De Cordova's "Emergence of the Star System" Application Today

I found the reading on how the “star” in film came about very interesting because even though the authors were discussing this transformation in early cinema, it made me think about the way we perceive stars today.

Richard de Cordova wrote that the emergence of the star in America correlated with the type of knowledge the public knew about an actor. De Cordova describes three transformations: the discourse on acting, the picture personality, and the star (17). The relationship between what he describes as the picture personality and the star is intriguing in regards to today’s perception of stars. De Cordova writes that the circulation of the name, intertextuality that restricted knowledge about the actor, and the actor’s previous film experience all create the “picture personality” (24-26). Even though these were steps of knowledge in the early 1900s that led to the emergence of the “star,” the same steps of knowledge can be applied to a budding star today. When an up and coming actor or actress is beginning to book many roles, they might appear in Teen Vogue or Nylon magazines on a “talent to watch” type article. With their many roles, even if only supporting ones, people will start to recognize their face. This, paired with the actors appearing in magazines or on websites leads to name circulation. Then, people may start to associate them with certain roles, and finally, the public will determine the actor’s level of stardom based on their professional experience.

Richard de Cordova writes that the last transformation, into the “star,” occurs when their private life emerges and can be compared to their professional life. Jennifer Lawrence is a good example of de Cordova’s definition of the emergence of the star in America. Lawrence was in a few movies that peaked interest in her and encouraged distant familiarity with her face before her Oscar-nominated performance in Winter’s Bone. After her appearance at the Academy Awards for Winter’s Bone, Jennifer Lawrence’s name was officially in circulation and people were comparing her previous film experience--officially making her a picture personality. When she booked the leading role in the franchise of The Hunger Games, Lawrence emerged as a star. Fans obsess over her private life, especially seen with her leaked nude photos and relationships, and they desperately attempt to understand her as a person separate from the version of her they love on screen. Even though de Cordova was describing the emergence of the star in early cinema, I think it is clear that his stages of emergence still hold true in star culture.