Its all about trust.
There is an unspoken trust between fans and the stars they admire, and politics undercuts that trust.
Thats why politics is off limits to celebrities who have a survival instinct.
Getty Images
Thats what one star confided to me on issues that now seem irrelevant (details below).
I have great respect for Clooneys decision, but I also believe it will cost him.
Some survive, others are permanently damaged.
George ClooneyDia Dipasupil/Getty Images
Again, theres that subtext of trust.
The details involve some generation jumping.
Are you sure you want to get involved with someone as poisonous as me?
she asked me candidly.
There will be angry noise.
To this day, her name still stirs argument.
Ironically, I had similar conversations with John Wayne when I slipped him the novel titledTrue Gritin 1968.
Duke knew he was widely loathed by young filmgoers for his Vietnam War position.
I had argued with him about the war over steak dinners.
Warren Beatty, by contrast, never regretted his years as a liberal activist.
Todays stars, by contrast, are zealously steering clear of political debates fearing a Trump-like backlash.
But in interfacing with his fans, there will always be that cloud of trust.
I want people to like me, even voters who vote against me, he told me.
Nixon doesnt seem to care, but Im still an actor.
Clooney is still an actor who wants to be liked, which has become an ever more difficult challenge.
