What it's really like to be a celebrity assistant
The world was given a glimpse into what life as the assistant to one of the most influential women would be like when footage of Beyoncé with her assistant on the red carpet was released. The superstar singer asked her assistant to stop fixing her dress (video below).
Working in such a personal capacity for high-profile figures is a role shrouded in secrecy and non-disclosure agreements, as well as constant speculation about what tasks they are required to do.
Working in such a personal capacity for high-profile figures is a role shrouded in secrecy and non-disclosure agreements, as well as constant speculation about what tasks they are required to do.
VIDEO: Beyonce and her PA on the red carpet
Brian Daniel is a headhunter for celebrity assistants through his recruiting agency, The Celebrity Personal Assistant Network. Daniel worked as a personal and executive assistant to the rich and famous for ten years before starting his company 16 years ago, and his clients have included members of the Saudi Royal Family and several A-List actors.
Mr. Daniel spoke to The Independent about what life is really like on a day-to-day basis for a celebrity assistant.
Mr. Daniel spoke to The Independent about what life is really like on a day-to-day basis for a celebrity assistant.
It's a 24/7 job
The first thing you need to know is that there is no average day -- you’re going to be working grueling hours. It’s typical to work up to 16 hours a day. I would like to say that sometimes I got some sleep, but the job keeps you going 24/7. Your phone will always ring when you are working for celebrities, billionaires, and royal families.
You will be expected to always answer your phone 24 hours a day
As an assistant, you are working in all time zones, so your phone is ringing all the time, and you are not allowed to turn the ringer off. For example, we might be based in Los Angeles, but if I am dealing with another royal family member in the Middle East, my phone rings at all hours and I must answer it.
Clients will keep calling until they reach you. They know that some assistants might be so exhausted that they’ll sleep through the ringing, so most assistants have a backup phone and an emergency phone, and the ringer must be set to the maximum volume. If you don't answer one phone, they will call another. I had two cell phones, and sometimes I’d be carrying my boss’s phone as well.
In any situation, I had to be reachable 24 hours a day. On one occasion, I slept through all my phones ringing, and I woke up to the hotel security kicking the door in. They had to forcefully enter my room just to tell me I needed to wake up my boss right away.
Clients will keep calling until they reach you. They know that some assistants might be so exhausted that they’ll sleep through the ringing, so most assistants have a backup phone and an emergency phone, and the ringer must be set to the maximum volume. If you don't answer one phone, they will call another. I had two cell phones, and sometimes I’d be carrying my boss’s phone as well.
In any situation, I had to be reachable 24 hours a day. On one occasion, I slept through all my phones ringing, and I woke up to the hotel security kicking the door in. They had to forcefully enter my room just to tell me I needed to wake up my boss right away.
Your definition of emergency will probably not be the same as theirs
Here’s the thing: sometimes celebrities are eccentric, and what you may consider an emergency they might not. One of my bosses was renting an estate that he was not familiar with. I was sleeping in another part of the mansion, and he called me at 3:00 am because he couldn’t find the light and wanted me to turn it on. To him, it was an emergency. That is the nature of the job, and you are paid an extraordinary amount of money to be on call 24/7 and do anything they ask.
Pay varies for celebrity assistants
In Los Angeles, a celebrity assistant job used to pay a lot more. In the 80s or 90s, it was something equivalent to $100,000 today. Nowadays, there are more people in L.A., and the job market is flooded with willing candidates and budgets are tight, so it is common for celebrity assistants to make as little as $1,000 a week.
However, if you are extraordinary and you work with someone like George Clooney who has a big production company, you can earn between $100,000 to $200,000 a year. A couple of my candidates that I have placed earn over $250,000 a year with their bonus, plus perks such as travel and flying on private jets.
My entire compensation package for the Saudi Royal Family was valued at over $1 million a year because of all the travel expenses, meals, gifts, and other perks.
However, if you are extraordinary and you work with someone like George Clooney who has a big production company, you can earn between $100,000 to $200,000 a year. A couple of my candidates that I have placed earn over $250,000 a year with their bonus, plus perks such as travel and flying on private jets.
My entire compensation package for the Saudi Royal Family was valued at over $1 million a year because of all the travel expenses, meals, gifts, and other perks.
Breaks aren’t included, so remember to bring cereal bars
When I train PA candidates, one of the things I always say is that you must have backup plans. There are no scheduled meal breaks, and you must have those cereal bars stashed away in your pocket or in your car because sometimes it’s just non-stop. You work at a break-neck pace, and you won’t get to sit down for lunch.
You need to be tough, and crying is not appreciated
A lot of people conceptually believe they would love to work for a celebrity. But you must have very thick skin, and you cannot cry easily. It’s not for someone faint of heart. Getting the job is much easier than keeping the job. It is very easy to be fired if you don't keep your wits about you.
You’ll be given some highly unusual tasks
An assistant's role is hybrid; you are wearing both an executive assistant and a personal assistant hat. The work varies a lot. If you are working for a very respectable figure like Warren Buffet, then you won’t get eccentric or outlandish requests like you might get in the entertainment industry.
I’ve been on the receiving end of "diva requests" from rock stars. I was in a situation where a Grammy-winning singer needed the room to be at a certain temperature and the humidity to be just right, and that is a legitimate request. I have also been in situations where someone wants something, like candy, from the UK while we were in the US; and all the shops selling foreign candy were closed. You can’t tell them no; you must find a way to get it.
I created a support system for all assistants that I place, so I have a deep network of connections in all major US cities for when someone needs a certain kind of thing, and it is after hours. I’ve been in situations where stores are closed and my client wanted something, so I’ve had someone in a different time zone get it to me and fly it over in a private jet.
I had someone who wanted coffee from a particular store that was closed in New York, so I had to call a different coast and fly it over. We are talking about tens of thousands of dollars spent on a menial task. It’s what some people would consider to be an extraordinary waste, but it’s a drop in the bucket to them.
I’ve been on the receiving end of "diva requests" from rock stars. I was in a situation where a Grammy-winning singer needed the room to be at a certain temperature and the humidity to be just right, and that is a legitimate request. I have also been in situations where someone wants something, like candy, from the UK while we were in the US; and all the shops selling foreign candy were closed. You can’t tell them no; you must find a way to get it.
I created a support system for all assistants that I place, so I have a deep network of connections in all major US cities for when someone needs a certain kind of thing, and it is after hours. I’ve been in situations where stores are closed and my client wanted something, so I’ve had someone in a different time zone get it to me and fly it over in a private jet.
I had someone who wanted coffee from a particular store that was closed in New York, so I had to call a different coast and fly it over. We are talking about tens of thousands of dollars spent on a menial task. It’s what some people would consider to be an extraordinary waste, but it’s a drop in the bucket to them.
You might also have some eccentric man trying to impress a younger woman, and he will ask you to get a private jet for a romantic dinner in another state -- it’s all in a day’s work.
I was once in a situation in Las Vegas with a billionaire, and he really loved this burger restaurant chain that sold a very specialized kind of burger. He wanted one, but the restaurant had just closed, and the doors were locked. Corporation rules are strict, and when you are closed -- you are closed!
But my boss really wanted this hamburger, so I knocked on the door and the manager said: "I'm sorry, but under no circumstances can I let you in." Long story short, it cost me more than $5,000 [$10,000 adjusting for inflation] for them to open the door to let us in to eat. These people have extraordinarily deep pockets. If you can back it up financially, every request can be fulfilled.
I was once in a situation in Las Vegas with a billionaire, and he really loved this burger restaurant chain that sold a very specialized kind of burger. He wanted one, but the restaurant had just closed, and the doors were locked. Corporation rules are strict, and when you are closed -- you are closed!
But my boss really wanted this hamburger, so I knocked on the door and the manager said: "I'm sorry, but under no circumstances can I let you in." Long story short, it cost me more than $5,000 [$10,000 adjusting for inflation] for them to open the door to let us in to eat. These people have extraordinarily deep pockets. If you can back it up financially, every request can be fulfilled.
Your job can also involve being more than their assistant
I was working for an A-lister and, along with my other roles, I was also a companion. It’s very lonely at the top. If you are famous or a billionaire, everyone ‘loves’ you but they don't have a lot of true friends. When I was on the road with them, I was their confidant, and they would tell me their deepest, darkest secrets. It’s almost like being a psychotherapist -- they don’t have anyone to talk to, so they tell their secrets to their assistant.
You don’t have that many people you can talk to when you are trying to maintain a public persona, and sometimes these relationships become very deep. We tell assistants not to become a friend with the celebrity that they work for.
Sometimes, those lines get blurred, and you must be very careful. Even though they trust you, assistants will become confused with that relationship, and they sometimes cross a line.
You don’t have that many people you can talk to when you are trying to maintain a public persona, and sometimes these relationships become very deep. We tell assistants not to become a friend with the celebrity that they work for.
Sometimes, those lines get blurred, and you must be very careful. Even though they trust you, assistants will become confused with that relationship, and they sometimes cross a line.
You can eventually build a career out of it
I represent people who have been doing it for up to 30 years, although the turnover in the entertainment business is quite high. Some people have even become producing partners alongside their movie star bosses. In one case, someone started as a driver and worked their way up through the assistant ranks. Eventually, he became a partner in the production company and earned millions of dollars.
On the flip side, a lot of them are dead-end jobs, you are a ‘go for’ (aka gofer) -- you go for coffee, cigarettes, etc. You must do those dead-end jobs first. Once you have that first PA position on your resume, then a lot of doors open.
On the flip side, a lot of them are dead-end jobs, you are a ‘go for’ (aka gofer) -- you go for coffee, cigarettes, etc. You must do those dead-end jobs first. Once you have that first PA position on your resume, then a lot of doors open.
Famous people are often very different in reality
Assistants have to be aware that sometimes a celebrity’s public persona is quite different from their real-life personality. Assistants often become disenchanted with their new role, which is why I encourage the client and the assistant to be as forthright as possible during the job interview process. They need to put "all of the cards on the table."
You’ll be asked to do things you might not want to do, so be honest about whether the job really is for you
For example, when working for a billionaire, they will probably say, "See at that beautiful woman over there. I want her phone number." If you aren't comfortable doing stuff like that, you need to say it in the job interview.
If a guy you are working for is rich and single, then you will be going with them to nightclubs, and you will be out until two or three in the morning. You can’t leave. You keep the same schedule as your boss; but unlike them, you have to be up in the morning, and you have to start managing your day. So, if you are on only two hours of sleep, then you must have an energy drink and get on with it.
If a guy you are working for is rich and single, then you will be going with them to nightclubs, and you will be out until two or three in the morning. You can’t leave. You keep the same schedule as your boss; but unlike them, you have to be up in the morning, and you have to start managing your day. So, if you are on only two hours of sleep, then you must have an energy drink and get on with it.
