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Bronwen K. Bradshaw, Arts & Entertainment Editor\u00a0<\/p>\n
The first season of Ryan Murphy\u2019s legal drama All\u2019s 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,\u00a0both\u00a0great actors who entice viewers to take an interest in the show\u2019s premiere. However, the main character, Allura Grant, is played by none other than reality and social media\u00a0star\u00a0Kim Kardashian.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kim Kardashian is not known for her acting chops, but more so for her successful reality show,\u00a0Keeping Up\u00a0with\u00a0the Kardashians,\u00a0which\u00a0details the everyday events between Kim and her family. Kim Kardashian has sparked controversy\u00a0regarding\u00a0her involvement in television. I remember when Kim Kardashian was cast in a titular role in\u00a0American Horror Story\u2019s 12th season, titled \u201cDelicate.\u201d From what I have\u00a0seen of\u00a0her acting, she is\u00a0basically playing\u00a0herself\u00a0\u2014\u00a0or a significantly downplayed manifestation of what the character is supposed to be in the show. Nevertheless, she has become Ryan Murphy\u2019s new muse in the AHS franchise. This example got me thinking about the role of celebrities when taking on acting roles.\u00a0Are they\u00a0really talented, or\u00a0are they just a name to put on the poster to elicit a reaction?\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Entertainment is one of the most challenging industries to break into, particularly in achieving stardom. According to a 2025 statistic by\u00a0Bernard Hiller<\/a>,\u00a0nearly 90%\u00a0of actors are unemployed. This statistic\u00a0indicates\u00a0that\u00a0numerous\u00a0people are unemployed in Hollywood. Those with talent and ambition are having difficulty\u00a0retaining\u00a0jobs due to the industry\u2019s climate, the impact of the 2023 SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes, and new developments in artificial intelligence.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n 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\u00a0He\u2019s All That. Rae did a decent job acting in the film, although it was underwhelming.\u00a0Variety<\/a>\u00a0described her performance as\u00a0\u201ca\u00a0little rough around the edges and not quite a confident presence when tasked to mine emotional poignancy.\u201d The problem is not that Rae did a \u201cbad\u201d 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.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Could a trained or unemployed\u00a0actress\u00a0have 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\u00a0Territory Influence<\/a>, \u201cfilm studios appreciate [influencer] presence in movies because of their potential as a marketing force, and thanks to their engaged fan community.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n This is not to say that those who\u00a0aren\u2019t\u00a0traditionally 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\u00a0Wicked. 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\u00a0Victorious. She is a fantastic\u00a0singer and\u00a0worked 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\u00a0possesses\u00a0determines\u00a0how well viewers receive their acting performance.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n 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\u2019s performance was dull,\u00a0showcasing\u00a0monotone delivery rather than genuine emotion in\u00a0All\u2019s 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\u00a0benefit\u00a0hundreds of actors who could be great if only given a chance. Does marketing give way to job opportunities? I think so.\u00a0<\/p>\n