How To Interview A Celebrity

Finally, your dream has come true! God has answered your prayers. Some time ago, work was blood, sweat and tears but ever since your latest assignment, it’s the best job in the world! Hurray, you’re finally going to meet a movie star! You’ve been dreaming of this day for years! Soon, you’ll be thriving on the look of jealousy in everyone’s eyes as you flaunt your experience and plaster your Facebook profile with pictures of you posing with the celebrity hardly two inches away from you! Moreover, this glamorous tasks promises to boost your once unsteady career as a journalist or lifestyle magazine writer. It is understandable that you are flushed with enthusiasm but don’t let this interfere with your professionalism. Your star-struck nature might compromise your abilities to follow up with the right questions, squeeze out the juice and scrutinize the interviewee left right and center! Of course, this is a celebrity and it’s a big deal! This opportunity could kick-start your career, so don’t let anxiety and overexcitement obstruct your prospects. Fans are anxious to indulge in the trivialities of the celebrity, so don’t let them down and earn their respect in the long run! The interview could be face to face, through e-mail or maybe on the phone. Whichever medium you avail of, here are a few tips to promote a smooth interview with the celebrity!

 

Every star has his or her own publicist. In the older times, contact numbers of celebrities were listed in phone books. That is not even a possibility in the present decade since security has gotten excessively tight with valid reason. Depending on the popularity of your company, your editor might already have the contact information ready and hand it over to you. However, if otherwise, you will have to resort to the internet and get cracking on some quick research.

 

It is the job of the publicist to ensure that the precious time of the celebrity isn’t put to waste on some redundant interview. He or She will grill you for details. You will have to be calm as you state your motives, the theme and crux of your article and the date of the article’s appearance. Irrespective of how harsh and intimidating the publicist may seem on the other line, always maintain a nice tone. Don’t allow the nerves to get to you and be confident throughout the phone call! You will soon fix a deal!

  

Now that you passed the publicist phase, its time you gear up for the main part of your thrilling task! Pen down all your questionsin advance! Bear in mind that they should all be relevant. If a question contains a large element of scandal, phrase it in a very subtle way and visualize the celebrity’s reaction. If it’s too inappropriate, skip it! Store these questions on a piece of paper and keep it with you to avoid forgetting and stammering from the start. Of course, if you are conducting this interview via email, compile these questions in a systematic manner. Check for spelling errors and send it to the address supplied by the publicist.

 

You must’ve made a lunch date at the café of the celebrity’s choice. It turns out that you’ve been waiting for forty three minutes and there’s absolutely no sign of him/her. Yes, you run out of patience and anger gradually supplants the overflowing excitement. At last, he slides through the door and shakes your hand with a cheesy grin! You’d love to blow your fuse but you cannot! Even if there’s no apology or the excuse is as appalling as “Oh I just had to grab a few tequila shots with my plumber’s hot wife”, you need to control your desire to explode, laugh it off and get started!

What is the color of her nail polish? What was the brand of her stilettos? How trendy is his latest hairstyle? Did he seem a little depressed? Wow, how much are those sunglasses? Scan the celebrity right from head to toe; you never know what might be the cream of your article! Study their eating habits. They usually nibble and waste three-fourths of the plate. Does she eat healthy or is she indulging in junk food? Did h put on a few extra pounds from his last blockbuster or hip-hop music video?

 

Once you’re done with the introductions and a few jokes, you probably have gotten a little more comfortable and hopefully, the star-struck mania has withered away. There is no reason to be intimidated and most important of all, don’t act like a fan! If you need inspiration, chew on the fact that celebrities need the press more than the press needs them! The next obvious move would be to pull out your list of questions and begin with the polite interrogations. So let the questions flow. You might make alterations as you progress and come up with spontaneous ground breaking questions! Do not be too persistent if he or she refuses to answer a particular question. Let it slide.

 

So the celebrity just cannot stop yammering about how unfair his or her life is even though they spend most of it in five star hotels and have other people tying their shoelaces. Resist the urge to comment. Don’t break their rhythm for you might accidentally stumble upon an interesting revelation. Never talk about yourself as this too might offend them. Keep scribbling as he/she yaps away and don’t rely on your memory for fear of being penalized for misquoting the celebrity.

 

Listen carefully, even if the constant self-praise and trash talk wears you out. You do not want to miss out on the punch line or on what could make a classic headline in the entertainment news bizz! You could alternatively carry a tape recorder so that you can quote the celebrity verbatim and not go insane trying to remember each and every word he/she spewed.

 

Thank your interviewee for their time and work on your epic once-in-a-lifetime article! Hope these guidelines made your task of interviewing a celebrity easier!