There can be a lot of catering here in Hollywood, and we're not talking about Wolfgang Puck serving his latest dish from his hot new restaurant Cut, located at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.
The kind of catering we're talking about is serving the needs of the rich and famous: celebrities.
My friend and colleague Josef Csongei, past President of ACPA (The Association of Celebrity Personal Assistants) was included in an Entertainment Weekly book excerpt on Hollywood's Helpers and people's obsession with Glitterati.
Fame Junkies includes the story of the stalwart men and women who make up a unique niche among Hollywood professionals. Unlike talent agents and executives, who rub shoulders with stars and often earn millions of dollars, assistants do not earn the big bucks, and end up with bizarre tasks, which the book excerpt points out. And these assistants work hard-- the jobs require round-the-clock obligations.
"In a career high point, [Josef] Csongei worked for director-producer Stanley Kramer, who made such classic films as Inherit the Wind and Guess Who's Coming to Dinner. ''After working for Kramer, I needed something more low-key,'' says Csongei, 37. ''I wouldn't want an A-list job like Tom Cruise at this stage of my life. When you work for the big names, your own life can take a backseat without you knowing it and you can become resentful. I was fortunate to recognize that before it was too late.''"
- Check out the EW book excerpt by Jake Halpern
- Picture courtesy EW and Mark Peterson (Josef Csongei pictured) at LA Dogworks.
- Buy Fame Junkies, the book-- from Amazon
Readers-- care to share thoughts on Celebrity Personal Assistants and the excerpt?
