Who Killed the Movie Star?
During the peak of Hollywood stardom, movie stars felt more like constellations than people. They were distant, glowing, and impossibly larger than life. They lived only on the silver screen, on glossy posters around the world, and in magazines people waited for everyday. This did not include GRWM TikToks or Instagram lives filmed from the passenger seat of an Uber. Somewhere between the rise of social media, the collapse of Hollywood's old studio system, and the explosion of franchises within film, the movie star we once knew and admired quietly disappeared. The mystery is gone and the glamor has thinned, but one question remains unanswered: Did Hollywood kill the movie star, or did we?
The two people at the forefront of my mind when a Hollywood movie star is mentioned are Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn. Obviously, they never posted thirst traps, did brand deals for TikToks, or day in the life vlogs in order to stay famous. Fans didn't know what their bedroom looked like, or what outfit they wore to pilates that day. They were glamorous due to the fact that we couldn't reach them.
Now, celebrities live on your phone. You can watch actresses like Zendaya show you their mascara routine while promoting six different products. That's the problem. When someone is constantly online, you see almost too much of them to believe they're larger than life. It’s hard to feel like a legend when people see your bathroom during a GRWM more than they see your movies.
Old time Hollywood actors and actresses had highly curated personas. Studios controlled everything about them. Their interviews, their photos—even their scandals. It wasn't always healthy, but it created a sense of consistency. There was a brand, but to outsiders it felt more cinematic than corporate. Now, celebrities have more say over their public image and what they choose to share. This sounds empowering until you realize everyone's image is basically one long advertisement.
In my opinion, Sydney Sweeney doesn't feel like a movie star—despite being so famous—mainly because she markets herself in a way an influencer does. Her brand deals often go viral for the wrong reasons: her American Eagle “great jeans/genes” ad was interpreted as a "dog whistle" for eugenics rather than a pun and her Dr. Sasquatch men's body wash ad was criticized for reducing her to sexual imagery. She sparks more controversy than charisma because of this. It's PR without elegance. Like many other actors and actresses nowadays, her public image is more engagement bait rather than actual artistry.
On top of this, during the known golden age of Hollywood, people went to the movies for an actor specifically. A new Marilyn Monroe film was an event. Names alone were able to carry the entire project.
Now, the franchise is typically the star. Marvel, DC, Star Wars—more often than not the brand matters more than whoever is in the suit. Don't get me wrong, I love many of these franchises and films, but I'm not going to watch their new movies because of a certain actor in them. Especially when one actor might get swapped out for the role in the next series. Take Spider-Man for an example: Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield, and Tom Holland have all assumed the role. It's not the actors that people are going to watch these movies for, but the character of Spider-Man himself. This can lead to people debating who fills the role best rather than focusing on the actual movies (Tobey Maguire is the correct answer). I wholeheartedly believe you could replace a fourth of the Marvel cast tomorrow, and the movies would make the exact same amount of money, if not more. You can't build a movie star when the entire system treats actors like they're replaceable.
The few actors in modern times who come close to that old Hollywood feel are the ones who avoid social media like the plague. Jacob Elordi, Zendaya during the Dune press tour, or even Margot Robbie during Barbie. When people see you less, they value you more. At the end of the day, mystery sells.
Today's actors may be just as talented as Marilyn and Audrey, possibly even more, but the current media landscape kills their mystique before they have the opportunity to reach an untouchable status. Fame doesn't breathe on its own anymore. It posts, refreshes, and updates.
So maybe movie stars never died, maybe they’re still alive; we just scrolled too fast to notice them forming.
