WHAT THEY SAID ABOUT FAME AND SUCCESS

Selection, Organization and Editing: Marco Aurélio Lucchetti

Brigitte Bardot: Glory is too heavy a mantle for me to bear.

Brigitte Bardot, in a scene from And God... created woman. (Et Dieu… Créa la Femme, 1956), the film that made her famous.

Mel Gibson: I don't know if it's easy to explain the phenomenon of fame. It's something you have to learn to live with. The consequences of stardom can destroy you. Some aspects aren't pleasant. I can't be the way I was before I became a famous actor.

Mel Gibson, playing Porter, in The Change (Payback, 1999), a film based on At Point-Blank Range (The Hunter, 1962), a crime novel written by Richard Stark (pseudonym of Donald E. Westlake, 1933-2008).

Jodie Foster: Fame can lead us to live a life that isn't our own.

Actress Jodie Foster is known for being reclusive and averse to fame.

Mel Brooks: Every famous person is somewhat disappointing in real life, because nobody can be the edited essence of themselves.

Director Mel Brooks and actor Marty Feldman (Martin Alan Feldman, 1934-1982), in a photo taken during the filming of Young Frankenstein (Young Frankenstein).
LReleased in 1974 and blending comedy and horror, Young Frankenstein It is one of Mel Brooks' best-known films. In it, Marty Feldman, who was distinguished by his bulging, crooked eyes, played the hunchback Igor, who becomes a servant of Dr. Frederick Frankenstein when the latter travels to Europe to take possession of the castle he inherited in Transylvania.

Terence Stamp: I imagined that glory would completely transform my life, that is, that it would transform me from within, that I could be happy. When I discovered that none of that would happen, I fell into a deep depression. I locked myself in my house and spent a long time without seeing anyone.

Terence Stamp, playing Willie Garvin, in Modesty Blaise (idem, 1966), film directed by Joseph Losey (1909-1984).

Marilyn Monroe: One day, fame will fade. And goodbye fame, I had you. If it fades, I always knew it was fickle. It was something I experienced, but it wasn't and isn't the essence of what I live for.

Marilyn Monroe and her captivating smile.

Robert Redford: Fame is very superficial and fleeting. It comes and goes very quickly. I never let myself be fooled by fame. That's why I managed to survive.

Robert Redford, playing the fugitive Bubber Reeves, in the film. Human Hunt (The Chase, 1966), directed by Arthur Penn (1922-2010).

Marlene Dietrich: If fame were synonymous with fortune, wouldn't that be fantastic?

Marlene Dietrich, one of the most exotic actresses of the 1930s and 1940s.

Charles Chaplin: Neither fame nor prosperity will ever erase from my consciousness the idea of defeat and the fear of poverty, the offensive words, the cruel privations I suffered in London when I was young.

Charles Chaplin, embodying the immortal tramp Charlie.

Jessica Alba: People in the music industry are more fun because they don't take themselves so seriously and approach fame with a good sense of humor, while actors…

Jessica Alba is one of the main stars of the film. Sin City – The City of Sin (Sin City, 2005), which was directed by Robert Rodriguez & Frank Miller.
CFeaturing four completely different but interconnected stories, Sin City – The City of Sin It has a comic book aesthetic and is based on... graphic novel namesake of Frank Miller.
The film's screenplay was written by Miller and Robert Rodriguez themselves.

Brigitte Bardot: It's not always pleasant being a celebrity. In a way, I like being famous, but it also frightens me. It gives me the impression that I'm free, that I can do whatever I want. However, in reality, I can't do anything. I can't take a step without people surrounding me.
MAryyn Monroe: When we are famous, each of our weaknesses is amplified to the maximum.
BRigite Bardot: I can't walk freely, stroll through the streets like everyone else. People surround me, ask for photos, or say unpleasant things.
MAryyn Monroe: Celebrities, in general, arouse envy.
Gore Vidal: Whenever a friend of mine becomes successful, I die a little inside.

Gore Vidal.

Brigitte Bardot: My glory is built partly on wind and partly – enormously – on hatred. A world of people hates me.
JOdie Foster: I don't like fame or giving autographs.
BRigite Bardot: Fame is fun for six months, a year at most. After that, it's unbearable, except for those who are particularly stupid.
RRobert Redford: Being recognized is flattering at first. When you're an actor and you're unknown, anonymity can be devastating. But it's like Christmas: the first moments around the tree are incredible. Then, the toys start to break and pile up around the house, the bills start arriving… and the magic ends quickly.
MAryyn Monroe: Being famous doesn't mean total happiness. Even for an orphan like me, it's a very fleeting thing. And besides, being famous doesn't bring rest to anyone. Being famous is like caviar: very pleasant, delicious even; but, every day, it eventually becomes tiresome.
Madonna: The worst part is the lack of privacy. Not being able to walk down the street without being bothered. It's a double-edged sword. I grew up saying I wanted to be someone. I did everything to look different, dressing differently, trying to be different. Finally, when you achieve what you've been searching for your whole life, then you spend the rest of your life trying to hide. It's very strange.

In the photo above, Madonna, whose film acting career has been widely criticized.
PDespite her mediocre performances in the films she worked on, Madonna received several [remarks/criticisms]. Golden Raspberries, including that of Worst Actress of the Century in 2000.

Fred Allen: A celebrity is someone who works hard their whole life to become famous and then starts wearing sunglasses so they won't be recognized.
OScar Wilde: If there's anything worse than fame, it's not having fame at all.

Oscar Wilde, author of the famous novel The Picture of Dorian Gray (The Picture of Dorian Gray, 1890).

Andy Warhol: In the future, everyone will be world-famous for fifteen minutes.
RRobert E. Howard: The world has no interest in bleeding hearts. All that matters is the success achieved, and nothing else.
MAryyn Monroe: Honestly, I believe that everyone gets the success they deserve.
FFernanda Galan: Success is being happy with yourself and sharing that happiness with others.
VVanessa Williams: Success is the best revenge.

Vanessa Williams became known for becoming the first black woman to receive the title of Miss America. This occurred in 1984.

Julio Iglesias: I prioritize success above all else. Always. I don't worry about whether I like a particular song or not. The audience needs to buy it; what I think about it is secondary.
GGustave Flaubert: What is glory? It's hearing a lot of nonsense talked about you.

Gustave Flaubert became famous after writing what is considered the... “"The romance of romances"”, Madame Bovary (idem, 1856).

Mae West: When you become successful, people talk about you all the time. As for me, I deny everything, even talking to my lawyer.

Because she spoke openly about taboo subjects, such as sex – this in the 1920s and 1930s – Mae West is considered a pioneer of the sexual revolution in the United States.

Madonna: It's tough being in the public eye, especially when a part of the press is more concerned with satisfying the curiosity of the most cruel than with informing the public. They want to hear dirty news about you, as if that would lessen the guilt for their own flaws and weaknesses. My privacy and personal space are definitely not topics to be discussed in the pages of newspapers.
GIsabelle Bündchen: I don't believe people enjoy seeing their photos published in tabloids – with the exception of a few I prefer not to mention. I'm definitely not one of those people. I'm very private. I like staying home and doing my things quietly. I hate people invading my privacy. I hate talking about my private life. I think there should be a law against invasion of privacy.

Gisele Bündchen, one of the most famous models of all time, is recognized for her long-standing commitment to the environment.

Naomi Campbell: I try not to read anything that comes out in the press about me. I've already faced a lot of envy, a lot of jealousy, mainly from people who couldn't accept my success.

Naomi Campbell, possessing an exotic beauty.

Irving Berlin: The worst thing about success is that you have to keep being successful.
AAdriane Galisteu: It's very difficult to stay in the media for an entire year. If I managed to do it, it wasn't because of any planned strategy. marketing, But that's because I never settled for small success. I always wanted more. I'm always looking for something new.

The restless Adriane Galisteu.

Elias Canetti: Success only has ears for applause. It's deaf to everything else.

Elias Canetti, author of the monumental Auto-da-fé (Die Blendung, 1935).

Bernard Shaw: The secret to success is to offend as many people as possible.

Bernard Shaw became famous for his plays, among which the following stand out: Man and Weapons (Arms and the Man, 1894), The Devil's Disciple (The Devil's Disciple, 1897), Pygmalion (Pygmalion, 1912) and Saint Joan (Saint Joan, 1924).
A Shaw's dramaturgy constantly and essentially seeks to represent existential truth, hidden by the hypocrisy of bourgeois life.

Mirabeau: To achieve a certain level of success in the world, one must stifle one's conscience.
Ovideo: A clear conscience laughs at the lies of fame.
AArthur Schopenhauer: Money is like seawater: the more you drink, the thirstier you become. The same applies to fame.
Beba Loncar: For me, success is only worthwhile when we maintain our self-esteem. I think we can achieve what we want without abandoning certain principles.

Beba Loncar, who worked in about fifty films between 1960 and 1982.

Maria Grazia Cucinotta: At sixteen, I had many dreams, goals I wanted to achieve, not only professionally, but also in relation to the world I would find and that my children would eventually inherit. If, through my fame, I can draw people's attention to these issues, then the covers, interviews, and photographs will have been worthwhile.

Famous in Italy for television films and local film productions, Maria Grazia Cucinotta is best known internationally for her films. The Postman and the Poet (Il Postino, 1994) and 007 – The World Is Not Enough (The World Is Not Enough, 1999).

TG Novais: To achieve fame and success, a person needs to self-promote, because, as they say, “"Advertising is the lifeblood of business.".
BRigite Bardot: I would be the last person interested in advertising.

WHO'S WHO
AdIriane Galisteu – Brazilian presenter, actress and former model.
AAndy Warhol (born Andrew Warhola Jr., 1928–1987) – American visual artist and filmmaker.
AArthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860) – German philosopher.
Beba Loncar (Desanka “Beba” Lončar) – Yugoslav actress.
BBernard Shaw (George Bernard Shaw, 1856-1950) – Irish playwright, critic, and polemicist.
BRigite Bardot (Brigitte Anne-Marie Bardot) – French actress, model and activist.
CCharles Chaplin (sir Charles Spencer Chaplin (1889-1977) – English filmmaker, actor, and composer.
ELias Canetti (1906-1994) – Bulgarian novelist and essayist.
FFernanda Galan Brazilian photographic model.
FRed Allen (professional pseudonym of John Florence Sullivan, 1894-1954) – American comedian.
GIsabelle Bündchen (Gisele Caroline Bündchen) – top model and Brazilian businesswoman.
GVidal (born Eugene Louis Vidal, 1925–2012) – American novelist, essayist, playwright, and screenwriter.
GGustave Flaubert (1821-1880) – French writer.
ILiving Berlin (born Israel Isidore Beilin, 1888–1989) – American composer and lyricist of Jewish origin.
JJessica Alba (Jessica Marie Alba) – American actress and model.
JOdie Foster (pseudonym of Alicia Christian Foster) – American actress and filmmaker.
JJulio Iglesias (Julio José Iglesias de la Cueva) – Spanish singer, songwriter and former footballer.
Madonna (Madonna Louise Veronica Ciccone) – American singer, songwriter, actress, and dancer.
Mae West (Mary Jane “Mae” West, 1893-1980) – American actress, singer, comedian, and sex symbol.
MAria Grazia Cucinotta Italian actress.
MMarilyn Monroe (pseudonym of Norma Jean Baker, 1926-1962) – American model and actress.
MArlene Dietrich (Marie Magdalene “Marlene” Dietrich, 1901-1992) – German actress and singer who became a naturalized American citizen.
MEl Brooks (stage name of Melvin James Kaminsky) – American actor and filmmaker of Jewish origin.
MEl Gibson (Mel Columcille Gerard Gibson) – American actor and filmmaker.
Mirabeau (Horoné Gabriel Riqueti, Count of Mirabeau, 1749-1791) – French journalist, writer, and politician.
NAomi Campbell (Naomi Elaine Campbell) – top model British.
Oscar Wilde (Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde, 1854-1900) – Irish writer and playwright.
Ovideo (Publius Ovidius Naso, 43 BC-17 or 18 AD) – Roman poet.
RRobert E. Howard (Robert Ervin Howard, 1906-1936) – American writer. Creator of the character Conan the Barbarian. He is considered the “"father"” of the Sword & Sorcery subgenre.
RRobert Redford (Charles Robert Redford Jr.) – American actor and filmmaker.
YouRence Stamp (Terence Henry Stamp, 1938-2025) – English actor.
T. G. Novais (1922-2008) – journalist, writer and translator, probably born in Brazil.
VVanessa Williams (Vanessa Lynn Williams) – American actress and singer.