You may be a Hilary Duff fan, but did you know that her favorite movie of all time is Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion or that she hates techno music, or that she’s starting a clothing line for dogs, or that she was home-schooled since the age of ten? Probably not, but that sort of information on Duff and just about every other celebrity is contained in the Internet Movie Database (IMDB) at http://www.IMDB.com. Simply search for the celebrity you’re interested in and check out their biography, trivia, the films they were in, the people they’re related to, etc.
Every area of the entertainment industry has at least one, if not several, industry “bibles" used by those in the business. In film, TV and music, these resources can be expensive, but single issues are usually sold in your local bookstore like Barnes & Noble or Borders.
Variety (http://www.variety.com) is the most instantly recognizable industry newspaper for film and television employing an odd industry lingo that has been used for nearly one hundred years. Variety is printed daily, and gives you all the inside information on who is starring in what, who is producing what, and who is releasing what. More importantly, it also includes a weekly "production guide" that gives you the inside scoop on what is in production. This allows you to write the star you want at the local production company making the movie. So, if Reese Witherspoon is filming a movie or about to film a movie in Tennessee, you can try writing the local production company, which will usually forward mail to her once she arrives on location.
The Hollywood Reporter (http://www.thehollywoodreporter.com) is an option besides Variety, with a similar format and the same information when it comes to production listings. However, the Hollywood Reporter also has good intermittent listings of other information, such as, which agencies and management companies represent certain celebrities, who the major power players are, who is getting paid the most, and who are the new actors on the rise to fame. These listings are a great tool if you are an autograph collector, because you can write the actors and request an autograph. Since they aren’t yet famous, they’ll most likely oblige, and you’ll know there’s a good chance he or she will be a household name in a year or even just a few months.
Billboard (http://www.billboard.com) is the music world’s version of Variety with industry news and plenty of resources to keep you abreast of who is up and coming in the music industry. Like the titles mentioned above, none of these trade resources are particularly fan-friendly, but if you take contacting celebrities seriously, you’ll want to start reading and learning as much about the business side of their lives as you can.
Show Business Weekly (http://www.showbusinessweekly.com) is to the live performing arts what Variety is to the film world. Every week, SBW updates its casting selection and lists all the important audition and casting notices along with articles, industry listings, and career-building information for actors. It may be of limited relevance to anyone not in the acting business, but keeping abreast of who is up-and-coming will help you stay on the pulse of the industry if you’re an autograph hound or if you are looking to find a screen legend performing up close and personal at a theatre near you.
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