# Best/worst celebrity career management **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 26, 2006, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-worst-celebrity-career-management/362217 "2006-06-26T15:56:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2006, 9:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-worst-celebrity-career-management/362217/81 "2006-06-28T09:00:42Z")
Edward Furlong may have since cleaned up his act, but for a while his behavior was completely over the top and he was absolutely convinced of his own PR. Management plays a big part in his story, since it’s hard to keep yourself on an even keel when your own manager is a shitfaced nutball who just wants to get high and screw your brains out. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2006, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-worst-celebrity-career-management/362217/82 "2006-06-28T11:50:13Z")
[QUOTE=Sam Stone] **William Shatner** , despite having limited range and some severe typecasting, managed to avoid the fate of almost every other _Star Trek_ alumni and keep a career going into his 70’s, mostly by cleverly re-inventing himself whenever he started to become stale. In fact, he may be more popular now than he’s ever been, and he’s a big star on one of the most popular TV shows. [/QUOTE] We have a winner. How did I not think of Shatner? He’s now won TWO EMMYS. Acting awards. For being a parody of himself. The man is some kind of genius. ---
**Author:** ![OneCentStamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/13edae/32.png) [@OneCentStamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneCentStamp)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2006, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-worst-celebrity-career-management/362217/83 "2006-06-28T14:50:01Z")
For a great example of both horrible and great career/personal management by _the same person_, look at Drew Barrymore. Seriously, who in 1983 could have looked at the cute _E.T._ moppet, scion of acting royalty, and predicted the slutty stoned washout of 1988. And who could have looked at that washout and predicted the reborn Barrymore of 1996-present? ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2006, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-worst-celebrity-career-management/362217/84 "2006-06-28T15:06:21Z")
[QUOTE=Ethilrist] Well, for one thing, he was already a millionaire. He owned several companies in Austria that manufacture medical devices. So, his track record looks about like this: 1. Become a successful businessman. Millionaire; check. 2. Become a body-builder. Mr. Universe; check. 3. Become a movie star. Conan, Terminator, check. 4. Become a restaurauter. Planet Hollywood, check. 5. Become a politician. Governor of California, check. What’s next? I don’t know, but this man hasn’t failed yet at anything he set out to do. [/QUOTE] So you think, he’ll be back? ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2006, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-worst-celebrity-career-management/362217/85 "2006-06-28T15:29:55Z")
[QUOTE=OneCentStamp] For a great example of both horrible and great career/personal management by _the same person_, look at Drew Barrymore. Seriously, who in 1983 could have looked at the cute _E.T._ moppet, scion of acting royalty, and predicted the slutty stoned washout of 1988. And who could have looked at that washout and predicted the reborn Barrymore of 1996-present? [/QUOTE] Well, the Barrymore’s had some rather famous drunks and her mother was a piece of work. I am less surprised by her problems than her return to success. Jim ---
**Author:** ![Nonsuch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nonsuch/32/2922_2.png) [@Nonsuch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nonsuch)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2006, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-worst-celebrity-career-management/362217/86 "2006-06-28T16:34:59Z")
[QUOTE=What Exit?] Well, the Barrymore’s had some rather famous drunks and her mother was a piece of work. I am less surprised by her problems than her return to success. [QUOTE] I remember when she hosted SNL as a kid, her opening monologue (delivered while being held in Tim Kazurinsky’s arms) contained the line “I’m a Barrymore! Give me a drink, and make it a double!” ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2006, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-worst-celebrity-career-management/362217/87 "2006-06-28T17:06:55Z")
Does POSTHUMOUS management count? Take elvis 9though he may yet turn out to be alive): under his daughter’s management, the estate is making more money now than at any point when he was alive. Who was 'Col". Tom parker anyway? i heard he was a dutch national. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2006, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-worst-celebrity-career-management/362217/88 "2006-06-28T18:53:30Z")
“Col.” Tom Parker was the “idiot” who bought Elvis’ management contract for $35,000 from **Sam Phillips**. Phillips even boasted earlier that if he could find “a white boy with the Negro sound”, he would make a billion dollars. He was halfway right - a billion dollars _was_ made from his find of a white boy with the Negro sound… but it wasn’t made by Sam Phillips. Don’t despair too much - he was good friends with fellow-Memphian Kennon Wilson who allowed Phillips to buy a number of pre-IPO shares of Wilson’s latest venture - Holiday Inn. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-worst-celebrity-career-management/362217.md?page=4)