​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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Video Transcript
Life as an A-list celebrity can be quite busy. There are meetings, premieres, casting calls, and event after event.
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 celebrity sharing the glitzy and glamorous life of a superstar boss. Sure, attending Red Carpet Events and exotic holidays are part of the job, but so too temper tantrums. I don't remember what it was she said to me, and I just threw the phone... and unreasonable requests. We have all the published Harry Potter books,but they want to know what happens next. You want the unpublished manuscript...
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 to 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, I get out of bed and then somehow you have to get to my house and make me breakfast. Believe me if you can get to me signing headshots for you for your family blah blah blah. Don't worry.
Life as an A-list celebrity can be quite busy. There are meetings, premieres, casting calls, and event after event.
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 celebrity sharing the glitzy and glamorous life of a superstar boss. Sure, attending Red Carpet Events and exotic holidays are part of the job, but so too temper tantrums. I don't remember what it was she said to me, and I just threw the phone... and unreasonable requests. We have all the published Harry Potter books,but they want to know what happens next. You want the unpublished manuscript...
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 to 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, I get out of bed and then somehow you have to get to my house and make me breakfast. Believe me if you can get to me signing headshots for you for your family blah blah blah. Don't worry.
Assistants to celebrities can make a lot of money
I know it would help me sleep well at night if but if I went to bed knowing that I hope the Hollywood PR machine that little bit more. But the low PA salaries can be difficult.
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 do 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 your on-call 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 do 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 your on-call they need somebody who is dedicated and committed to that kind of lifestyle.
Being a celebrity PA opens doors
So, if my PA let slip to the press that my trouser size is going from 34 to 36, is that a sackable offense. I think so. They be fired in 2 seconds, and they'd be blacklisted. This is kind of interesting and I guess glamorous kind of life. 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 know, 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. So, it is grueling, it's glamorous, but it's also grueling. It's a bit like babysitting isn't it, in some ways discretion. Yeah, I mean I've been doing this 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 know, 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. So, it is grueling, it's glamorous, but it's also grueling. It's a bit like babysitting isn't it, in some ways discretion. Yeah, I mean I've been doing this for about eight and a half years now. I've been in the entertainment industry for about 12.
Celebrity personal assistants wield power
So I've sort of seen it all at this point. I definitely have, you know, I've had clients who were shooting in LA or shooting in 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? So that is great service, and you won't be able to have an hourly PA deliver that kind of 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 clients 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 there TV isn't working. Who do they call? Their personal assistant, they come up at midnight. 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.
Well, who did they call? You would think they would call room service? So that is great service, and you won't be able to have an hourly PA deliver that kind of 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 clients 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 there TV isn't working. Who do they call? Their personal assistant, they come up at midnight. 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.
