Celebrities Who’ve Been Very Honest About Darkside of Fame

Being famous may seem like a lot of glitz and glamour but it’s certainly not for everyone. While many actors, models and musicians love their career, they don’t love the fame that comes along with it.

The following celebrities have been very honest about the reality of fame:

1. Johnny Depp

For much of his career, Johnny Depp has tried to shy away from the spotlight and recently said that he’s very hesitant to be labeled a “Hollywood celebrity.”

“First and most important is to never consider yourself a Hollywood celebrity. That’s death and grotesque. I’ve always been drawn to… people who are diligent in remaining themselves,” Johnny told Variety.

2. Billie Eilish

Billie Eilish, 18, has struggled with her newfound fame and at one point said that she only tolerates the constant attention because it allows her to play music and connect with fans.

“Fame is horrible. It’s worth it because it lets me play shows and meet people, but fame itself is f–kin’ dreadful,” Billie told Marie Claire.

Thankfully, later that same year, she told Elle she had come to terms with being famous and had grown to enjoy it. “For anybody who isn’t doing well, it will get better. Have hope. I did this s–t with fame riding on my shoulders. And I love fame! Being famous is great, but it was horrible for a year. Now I love what I do, and I’m me again. The good me. And I love the eyes on me.”

3. Jennifer Lawrence

Jennifer Lawrence isn’t a fan of being famous, telling Vogue early in her career, “I am just not OK with it. It’s as simple as that. I am just a normal girl and a human being, and I haven’t been in this long enough to feel like this is my new normal. I’m not going to find peace with it.”

Jennifer later said she feels fortunate to be in her position and doesn’t like to complain about it.

4. Ana de Armas

Ana de Armas recently shared that she wishes fame wasn’t an outcome of her day job at all.

“It’s funny as an actor because you do what you do and you don’t think of the consequences of your job and then all of a sudden you are in the spotlight and you realize ‘Oh this is not what I wanted!’ [Fame] to me, is not the most exciting thing about my job, it never has been, at all. It is just a consequence of my job,” Ana told Flaunt.

5. Daniel Radcliffe

Daniel Radcliffe has admitted he has a hard time being famous and constantly being “watched.” At times, he even turned to drinking to cope with his celebrity status.

“The quickest way to forget about the fact that you were being watched was to get very drunk. Then as you get very drunk, you become aware, ‘Oh, people are watching more now because now I’m getting very drunk, so I should probably drink more to ignore that more.’ It can affect your psyche,” Daniel said on “Off Camera with Sam Jones.“

Daniel added that this contributed to his decision to quit drinking.

6. Megan Fox

Earlier in her career, Megan Fox said being famous was comparable to being bullied in high school.

“I don’t think people understand. They all think we should shut the f–k up and stop complaining because you live in a big house or you drive a Bentley. So your life must be so great. What people don’t realize is that fame, whatever your worst experience in high school, when you were being bullied by those 10 kids in high school, fame is that, but on a global scale, where you’re being bullied by millions of people constantly,” Megan told Esquire.

7. Ricky Gervais

Ricky Gervais has said the worst part of his job is the fame.

“The worst thing about this job for me is the fame. I’ve never understood why anyone wants people to know who they are. That’s the thing I wish I could turn off,” he once told The Telegraph.

8. Kristen Stewart

While Kristen Stewart is thankful for her position to be able to communicate with others, she at one point said she hated being famous.

“Fame is the worst thing in the world. Especially if it’s pointless. When people say, ‘I want to be famous’ – why? You don’t do anything?” she told Harper’s Bazaar.

9. Shia LeBeouf

At one point in his career, Shia LeBeouf declared that he was retiring from public life, later stepping out for a red carpet wearing a paper bag on his head that read “I am not famous anymore.”

A few years later, Shia elaborated on his thoughts about fame, saying, “The craft of acting for film is terribly exclusive and comes with the baggage of celebrity, which robs you of your individuality and separates you… The requirements to being a star/celebrity are namely, you must become an enslaved body.”

10. Zach Galifianakis

While Zach Galifianakis enjoys acting, he doesn’t enjoy the notion of being a celebrity.

“Being a celebrity is shit. It’s dumb. I’m not interested in it. I like to be an actor and that’s it. The blurred lines are, I think, man-made. I think celebrity is a man-made thing. It’s not innate in us. We have people telling us we should pay attention to these people for the wrong reasons — their personal lives and that stuff,” Zach said during a press conference in 2014.