# You're not crazy! How'd you get to be a star? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 26, 2005, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-not-crazy-howd-you-get-to-be-a-star/323430 "2005-09-26T02:56:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2005, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-not-crazy-howd-you-get-to-be-a-star/323430/1 "2005-09-26T02:56:27Z")
Yeah, I’m avoiding work. So yesterday I went to see _Flight Plan_, starring the inestimable [Jodie Foster](http://www.5in9.com/graphics/jodie_foster_p2.jpg). As happens quite frequently, she far outstripped her material. But what struck me as notable was the fact that Jodie keeps her private life to herself–doesn’t exploit her children for her career–doesn’t make insanely stupid public statements–that she isn’t, you know, crazy. Likewise Kate Winslet. Smart and attractive and doesn’t buy into Hollywood’s everybody-has-to-be-a-stick-figure mentality. So what other stars come off (in your opinion, of course) as being, well, not insane. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2005, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-not-crazy-howd-you-get-to-be-a-star/323430/2 "2005-09-26T03:49:21Z")
> [@Fabulous Creature](#): > > Yeah, I’m avoiding work. > > So yesterday I went to see _Flight Plan_, starring the inestimable [Jodie Foster](http://www.5in9.com/graphics/jodie_foster_p2.jpg). As happens quite frequently, she far outstripped her material. But what struck me as notable was the fact that Jodie keeps her private life to herself–doesn’t exploit her children for her career–doesn’t make insanely stupid public statements–that she isn’t, you know, crazy. > > Likewise Kate Winslet. Smart and attractive and doesn’t buy into Hollywood’s everybody-has-to-be-a-stick-figure mentality. > > So what other stars come off (in your opinion, of course) as being, well, not insane. I think Tom Hanks seems pretty normal. Stable marriage, doesn’t seem too eccentric or dickheadly. He just gets his roles based on merit and fades away nicely between them. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2005, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-not-crazy-howd-you-get-to-be-a-star/323430/3 "2005-09-26T03:53:30Z")
By all accounts I’ve heard, John Goodman is a nice guy with no traces of insanity. Which proves that whatever it is that Roseanne has, at least it isn’t contagious. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2005, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-not-crazy-howd-you-get-to-be-a-star/323430/4 "2005-09-26T04:02:40Z")
> [@Little Nemo](#): > > By all accounts I’ve heard, John Goodman is a nice guy with no traces of insanity. > > Which proves that whatever it is that Roseanne has, at least it isn’t contagious. You are right about that. He used to be my neighbor in New Orleans. Completely normal and seems just like you thought he would. ---
**Author:** ![NicePete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ee7513/32.png) [@NicePete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NicePete)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2005, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-not-crazy-howd-you-get-to-be-a-star/323430/5 "2005-09-26T04:38:19Z")
John Goodman grew up one St Louis suburb over from my wife, for whatever that is worth. And he always struck me as very likeable and down to earth, as do most of the folks I meet from South County. My nomination isn’t a star on the order of the folks previously mentioned, but everything I read from people who have real life encounters with **Alton Brown** indicates that he is down to earth, friendly, funny and as nice a guy as he seems on his show. But he’s not a nutritional anthropologist.