikimedia Commons