Conclusion: The Condition of Para-Stardom

In the foregoing, I have tracked the impact of the market for drama as a gravitational force shaping the training of actors. This force operates fully when the actor enters the performance labour market, and less stringently in anticipatory training and preparation for such an entry. The demands of finding work in an unstable market with an over-supply of labour places an emphasis on individual competition (Menger, 1999). One result is that the kind of self-fashioning best suited for succeeding in auditions and getting cast is a display of personality based not on character, but on a performance-attuned personality or persona. The development of a persona as a transportable public presence, in apparent independence from the existential entailments of narrative and plot—whether in films, television, theatre or commercials—might improve an actor’s chances of being employed, or at least, impart a sense of engagement which acts as a motivator to stay in the game. In the post-Studio era, the revenue streams and reputational enhancements provided by media platforms and social media accrues cultural and social capital, adding value to the actor’s personal portfolio.