How To: Contact Your Favorite Celebrity

February 1, 2006

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well, can you please give Brad the message?

If you wanted to contact a politician, would you know where to start? What about contacting your favorite athlete? Or better yet, your favorite actor? Chances are that we have all, at one time or another, tried to "reach out and touch" someone that we admire (so to speak). Singers, actors, athletes, businesspeople, and politicians are some of the more prominent examples of "celebrities" that are always in demand. Some are sought for self-interest, others for altruistic purposes, and many merely because it's human nature to be starstruck.

Whatever the case may be, you might have your spiel ready, but do you have the faintest idea how to get a hold of a famous person? Before diving into this world, there are some disclaimers I must underline — otherwise, some lawyers will be trying to get in touch with me .

before you press "send"...

Celebrities are human after all
They may come in various shapes and sizes, but like you and I, celebrities are human beings. Thus, they value and cherish their privacy no matter how distorted their personal lives may be.

Keep your intentions and methods in mind
There is a fine line between "admirer" and "crazed fan." A lot of this has to do with the kind of person you are, the person you are trying to contact, and mainly, how you go about your search. In short: Be careful.

You are not the only fan
No matter whom you are trying to contact, keep in mind that regardless of your reason, you are not alone in your quest and the celebrity in question has probably heard the same plea, over and over again.

Seek out their publicist
There is always a chain of command to follow and respect. It may seem bold to try to contact a celebrity at home, but you are better off going through their publicist. That is, after all, part of the reason why celebs have publicists.

Do not go overboard
Know when to call it quits; otherwise, you will land yourself in jail for stalking charges.

Now, let's roll up our sleeves and get to work. Depending on why you are trying to contact someone in the public eye, there are various ways to go about it.

special causes and fundraisers

Anything that benefits society rather than simply yourself is a plus. The trick here is to identify who would most be interested in which causes. If you know that Lance Armstrong was diagnosed with testicular cancer and underwent a successful recovery, then it may be fitting to contact him for a related cause. This does not mean that he will accept your offer; it would just make more sense to contact Armstrong for this particular cause rather than Michael Jackson, for example. Speaking of the King of Pop, he might be more interested in a charity event for AIDS, as he has demonstrated in the past.

Once you have identified the right fit, the best way to go about making contact is to get the name of the celebrity's publicist. The celebrity may have a website, but websites are often managed by a webmaster who may not have direct access to the celebrity.

Address your letter or e-mail to the celebrity and make it short and sweet. Use the 5 "W" approach: who, what, where, when, and why.

Got a script to hawk or just want Pamela Anderson's autograph on your boxers? Read on...