Bronwen K. Bradshaw, Arts & Entertainment Editor
The first season of Ryan Murphy’s legal drama All’s Fair just hit Hulu streaming with mixed, mostly negative reviews. The show follows a successful divorce lawyer and her team at an all-female law firm. The show stars Oscar nominees Glenn Close and Naomi Watts, both great actors who entice viewers to take an interest in the show’s premiere. However, the main character, Allura Grant, is played by none other than reality and social media star Kim Kardashian.
Kim Kardashian is not known for her acting chops, but more so for her successful reality show, Keeping Up with the Kardashians, which details the everyday events between Kim and her family. Kim Kardashian has sparked controversy regarding her involvement in television. I remember when Kim Kardashian was cast in a titular role in American Horror Story’s 12th season, titled “Delicate.” From what I have seen of her acting, she is basically playing herself — or a significantly downplayed manifestation of what the character is supposed to be in the show. Nevertheless, she has become Ryan Murphy’s new muse in the AHS franchise. This example got me thinking about the role of celebrities when taking on acting roles. Are they really talented, or are they just a name to put on the poster to elicit a reaction?
Entertainment is one of the most challenging industries to break into, particularly in achieving stardom. According to a 2025 statistic by Bernard Hiller, nearly 90% of actors are unemployed. This statistic indicates that numerous people are unemployed in Hollywood. Those with talent and ambition are having difficulty retaining jobs due to the industry’s climate, the impact of the 2023 SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes, and new developments in artificial intelligence.
Kardashian is not the only popular social media personality to be cast in a lead acting role. TikTok star Addison Rae starred as the female lead in the Netflix remake He’s All That. Rae did a decent job acting in the film, although it was underwhelming. Variety described her performance as “a little rough around the edges and not quite a confident presence when tasked to mine emotional poignancy.” The problem is not that Rae did a “bad” job, but rather the reason she got the role in the first place. Instead of working on her acting, she was offered the role due to her popularity on TikTok.
Could a trained or unemployed actress have done a better job? Most likely. However, the industry has undergone significant changes due to the rise of social media as a primary entertainment platform. According to an article from Territory Influence, “film studios appreciate [influencer] presence in movies because of their potential as a marketing force, and thanks to their engaged fan community.”
This is not to say that those who aren’t traditionally film actors cannot be great in film roles. Ariana Grande is most notably popular for her pop music. However, Grande gave a spectacular performance in Wicked. Grande was nominated for an Oscar for her role as Glinda, truly encompassing the role Kristin Chenoweth created. However, the distinction with Grande is that she has acted before on Broadway and on the Nickelodeon show Victorious. She is a fantastic singer and worked for months to prepare her voice for a theatrical performance in the film. I suppose you could say that the amount of effort and nurtured talent a person possesses determines how well viewers receive their acting performance.
The exception to the rule is that if a celebrity is cast in a role, they must meet the expectations of the viewers in the film or television show in which they are a part. Kim Kardashian’s performance was dull, showcasing monotone delivery rather than genuine emotion in All’s Fair. I understand that involving content creators and celebrities in films and television is a good marketing strategy. However, in doing so, we sacrifice talent and jobs that could benefit hundreds of actors who could be great if only given a chance. Does marketing give way to job opportunities? I think so.
Headline image from Disney.
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