Celebrities’ former staff tell all about what they’re like behind closed doors

Many of us have an impression of what our favorite celebrities are like in real life. We spend lots of time getting to know them as actors or performers, but is that really what they are like in real life? These stars only let us know what they wanted us to know about them and they kept certain aspects of their personal lives a secret from the public.
We’d all love to be a fly on the wall at some Hollywood parties to find out what our heroes are really like, but now we don’t have to be. Some insiders have given us the scoop on these famous faces and how they like to behave when the cameras are off. Check out what these Hollywood stars are really like thanks to stories from their staff, colleagues, friends, and even the icons themselves.

Kim Basinger doesn’t like attention


One thing that comes with the territory of being a famous actress is the fact that people’s focus is often on you. Kim Basinger is one of Hollywood’s biggest stars of the ‘80s and ‘90s, but she claims never to have liked the attention her fame brought. Instead, Basinger is said to be a very shy woman, and her anxiety levels are off the chart when it comes to public appearances.

She is prone to suffering from panic and anxiety attacks when in certain social situations, so collecting her Oscar in 1997 must have been a great but difficult day. At one point in her career, Basinger struggled to even leave her house because her anxiety was so bad.


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Carrie Fisher’s dark sense of humor


Although she might have been quite small in stature, Carrie Fisher was a big personality both on and off the screen. She was considered a pleasure to work with, and her co-stars all agreed the one thing they loved about her was her dark sense of humor. Those who worked with her believed her to be “fiercely independent and furiously funny.”

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Fisher was not afraid to live her life and would party with the Rolling Stones before going on set. She also was very hospitable and would make sure her refrigerator was filled with junk food so her colleagues could break their diets in secret. Fisher was the sort of star you’d want with you at a wedding or big event.

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Barbra Streisand and her list of demands


It’s not a very well-kept secret that Barbra Streisand can be a bit of a diva when it comes to her demands. She is a huge star, so she feels as though she has earned the right to have people wait on her, hand and foot. When she attends an event, or is working, she has a long list of demands. Firstly her staff must make sure they deck out her dressing room with all things peach-colored.

The peach items include toilet paper, toilet seats, rose petals, and towels. Her staff are not permitted to speak to her unless she requests them to and the security that works for her all must carry metal detectors with them.

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Samuel L. Jackson is a keen golfer


American actor Samuel L. Jackson has been known as one of Hollywood’s coolest guys for decades now, but he has a hobby that might surprise a few people. If you can’t find Jackson on the red carpet, he might be trying to sneak in 18 holes on the golf course.

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The actor likes golf so much that he makes sure it is written into every film contract he signs. Jackson does everything he can to make sure he’s out on the golf course at least twice a week.

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Loni Anderson’s body is a temple


We know that many Hollywood stars treat their bodies like the temples that they are and that means no bad stuff goes in. For Loni Anderson, that means she doesn’t touch a drop of drink, despite playing several characters who seem to love it.

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It’s remarkable she’s so good at playing those kinds of characters considering she doesn’t have any experience in dealing with the aftereffects of the drink. Perhaps this is how she has managed to seem so youthful despite being in her 70s.

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Liam Neeson sticks with his accent


You might have noticed that every film Liam Neeson is in you can hear his Irish accent, no matter what. It doesn’t matter if he’s playing an American or not, all you’ll hear is the fact Neeson hails from Ireland.

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He was teased about this by Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane so when the creator cast Neeson in his movie the Risih star got his revenge. Neeson played a cowboy in ‘A Million Ways to Die in the West’ but made a point of playing it with an Irish accent.

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Tom Selleck is an avocado farmer


Tom Selleck has one of the most iconic mustaches in the world of acting, and it’s something the performer has become known for. What he is much less known for is what he does away from the screen.

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Selleck is actually an avocado farmer, but there’s a twist in this story as the Magnum P.I. actor doesn’t even like them. Despite his dislike for their taste, Selleck cares a lot about his precious fruits and was even fined $20,000 for stealing water to keep them flourishing.

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Drama on the set of Charlie’s Angels


Charlie’s Angels was a show filled with big personalities, and the stars allegedly clashed when the ratings began to drop. After Farrah Fawcett left the cast, she was replaced by Cheryl Ladd, but one of the show’s original stars didn’t approve.

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According to Kate Jackson, the arrival of Ladd to the set caused the ratings to drop, and she reportedly would go days without talking to her new costar. Ladd would later claim that working with Jackson could be “complex” and challenging.

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Queen had to have silence


Queen is one of the most iconic bands in the history of rock music, but they weren’t always easy to work with. Most of the lineup were known for their diva-like tendencies, and they began to affect other acts with their demands.

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The pressure of being the world’s biggest band took its toll on the group, and they would force their support acts to play quietly. Queen’s members would require the other bands to keep the noise down to let them do their checks before hitting the stage.

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Kate Jackson was smart


Charlie’s Angels was known for the glamorous lineup of stars, but some were more about brains than beauty. Kate Jackson was a well-known actress when she was cast to star in the iconic TV show, but the producers didn’t think she would be a huge heartthrob.

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Kate Jackson was smart

They had Farrah Fawcett and Jaclyn Smith for that, so they made Jackson’s character the smart one of the group. This didn’t stop people from loving Jackson, and she was nominated for more awards than her costars.

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Sean Connery is fond of his name


Most actors want to see their names up in lights, it comes as part of the territory of being a huge star. Sean Connery is no different, and it turns out he quite likes seeing his name all over the place.

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During the promotion of his James Bond classic, Goldfinger, Connery insisted that his name be 25 percent larger than any other cast members. To be fair, he was the star of the show and people needed to know that, so a bigger name was very important.

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You’ll find Olivia Newton-John in the yard


Olivia Newton-John became a huge star after she starred alongside John Travolta in the musical classic Grease. After becoming one of the biggest stars in the world, you might have thought she would have grounds staff to look after her yard, but she prefers doing it herself.

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She looks after chickens in her backyard while she also grows organic produce for her and her family to eat. It seems as though the green-fingered Olivia Newton-John really can do it all.

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William Shatner turns green


William Shatner is also fond of the color green, but not for the same reason as Newton-John. Many of the cast members who shared a set with him on Star Trek reportedly didn’t enjoy working with Shatner.

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William Shatner turns green

The man who played Captain Kirk was allegedly jealous of other actor’s characters, especially if they were seen as more intelligent than his own. Shatner would once again be green with envy if other cast members got more attention than he did, but eventually, some of those feuds calmed down.

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Susan Dey stands up for others


Susan Dey was a huge star of yesteryear after featuring in The Partridge Family as Laurie. Fans have kept track on her career since she has stepped away from the spotlight and Dey has become an advocate for other people.

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Susan Dey stands up for others

She champions many causes she believes in while also advocating for women. Dey has represented LIFE (Love Is Feeding Everyone), Women Helping Women, and an intimate assault center based at UCLA. Susan Dey is doing her best to stand up for what she believes in to help others.

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Burt Reynolds missed out on big roles


Burt Reynolds might have looked back on his life with a few regrets about the women he dated but also the roles he could have had. In his latter years, Reynolds struggled for big roles in movies, but that could have been different if he had accepted some of the major roles he turned down.

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Reynolds could have starred in films such as Star Wars, Pretty Woman, and One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. He even his turned down Oscar-nominated role in Boogie Nights multiple times before agreeing to do it.

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Dolly Parton never shows her arms


Ask yourself one question; Have you ever seen the skin on Dolly Parton’s arms? You’ll have to go back a very long time to see her bare arms as for many years Parton has been keeping them under wraps. This has led to much speculation that Dolly’s arms are covered in tattoos.

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The country star has admitted to having several tattoos in the past but has said those were to cover up scars and only her husband sees them.

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Bo Derek has a passion for horses


Bo Derek became a huge star after she ran down the beach with braids in her hair while wearing a golden swimsuit. That gave her the platform to become one of the biggest stars at the time, but since then she has faded back into the background.

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Bo Derek has a passion for horses

That doesn’t mean she has stopped doing what she loves, just that what she loves has changed. Derek now loves spending as much time as possible with her horses and has become a campaigner for animal rights.

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Barbara Eden is great with lions


How do you ever find out if you’re good with lions? Some actors are lucky, or unlucky, enough to spend time with many exotic animals as part of their jobs and Barbara Eden discovered she has a way with lions.

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On the set of I Dream of Jeannie Eden was excited to get the chance to work with the king of the jungle and quickly earned the beast’s trust. Her costar Hagman was terrified of it, and the lion let out a scary roar to warn him off.

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Hedy Lamarr had an inventive side


Actress Hedy Lamarr was best-known for her time as an actress back in the 1930 and ‘40s, but she was much more than just that. Lamarr was also an inventor, and her creativity is still having an impact on the world today.

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Hedy Lamarr had an inventive side

She came up with the idea for frequency-hopping technology that was the invention that led the way for things like WiFi, GPS, and Bluetooth to work. Despite filing for the patent she never received any recognition or money for her work.

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Jack Nicholson’s close relations


As an actor, Jack Nicholson might be aware of some of the storylines found in soap operas. What he didn’t realize was that he was at the center of one of those stories. Nicholson grew up believing his mother was his sister because she had him at a young age.

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His grandmother raised him as her son and Nicholson only learned about his mother when he was 37 thanks to Time Magazine’s revelation in 1974. The secret was kept safe for years and changed the dynamics of his family life forever.

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George Lucas puts out fires


Celebrities have so much money they can basically make anything become a reality for them. Star Wars creator George Lucas lives on a ranch, and that takes a lot of manpower to keep things running smoothly. He even has his own fire department on the ranch, that consists of 12 full-time staff members.

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The Skywalker Fire Department has been a part of Lucas’ ranch for the past 30 years and recently helped out with the wildfires that ravaged California in 2018.

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Scott Rudin


This powerhouse producer is reported to not have been so nice to his staff. Producing films such as The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, Captain Phillips and Moneyball is surely a stressful job but that doesn’t make anything ok. Although he has a reputation as being a tough employer, staff members always hope that one of them can change that.

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Scott Rudin

Speaking out about his temperament, employees told sources that he would throw objects in a moment of rage and even fired a staff member for bringing him the wrong muffin!

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Courtney Love


In 2012, Love found herself in the middle of a messy lawsuit with one of her past employees named Jessica Labrie, who was supposedly worked so hard at the hands of Love that she nearly had a break-down.

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Courtney Love

The file stated, “Labrie seeks wages and expenses due, and punitive damages for wrongful firing, wage and overtime violations, false promise, breach of contract, negligent and intentional misrepresentation, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.”

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Paul Newman scared Jake Gyllenhaal


Legendary actor Paul Newman had the sort of face that you just seemed to trust. Jake Gyllenhaal certainly trusted Newman when the movie star would visit his family. Newman was a close family friend and took Gyllenhaal out when he was 15.

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The iconic blue-eyed actor took young Jake for a ride on a racetrack and reportedly scared the budding actor after getting too close to the wall for comfort. Seemingly this was meant to be a lesson to Gyllenhaal about what not to do when behind the wheel.

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Marlon Brando used cue cards


One thing most actors are known for spending a lot of their time doing is learning their lines. Iconic actor Marlon Brando decided learning his lines was a waste of time so instead had cue cards to help him.

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Sometimes the actors opposite him would even have to hold them for him to read, and at other times he used an earpiece to feed him what to say. When asked why he chose to have the cue cards Brando said: “Because I can read them that way.”

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Cher knows how to stay comfortable


Cher has been known as one of the most glamorous women in the world ever since she burst onto the scene. When she heads out to an awards ceremony she is always turning heads thanks to her amazing outfits, but what about when she’s at home? We like to imagine celebrities are just as glamorous at home as they are on the red carpet, but reportedly, Cher wants to be as comfortable as possible.

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She has been known to spend an entire day in her sweatpants, and who can blame her? They are far more comfortable than strolling around your home in high heels, an evening dress, and a full face of makeup.

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Aretha Franklin wouldn’t sing before getting paid


Most people don’t get paid for doing their jobs before they actually do them, but that’s what anyone booking the Queen of Soul had to do. Aretha Franklin would reportedly refuse to sing or go on stage until she was paid, then she’d put her cash in her handbag.

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Aretha Franklin wouldn’t sing before getting paid

She would even take the bag on stage with her at times, and it became an accessory she was known for. What people didn’t realize was that it was full of her cash!

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Barbi Benton liked younger guys


It might shock you to learn that Barbi Benton at one time only liked dating younger guys. She was a famous model and actress but later became known as the girlfriend of Playboy millionaire Hugh Hefner. When he first asked her out on a date she was 24 years younger than him and told him she’d never been out with anyone older than her.

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Barbi Benton liked younger guys

Hefner replied that neither had he! Hugh was 24 years older than Benton when they dated, and they spent many happy years together.

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Johnny Cash had troubles with the law


Johnny Cash wasn’t ashamed of his past, and he owned everything that he did in his life. The country star had a complicated history and was arrested a total of seven times during his life.

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Johnny Cash had troubles with the law

Most of the times he was arrested was to do with illegal substances as he was either using them or trying to transport them somewhere else. Two of his albums were actually recorded after Cash had lost his liberty and was spending time behind bars.

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Humphrey Bogart had royal connections


He might have been the king during the Golden Age of Hollywood, but Humphrey Bogart actually had links to members of the British Royal Family. The actor famously starred in the iconic movie Casablanca alongside another icon of the time, Ingrid Bergman.

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Humphrey Bogart had royal connections

Bogart was distantly related to one of the most famous members of the Royal Family, the late Princess Diana. They have related thanks to the American side of Diana’s family, helping to make them one incredibly influential family.

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Marilyn Monroe washed a lot


It’s not a huge shock to learn that Marilyn Monroe liked to keep herself well groomed. She was known for her looks, and she had a pretty thorough beauty regime to make sure she always had glowing skin. Monroe made it a priority to be clean, and she reportedly used to wash her face at least 15 times per day.

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Marilyn Monroe washed a lot

As if that wasn’t enough she’d also make sure to rub plenty of moisturizer into her face. It was a pretty full-on system, but clearly, it worked for Monroe.

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Olivia Hussey’s nun dream came true


As a young kid, Olivia Hussey had a dream that not many kids her age did. She really wanted to be a nun and would walk around her home with a towel on her head pretending that she was.

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Olivia Hussey’s nun dream came true

Hussey was so good at pretending she eventually became an actress and then her dream really did come true. She was able to live out her dream as a nun when she was cast as the one and only Mother Teresa.

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Audrey Hepburn was a communications expert


If you ever wondered why Audrey Hepburn had a slightly strange accent then wonder no more! She was raised speaking both English and Dutch while she was born in Belgium to Czech and Dutch parents.

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Audrey Hepburn was a communications expert

Hepburn was actually fluent in a few more languages as she learned to speak perfect Spanish, Italian, and French. Because of her versatility, Hepburn landed plenty of roles she otherwise would have missed out on. She also put her linguistic skills to good use through the humanitarian work she did later in her career.

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Raquel Welch had dreams of the ballet[/post_page_title]
Many young girls dream of becoming a ballet dancer when they are growing up, and Raquel Welch was no different. The actress practiced for about ten years to make it, but her dreams were crushed thanks to an instructor. She was told she didn’t have the figure for ballet and that was the end of her dancing career.

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The sport is very competitive, and Welch had found it tough to make a breakthrough, luckily for us, she discovered acting, and the rest is history.
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Judy Garland was little[/post_page_title]
Judy Garland was one of the biggest stars in Hollywood thanks to her role as Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz. She might have been a huge star, but in reality, she was quite small.

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Her height was thought to be less than 5 ft tall, but that worked in her favor. Garland was 16 when she landed the role of Dorothy, who was a 12-year-old, and her size definitely helped convince the audience she was younger than she was.
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Elizabeth Taylor had her own concept of time[/post_page_title]
Elizabeth Taylor knew she was a big star and that meant she could get away with doing pretty much whatever she wanted. Taylor played by her own rules, and that meant turning up late for pretty much every engagement she had.

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Her friends and colleagues all had grown accustomed to Taylor showing up late, and it became a part of who she was. When she passed, she requested that her funeral start 15 minutes late, to keep with her traditionally bad timekeeping.