"The thing about being famous is, it's weird. The only people who get how weird it is are other famous people"

Fame carries with it a transformation in how a person experiences the world and how others perceive them. Margot Kidder’s words capture not just the alienation that comes with being widely recognized, but the specific kind of strangeness only those who are famous can truly understand. The shift from living as a private individual to being the subject of constant public curiosity and scrutiny can be deeply disorienting. Reality itself seems to warp, as daily activities, grocery shopping, meeting friends, taking a walk, are filtered through the lens of public expectation and, at times, intrusion.

A famous person may find themselves performing a version of themselves for strangers, navigating a peculiar double-consciousness: being not only who they know themselves to be, but also the constructed image projected onto them by fans, the media, and the broader culture. This can lead to a sense of isolation. Friends and family, while perhaps supportive, may still not fully grasp the profound shift in social dynamics. Fame alters relationships, places boundaries where there may have been none before, fostering both opportunities and doubts about authenticity.

Among others who share this experience, there can be a rare kinship, a tacit understanding of the privileges and peculiar burdens fame bestows. Only someone who has walked that strange path can empathize with the feeling of being recognized everywhere and, paradoxically, known by no one. The world’s excitement to meet “the real you” can highlight how much of that “realness” gets obscured by preconceptions and expectations.

Kidder’s reflection also touches on the psychological challenges of recognition: perpetual visibility, loss of anonymity, difficulty in forming new relationships without suspicion of motive. The world may idolize, resent, or envy, but only those living with fame’s constant gaze can appreciate its true complexity, as both a dream fulfilled and, sometimes, a separate form of solitude.