Megastars and Starlets

Stars range from megastars and earning enormous amounts of money, to starlets: young, ambitious, as yet relatively unknown actresses who are expected to become stars. (Curiously, there is no equivalent word for ambitious male actors, although starlet sometimes refers to young footballers.)

The most important actors in a play or film are the leading actors, actresses or leads playing the leading parts, leading roles or leads.

Other important parts are played by supporting actors in supporting roles. Very small roles are known as bit-parts. People in large crowds are played by extras.

A well-known, usually older, actor or actress who plays a small part in a film or play has a cameo role.

What is a genius? What is a living legend? What is a megastar? Michael Jackson — that's all.

There will no doubt be more tearful departures, disappointed starlets and furious script sessions.

Sir Alec Guinness, 78, wrote asking if he could play the lead, but instead may have a cameo role as the butler's father.

In 1020 he achieved his first leading role when he played the title part in the New York production of Chekov's 'Uncle Vanya'.

Despite its modern sound, the use of the word star to describe a leading actor can be traced to the early 1700's.

Several of Hollywood's leading actresses, including Demi Moore and 'Pretty Woman' star Julia Roberts are said to be interested in the role.

'Batman' which many feel was stolen by jack Nicholson in the supporting role of the greatest villain of them all, The Joker.

Columbia dropped Marilyn Monroe and she drifted into bit-parts at other studios.

Hundreds donned their early 1960s gear in the hope of being cast as extras in the film.

Ex.1. Two reports, one from National Public Radio and the other from The Times, have been mixed up. Put together the two reports, complete the missing words and answer the questions. Each report is made up of three sections.

'YOU'LL NEVER EAT LUNCH IN THIS TOWN AGAIN' / TUSSLE IN TINSELTOWN

a) You'll Never Eat Lunch in This Town Again is brutally frank about Phillips' Hollywood life among the studio m _ _ _ _ _.

b) All Hollywood is asking the same questions: are they serious? Who will win?

c) 'He cares only about money and his own comfort. He is the epitome of how far the American

ideal has come after 200 years in development.' That is one of the milder passages in her

book.

d) The outcome will affect more than the sumptuous bank accounts of Ovitz and a few stars. The

whole с _ _ _ of Tinseltown: the millionaire s _ r_ _ t - w _ _ _ _ _ s, the Ferrari-driving

soap s _ _ r _ , even the wardrobe ladies fear a chill wind.

e) The essential m _ _ _ _ owns whatever town he's in, and his name is on everything he owns.

He cheats on his taxes, his wife and his partner. Most of all he cheats on the audience.

f) The chiefs of Walt Disney Studios, Paramount Pictures and 20th Century Fox are trying to wage war on all that Ovitz has come to represent: high salaries for stars, directors and p _ _ -

d _ _ _ r _ in an era of bloated movie budgets.

1) If someone is brutally frank, do they really say what they think?

2) Who is 'who' ?

3 ) Who is 'he' ?

4) The epitome of something is the best example of it. If this is one of the milder passages, are other parts of the book even more brutally frank?

5) Which of these things is most often described as sumptuous? a) meals, b) bank accounts.

c) people

6) Do the people mentioned literally fear bad weather?

7) If a budget is bloated, is it too small?