Greetings to all my readers. Although at first glance, the topic of this blog would seem to have little to do with the content of my website, I think after you have read the entire article, you will see why I am posting it here on my Chanson blog.

Just this evening as I was preparing for my workout on the Nordic Track, I had the television on, and ran across a cable news program discussing the latest media circus surrounding Britney Spears and her apparent early release from the hospital. Britney was the primary focus of the news feature, but other at-risk actors and stars were also brought into the discussion.

This week, the sad details of the death of Heath Ledger have come forth through toxicology reports, and more information about that story was featured in this particular program, along with stunning announcements that Kirsten Dunst has checked into rehab, presumably for substance abuse issues, and that actress Delta Burke, who starred in Designing Women, has checked herself into a hospital for a serious mental disorder.

I have to say, I was really shocked to hear these names brought up in a show dealing with what some are calling, the current meltdown in Hollywood. From Hollywood’s Golden Days to the present day, we have all heard about the premature and tragic deaths of Hollywood’s brightest and most promising stars. These deaths have often been connected to drug or alcohol abuse, which makes them all the more tragic, because they might have been prevented by changes in certain behaviors and lifestyle choices.

Long before I became a fan of certain Scottish actor, when I heard reports of the death of a young star, through some sort of substance abuse or even suicide, I would find myself feeling sad about the tragedy, and wondering what could lead a person, who seems to have everything in the world, to such risky behavior, or to take their own life. But this was often an actor I only viewed from a seat in the darkened theater, or from the sofa in my living room, and although I felt bad about these losses of human life, they meant little to me personally.

For the past 3 years, I have been a devoted fan of Gerard Butler; the handsome and very talented actor who starred in 2004’s Phantom of the Opera, 2007’s King Leonidas in 300, and 2007’s Gerry Kennedy, in PS I Love You. In the early days of his career, Gerard spent most of his time in the UK, where he kept an apartment in London, and only stayed in LA when he was working on a film. But with his success came more offers and roles, therefore, Gerard now makes his home in LA, and has become part of the Hollywood community.

I want to make it clear that I have the utmost faith in this man’s integrity. Over the years, he has tackled some of his personal demons with fantastic results; including the elimination of alcohol from his life, and most recently, Gerard quit smoking. Anyone who is capable of getting those habits and addictions under control, in my opinion, must be a strong and determined individual.

I suppose I should just relax, and not worry too much about Gerard, and his hugely demanding career, but the truth is… I do worry. And unlike most of the stars whose names are connected to tragedies, Gerard is someone I care about personally… someone who means something to me…and someone who, through his work, has deeply moved me, and has had a very positive impact on my life. To me he is not just a name on a movie marquee, or another actor… he is a real person, whom I met briefly, and who is the primary inspiration for my writing of the book Chanson de L’ange.

As I look at the life of these actors, I find myself wondering why so many of them have issues with drugs or alcohol, and why so many lead self destructive lifestyles? Is it just a certain personality type, or is it the demands of their career, and the ridiculous expectations placed on them by their producers, managers and agents…. and the perfection they demand of themselves?

We sit back and look at all the glamor and glitz of the red carpet, thinking that these people have it made. They get to travel in luxury all over the world, to places I will never see in my lifetime. They dine in the best restaurants, drive the hottest cars; purchase anything their fortune allows, and they have all these people around them, doing virtually everything for them. They get to vacation several times a year, and enjoy all the creature comforts their work affords them, and still…. we keep seeing the same headlines about affairs and divorces and drugs and rehab…. and I have to wonder….

Are these people truly happy?

I think most of us common folk, are under the impression that famous actors have it made. When I look at my own life compared to theirs… I do wonder. My husband is a truck driver who works extremely hard for the comforts we enjoy. We reside in a tiny home, built in the early 40’s that needs a lot of work, and we usually only enjoy one vacation a year, and never to an exotic location. We live a simple life of modest means, and yet… what we do have is peace and happiness. We don’t need drugs or alcohol to self medicate us through the stresses of our lives; instead we rely on our faith and our love as family to pull us through the hard times…. and believe me, there have been some very hard times.

I can’t help but feel sorry for the success stories in Hollywood, because it seems like their careers become the focus of everything, at the expense of their own personal happiness and peace. Of course there are those who ARE successful, and who do not fall into self destructive patterns…. and perhaps if the media would concentrate more on those stories, than the tragedies of Anna Nicole Smith, Britney Spears and others, I would have a different opinion of Tinsel Town. But at this moment I would have to say, I wouldn’t trade my little house and modest lifestyle for a palace in Hollywood, or to live the fast paced exciting life of an actor/entertainer.

Now back to Gerard…. I worry about him, and hope and pray that he continues to live life on his own terms, and that if the Hollywood machine begins to demand too much of his soul…. he’ll have the strength to remain at the core, who he is.

For the rest of us… I guess envying fame and fortune is just an exercise in futility, because from what I can see, the grass is not greener in the hills of Hollywood.

Paisley