Has-beens and never-weres scrape bottom of show biz barrel
A recent celebrity interview on TV was coming along quite predictably when the interviewer sprang this question on the veteran star being interviewed: “Do you think the time will ever come when you will become a has-been?”
The unexpected query stumped the star for a second, but she quickly recovered and shot back: “No, I don’t think I’ll ever become a has-been!”
Viewers admired her for her self-confidence, but the brief exchange gave us food for thought—because the star in question was no longer as young, busy and visible on-cam as she used to be.
In fact, in cynics’ view, she could be typified as being past her prime—and some could even see her as an “incipient has-been”!
We bring up this point not to diss this particular celebrity, but to bring up the larger issue of the eventual decline in many or even most stars’ careers.
We can’t put a general timeline or deadline on it, but many celebrities on the “other” side of 40 should already be reminding themselves that local show biz adulates beauty and youth above all else—so, there’s no such thing as “forever” in the biz, except for rare exceptions to the rule like Eddie Garcia and Gloria Romero!
If stars in their 40s face up to the fact that they no longer look as young as before (for some, that’s quite an understatement), they can avoid being regarded as being “in denial” and trying too hard to hold back the inexorable hands of time through artificial means that only end up calling attention to themselves!
These “in denial” luminaries include actresses who agree to play grandmother roles, but still try to look as youthful as ever (have they discovered the Fountain of Youth?).
Even worse are the actors in their 50s or 60s who insist on being cast as the romantic partners of sweet, nubile charmers enough to be mistaken for their granddaughters? —This is a struggle of increasingly diminishing returns—because the mirror and camera don’t lie!
Even more candidly, “maturing” or downright senior stars should face up to the fact that the time will come for most of them to in fact end up as has-beens—despite the self-confident declaration of the luminary in the interview we cited.
Acting offers will slow down to a trickle, roles will diminish in length and importance, and age restrictions will be more strictly enforced!
Actors who realistically agree to these limitations could continue to find work now and then, while those who can’t accept them will just have to lump it and live with their illusions and delusions—outside of the camera range!
The inexorable and realistic truth of the matter is that 90 percent of stars have to accept the fact that they will eventually become has-beens!
But, their best “insurance” and “revenge” is to have done so well in the more youthful period of their career that they will not be completely forgotten—which is the far sadder fate of many stars who didn’t do anything worth remembering, and being grateful for!
The worst fate of all? That’s the limbo-like state of being populated by obscure starlets who don’t even qualify as has-beens—only as “never-weres!”
Has-been stars should thank their lucky stars that they have been spared that!
