​Celebrity personal assistants on the job: Red carpet life
Celebrity PAs live glamorous lives, but they also have very difficult schedules -- often working late into the night and getting up early. Take a look at this newscast about the profession.
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Could you be a celebrity's personal assistant?
Life as an A-list celebrity can be quite busy. There are meetings, premieres, casting calls, and events to attend. How do they do it? Good stars surround themselves with good people, and at the core of their team is the personal assistant. They're on call 24 hours a day and as we're about to see, they are underpaid and undervalued.
It seems like the easy entry into the world of a celebrity because assistants share the glitzy and glamorous life of a superstar boss. Sure, attending Red Carpet Events and exotic holidays are part of the job, but you must deal with temper tantrums. Some celebrities even throw phones at assistants. Living the life of a celebrity PA is almost like being in a Harry Potter book.
As challenging as it may be, at least a celebrity assistant can sleep well at night knowing that they are helping the Hollywood Machine in their own special way. We need you to step up and be my assistant. How many hours of sleep do you get a night? Cut that into 1/8. Okay. Here's my regular day. I wake up at 3:30 in the morning and then I will call you, and I will put the phone just down and I will go back to sleep, and I want to make sure that you are awake.
Then around 8:00 am, I get out of bed and then somehow you have to get to my house and make me breakfast. Then you need to help me sign headshots for my fans.
It seems like the easy entry into the world of a celebrity because assistants share the glitzy and glamorous life of a superstar boss. Sure, attending Red Carpet Events and exotic holidays are part of the job, but you must deal with temper tantrums. Some celebrities even throw phones at assistants. Living the life of a celebrity PA is almost like being in a Harry Potter book.
As challenging as it may be, at least a celebrity assistant can sleep well at night knowing that they are helping the Hollywood Machine in their own special way. We need you to step up and be my assistant. How many hours of sleep do you get a night? Cut that into 1/8. Okay. Here's my regular day. I wake up at 3:30 in the morning and then I will call you, and I will put the phone just down and I will go back to sleep, and I want to make sure that you are awake.
Then around 8:00 am, I get out of bed and then somehow you have to get to my house and make me breakfast. Then you need to help me sign headshots for my fans.
Assistants to celebrities can make a lot of money
Celebrity assistant jobs can be very glamours, but the low PA salaries can be difficult to live on.
Staffing agencies help celebrities get personal assistants, so let's talk to one now. Thanks for your time. What do you think a celebrity looks for in a PA? Well, they definitely look for a lot in a Personal Assistant, but I think one of the most important things is discretion. Obviously personal assistants have access to all of the personal and business affairs for these celebrities, so being extremely discreet is one of the most important things that these celebrities look for.
Confidentiality, obviously, on top of that. They want someone who's going to be a hard worker, not a clock watcher. If you're a clock watcher, this is not the right kind of job for you. It's 24/7, and you are on-call all the time because they need somebody who is dedicated and committed to that kind of lifestyle.
Staffing agencies help celebrities get personal assistants, so let's talk to one now. Thanks for your time. What do you think a celebrity looks for in a PA? Well, they definitely look for a lot in a Personal Assistant, but I think one of the most important things is discretion. Obviously personal assistants have access to all of the personal and business affairs for these celebrities, so being extremely discreet is one of the most important things that these celebrities look for.
Confidentiality, obviously, on top of that. They want someone who's going to be a hard worker, not a clock watcher. If you're a clock watcher, this is not the right kind of job for you. It's 24/7, and you are on-call all the time because they need somebody who is dedicated and committed to that kind of lifestyle.
Being a celebrity PA opens doors
So, if my assistant speaks to the press that I'm gaining weight, is that a sackable offense? I think so. They would be fired in two seconds, and they'd be blacklisted. This is kind of interesting, and I guess a glamorous kind of life as well. We have just seen pictures of Angelina Jolie if you were an assistant to her. There would be a lot of travel involved...
Yeah, I mean it's glamorous at times. Of course, you fly internationally on private jets you stay in the best hotels. You eat at great restaurants, but you have to remember this is "The Man Behind the Man" or "The Woman Behind the Woman." The expectations have to be clear.
So, it's not glamorous all the time because everything and anything in that celebrity's life falls on your shoulders. So, there is a lot of pressure. There is very little room for error in this kind of job. It is grueling, it's glamorous, but it's also a difficult job. It's a bit like babysitting in some ways. I've been a celebrity recruiter for about eight and a half years now. I've been in the entertainment industry for about 12.
Yeah, I mean it's glamorous at times. Of course, you fly internationally on private jets you stay in the best hotels. You eat at great restaurants, but you have to remember this is "The Man Behind the Man" or "The Woman Behind the Woman." The expectations have to be clear.
So, it's not glamorous all the time because everything and anything in that celebrity's life falls on your shoulders. So, there is a lot of pressure. There is very little room for error in this kind of job. It is grueling, it's glamorous, but it's also a difficult job. It's a bit like babysitting in some ways. I've been a celebrity recruiter for about eight and a half years now. I've been in the entertainment industry for about 12.
Celebrity personal assistants wield power
I've sort of seen it all at this point. I definitely have. I've had clients who were shooting in LA and London, and their personal assistant is in LA, and they decide they get home from the movie set. They want room service. Well, who did they call? You would think they would call room service?
They pick up the phone. They dial their personal assistant, who's probably in LA fast asleep with their mobile phone in their hand. They have to call the hotel. They have to get the menu. They have to decide what their client wants and order room service internationally for their client's room. That's how you become a great PA -- go above and beyond the call of duty.
I mean, it happens in LA to you know, someone gets home late at night their TV isn't working. Who do they call? Their personal assistant needs to visit the celebrity in the middle of the night. They fix the TV they go back to sleep. There is no substitute for a real PA. An assistant app can never be as good.
They pick up the phone. They dial their personal assistant, who's probably in LA fast asleep with their mobile phone in their hand. They have to call the hotel. They have to get the menu. They have to decide what their client wants and order room service internationally for their client's room. That's how you become a great PA -- go above and beyond the call of duty.
I mean, it happens in LA to you know, someone gets home late at night their TV isn't working. Who do they call? Their personal assistant needs to visit the celebrity in the middle of the night. They fix the TV they go back to sleep. There is no substitute for a real PA. An assistant app can never be as good.
