Robert Pattinson
Robert Pattinson has been vocal about his hatred of the Twilight franchise, both because he thinks it’s not very good, and because it made him one of the most famous men in the world. In an interview with Spanish GQ, the actor lamented not having “a normal life anymore,” and – with a few notable exceptions – he mostly sticks to low-key indie flicks these days.
Britney Spears
Predatory paparazzi behavior is often cited as one of the main causes of Britney Spears’ mental breakdown in the early 2000s, with the singer famously attacking a van full of photographers with an umbrella. Spears’ has been open about the mental health issues she’s endured as a result of her fame, although she’s also stated that she’s grateful for it.
Brad Pitt
He might be one of the most famous people in the world, but Brad Pitt doesn’t relish the attention that comes with his job. While the actor has always tried to maintain his privacy, in recent years he’s confessed that his struggle with prosopagnosia – a neurological condition which makes it hard to differentiate faces – has led to him being even more withdrawn.
Shia LaBeouf
While Shia LaBeouf has complained loudly and publicly about how much he hates being famous, his behavior doesn’t exactly match his words. In 2014, LaBeouf appeared on the red carpet with a paper bag on his head to protest incursions into his privacy, but the stunt inevitably generated more attention than if he’d gone without the bag on his head, or just not gone at all.
Daniel Craig
While getting to play James Bond would be a dream come true for a lot of actors, Daniel Craig notoriously hated the gig, largely due to the fame it brought him. In one particularly infamous interview, Craig even suggested that he’d rather do himself physical harm than reprise the role. Yikes!
The Weeknd
While he’s been clear about how much he hates the breaches of privacy that come with being famous, The Weeknd also seems to have found an easy solution. In a 2016 interview with Billboard, the singer revealed that he’d cut his hair because it was attracting too much attention, stating that his life is now “100 times better” because he can disguise himself with a hat.
Sia
As it turns out, Sia’s trademark wig – which doubles up as a mask – isn’t just there for aesthetic purposes. The singer is intent on preserving her privacy, shunning the spotlight wherever possible. In fact, Sia even spent the early part of her career writing songs for other artists, precisely because she wanted to avoid fame.
Vanessa Hudgens
Shortly after achieving global superstardom with her role in the High School Musical franchise, Vanessa Hudgens had her nude photos leaked on the web after hackers got into her phone. Unsurprisingly, Hudgens isn’t the biggest fan of fame, stating, “I don’t like people staring at me all the time, and I don’t want people following me around.”
Zach Galifianakis
In recent years, Zach Galifianakis has noticeably taken a step back from Hollywood movies, seemingly because he hates the attention that comes with them. While promoting Birdman back in 2014, Galifianakis unexpectedly opened up about his feelings on fame, describing it as “dumb” and tearing into the way Hollywood “congratulates itself.”
Emma Watson
Becoming a household name at the age of 11 would be a lot for anyone to deal with, and Emma Watson has frequently spoken about how uncomfortable she is with being a global superstar. The actress avoids the limelight whenever she can and generally refuses to take pictures with fans, although she makes exceptions for children.
Daniel Day-Lewis
Before his retirement, Daniel Day-Lewis was one of the most dedicated actors in Hollywood, often going to extreme lengths to immerse himself in his roles. While he cared deeply about his craft, however, Day-Lewis hates the fame that comes with it, even moving to rural Ireland in what he has described as a “lifelong study in evasion.”
Dave Chapelle
The Chapelle Show was a resounding success in the early 2000s, and it brought Dave Chapelle fame and fortune. It also brought him misery. The comedian eventually bailed out of the show and moved to South America, stating “fame is a horrifying concept when it’s aimed at you,” although he’s now back in the United States and performing again.
Johnny Depp
While Johnny Depp now seems relatively at ease in the spotlight, he wasn’t always so sanguine about attention. After joining the cast of 21 Jump Street in the late 80s, Depp hated his newfound-fame so much that he tried to get himself fired from the show by acting as unprofessionally as he could.
Billie Eilish
Billie Eilish skyrocketed to fame at the age of 14, after her track Ocean Eyes went stratospheric. The singer has spoken on multiple occasions about the difficulties she’s had adjusting to life in the spotlight, stating: “There is no training, there’s no, like, let me go to a school that’s going to teach me how to be famous.”
Megan Fox
In a 2013 interview with Esquire, Megan Fox made her feelings on fame completely clear. The actress likened her experience of being famous to high school bullying, stating, “Whatever your worst experience in high school, when you were being bullied by those ten kids in high school, fame is that, but on a global scale, where you’re being bullied by millions of people constantly.”
Jennifer Lawrence
While she might be one of the biggest stars in Hollywood, Jennifer Lawrence has revealed that she’s not happy with the way it’s changed her life. In a 2013 interview with Vogue, Lawrence indicated that she doesn’t expect to ever get used to fame, confessing, “I’m never going to make peace with it.”
George Clooney
While he’s described being famous as “unpleasant,” George Clooney has also confessed that its more alluring aspects can be dangerously seductive. The veteran actor mostly avoids the spotlight when he can, living in a British country manor which is surrounded by a moat to prevent the paparazzi from getting too close.
Kristen Stewart
Kristen Stewart has publicly stated that “fame is the worst thing in the world,” so it’s fairly safe to say she’s not a fan of being in the spotlight. Unfortunately for Stewart, she’s still one of the most recognizable stars in Hollywood, thanks to her starring role in the Twilight movies.
Kanye West
While Kanye West is definitely comfortable in the spotlight, the rapper and fashion designer definitely isn’t a fan of being stalked by the paparazzi. There are numerous videos on the internet of Kanye clashing with paps, and he’s been known to get aggressive when photographers get too close to his house.
Justin Bieber
Justin Bieber became one one of the most famous people in the world at the tender age of 13, which unsurprisingly took a considerable toll. The singer has opened up on numerous occasions about how he never had the opportunity to learn how to be a responsible adult, which resulted in substance abuse and a string of tumultuous relationships.
Prince Harry
Being a member of the British Royal Family means being born into a life of fame, and this has been especially true for Prince Harry. The object of media fascination since the death of his mother Princess Diana, the Duke of Sussex has now formally cut ties with the Monarchy in an attempt to lead a normal life.
Selena Gomez
Selena Gomez has been in showbiz since she was a child, appearing on the Barney & Friends TV show before becoming a sensation in her own right with a starring role in The Wizards of Waverly Place. In a 2020 interview with Amy Schumer, Gomez shared that – while she detests the amount of attention she gets – she knows eventually the media will focus on someone else.
Harrison Ford
While the story about Harrison Ford accidentally getting into showbiz is mostly apocryphal, the actor has still stated that he didn’t anticipate how much fame would change his life. While Ford has acknowledged that being a superstar comes with perks – such as always getting a table at a restaurant – he’s emphatically stated that he doesn’t enjoy it.
Michael Cera
Michael Cera has been open about how little he enjoys the attention that comes from being famous. During an appearance on the YouTube interview show Hot Ones, Cera recounted how, early on his career, he was relentlessly pursued by an opportunistic photographer, an experience he described as “depressing.”
Amanda Seyfried
In a 2011 interview with Today, Amanda Seyfried – who become a household name after starring in 2004’s Mean Girls – revealed that being famous has increased her anxiety. Describing fame as feeling like “life and death,” the actress even stated that being in the spotlight has caused her to suffer from panic attacks.
Katy Perry
Katy Perry has had more than her fair share of being torn to shreds in the tabloids, so it’s no surprise that the singer has described fame as the “disgusting byproduct” of her career. Perry has also stressed the important of developing a thick skin for anyone in the limelight.
Gigi Hadid
As one of the most recognizable models in the world, Gigi Hadid has had to deal with the effects of fame for years. In a 2017 interview with Harper’s Bazaar, Hadid revealed that her lifestyle has cost her a number of friendships, although she also added that she’s happy with the friends she’s got now.
Marilyn Monroe
Contrary to the “dumb blonde” persona presented by the media, Marilyn Monroe was actually an intensely introverted person, and she struggled deeply with her fame. Many of those closest to her later claimed that the public’s relentless attention drove Monroe to addiction and mental health problems.
Kylie Jenner
In 2015, Kylie Jenner told Interview Magazine that her fame causes her to wake up every morning in a state of intense anxiety. The model and influencer – who regularly appears on the long-running reality show Keeping Up with the Kardashians – stated: “My worst fear is waking up and finding something bad about me on the internet.”
Shailene Woodley
Fame is notoriously hard on children, and Shailene Woodley has been open about how the struggles that accompanied being a child actress. The hardest part, according to Woodley, was feeling separated from everyone else from a young age, although the actress has now adapted to life in the limelight.
Lady Gaga
As well as the stresses of being a global superstar, Lady Gaga has revealed that she struggles with having to live up to a persona. In a 2020 interview with People Magazine, Gaga confessed: “I used to wake up in the morning, and I would realize I was ‘Lady Gaga’ and then I became very depressed and sad, and I didn’t want to be myself.”
Emma Stone
A self-confessed sufferer of anxiety, Emma Stone has struggled immensely with the challenges of being famous. The actress had a particularly hard time after starring in 2010’s Easy A, stating that the fame which came afterwards “terrified” her and made her “feel like a seven-year-old again.”
Daniel Radcliffe
Daniel Radcliffe has successfully leveraged his Harry Potter fame into a successful indie movie and theatre career, but it took the actor some time to adjust to stardom. Radcliffe doesn’t use social media to protect his privacy, and in the past he’s discussed how the pressures of fame pushed him into alcohol abuse and depression.
Kiera Knightley
While it certainly wasn’t her first mainstream role, Kiera Knightley became a household name with her appearance in 2003’s Pirates of the Caribbean. The actress has described the fame it brought her as “horrific” and “traumatic,” and she’s stated that the experience has made her protective over younger actresses.
Sienna Miller
Early on in her career, Sienna Miller had her voicemails hacked and leaked to the press. This – combined with her high-profile relationship with Jude Law – ensured she was never far from the headlines. The actress has few fond memories of those years, and she’s described herself as “terrible at being famous.”
Ricky Gervais
Clearly, anyone who agrees to host the Oscars is relatively comfortable in the spotlight, but that doesn’t mean Ricky Gervais enjoys the attention his career has brought him. In an interview with Now Magazine, the comedian described fame as “the worst part” of his job, and expressed his desire to turn it off.
Jessica Alba
In an interview with Elle, Jessica Alba revealed that being famous has ruined a number of moments that should have been special, such as telling her parents she was engaged. While the actress had planned to take them to dinner for the big reveal, she was beaten to it when news of her engagement leaked to gossip mags.
Charlize Theron
Charlize Theron has been vocal in challenging the assumption that being a celebrity means sacrificing your private life. The South African actress has previously stated: “I don’t like this casual attitude that if you decide to be an actor then your life is up for grabs,” claiming to have become “more closed off” as a direct result.
Bruno Mars
One of the most successful musicians of all time, Bruno Mars has expressed frustration with the fact that being famous gets in the way of making art. In an interview with McClatchy Tribune, Mars lamented the responsibilities that come with being in the limelight, adding: “Can’t I just write and sing?”
Hayden Panettiere
As with many other celebrities, Hayden Panettiere despises one aspect of being famous above all else: the paparazzi. In 2017, the actress told Company Magazine: “The public wants to read about your personal life, and the paparazzi give it to them by nosing into your personal life and saying things that are just not true and horrible.”
