15 Of The Most Fame Hungry Celebs
There are some celebrities who would do just about anything to get a little bit of a reprieve from fame. They bundle up in big scarves, they pull baseball caps down low over their eyes, try to sneak out back doors, anything to avoid the paparazzi when they're just trying to grab some dinner or do some grocery shopping. And then, there's another kind of celebrity - the ones who call the paparazzi to let them know where they'll be pretty much any time they venture out of their house. The ones who will do or say pretty much anything to guarantee a little extra time in the tabloids.
Look, to a certain degree, it's understandable - fame comes with a ton of amazing perks. All of a sudden, you have access to the most exclusive restaurants, you're getting sent free swag from luxury companies who wouldn't give you the time of day when you were a regular person or struggling actor or musician, people are screaming your name on the red carpet, everyone wants to be your friend and everyone wants to shower you with compliments.
Fame can be a lot of trouble, but it also brings a lot of perks, as many celebrities know. Here are 15 celebrities that we're willing to bet would do just about anything to stay famous.
15 Katie Price
If you're from the UK, chances are you know who Katie Price is almost immediately, but our culture's obsession with reality television means people from around the world likely recognize this highly made-up, highly plastic surgically altered face. Once upon a time, Price went simply by Jordan - perhaps trying to convey that she was so famous already she could opt to go by only one name - and was known for, well, taking her clothes off. While the Brits have a slightly more high class moniker - a “glamour model” - she essentially became famous for showing off her altered body. Then, having gotten her foot in the door, Price proceeded to do pretty much anything she could to stay in the spotlight, from a fashion line to penning fluffy novels to music to snagging presenting roles on television shows. When it became evident that the super busty look wasn't in anymore, she changed that, become really toned and lean. When it became obvious that the 'Jordan' identity had become associated with negative things, she went back to plain old Katie Price. There's nothing she wouldn't do for fame.
14 Corey Feldman
Corey Feldman is best known for his years as a child actor, when he snagged starring roles in iconic films like The Goonies and Stand By Me. Then, he teamed up with fellow child star Corey Haim for flicks like The Lost Boys and License To Drive. Unfortunately, like many celebrities who get a taste of fame at a young age, he didn't quite know how to deal with it, and struggled with addiction issues for several years that essentially took him off the map in the entertainment industry. However, Feldman's recent behaviour proves that he's definitely not done chasing the fame bug just yet. His first step to get back into the spotlight involved appearing in a few films here and there, as well as appearing as a has-been on reality television. Then, he took it a step further and tried to attain fame in an entirely different sphere from his acting career - the music industry. Feldman has been making headlines lately thanks to his crazy live performances, and we're betting he wouldn't have it any other way.
13 Heidi Montag
Okay, let's be honest - Heidi Montag is basically the queen of celebrities willing to do anything to stay famous. Montag started as countless reality television stars do, as one of the cast members on The Hills, a role she got because she was pals with the star Lauren Conrad at the time. When audiences first met her, she was just another blonde girl who was trying to make it in Los Angeles. Then, she met Spencer Pratt. Then, she decided her petite frame and somewhat androgynous physique weren't quite good enough, so she got a ton of plastic surgery to amplify her breasts, butt, lips, and countless other body parts. She figured out the role of reality show villain got her more attention than the sweet BFF, so she played that up. She figured out that with Spencer at her side, she got even more attention, so she milked that relationship. Lately, Montag has began to express regrets for her plastic surgeries and some of the things she did in the past, but let's be frank - she would still do anything for fame.
12 Kris Jenner
Would Kris Jenner do anything for fame? Uh… have you seen her? The tale of the Kardashians' rise to fame is absolutely astounding. The older sisters were brushing shoulders with some of Hollywood's starlets, and Kim Kardashian eventually ended up hooking up with Ray J and creating a sex tape. You wouldn't think that would be enough to achieve over a decade of fame, but somehow momager Kris Jenner managed to spin that sex tape into a reality show starring the entire family, and as they grew up, each of the Kardashian sisters - Khloe, Kourtney, and Kim - as well as the two Jenner sisters, Kendall and Kylie, have become absolute superstars. Kris Jenner is primarily famous because of her gorgeous daughters, so you'd better believe she'll help them make the smartest career decisions she can so that she can be an A-List momager forever. However, even if all the rest of the Kardashians decide they don't want to participate in the reality show anymore, we're better Kris will manage to talk someone into giving her a solo gig.
11 Kim Kardashian
For most celebrities, the leaking of a sex tape is a devastating blow to their career, and something that they have a lot of trouble bouncing back from. For Kim Kardashian, it was an opportunity to get her foot in the door to the celebrity world. Prior to her sex tape, Kim K was an average socialite who helped organize the closets of some of the rich and famous in Beverly Hills, including Paris Hilton. Then, once her mom managed to get her and the rest of the family their own reality television show, she became a star. While every fan has their favourite Kardashian, there's no denying that Kim is perhaps the biggest breakout star of the bunch - and she'll make sure it stays that way. When it seemed like her fame might be waning slightly, she quickly found an A-List partner in Kanye West and Kimye was born. When her former super sexy style was starting to get a bit dated, she began buying more couture and taking fashion and beauty risks. This girl knows how stay in the spotlight, that's for sure - I mean, she's a selfie queen.
10 Miley Cyrus
Once upon a time, Miley Cyrus was the sweet young daughter of country star Billy Ray Cyrus, and began gaining a ton of tween fans thanks to her starring role as Hannah Montana in the hit Disney show Hannah Montana. However, while Disney stars get a ton of younger fans, they generally don't make the A-List because adults don't particularly care about them. So, Cyrus realized the sweet as pie act just wouldn't cut it, and she proceeded to cut off all her hair, bleach it platinum blonde, fill her closet with impossibly skimpy attire, and start twerking on stage and talking about drug use and basically taking on the bad girl persona. It seems like nothing is too controversial for the young starlet, and she's constantly trying to raise eyebrows with her performances on stage - it's quite obvious that the pop star would do just about anything to stay famous.
9 Jenny McCarthy
Jenny McCarthy got her start in the entertainment industry by posing in Playboy magazine and snagging a Playmate of the Year title. Most Playmates tend to fade into obscurity a year or two after they're featured in the magazine, unless they're one of the rare few who actively pursue a career in the entertainment industry - and McCarthy was one of those rare few. She somehow managed to parlay a photoshoot into hosting roles on television shows, and even starring roles in sitcoms and films. She's also carved out a reputation for being totally outspoken, and definitely earned a lot of haters after her countless claims about vaccines causing autism after her son was diagnosed with the disease. Through it all, somehow, she's managed to stay in the spotlight year after year - and she's probably willing to try any new endeavour to make sure that continues for as long as possible.
8 Vanilla Ice
Vanilla Ice - also less commonly known as Robert Van Winkle - has a super smash hit in the 1980s with “Ice Ice Baby.” And somehow, two decades later, we're still hearing his name all the time. I know, I know - we're as baffled as you are. While most one hit wonder singers disappear a few years after their smash hit charts, Vanilla Ice decided he'd stay in the spotlight no matter what he took. For awhile, he tried being an extreme sports guy, competing in motocross racing and jet skiing. Then, he moved from the rap world to the hardcore music world. Then, he appeared on the reality show The Surreal Life, which brings together has-been celebrities. He competed on another reality show, Dancing On Ice. Then, he ventured into the world of home improvement with a home renovation show, The Vanilla Ice Project. I mean, there's no lengths this man wouldn't go to in order to stay famous.
7 Farrah Abraham
Back when reality television started, most of the cast members on shows or competitors were normal people who wanted a once in a lifetime experience. After racing around the world or living in a house with strangers or making a camp on a deserted island, they'd return to their normal jobs in the real world. Lately, that's changed. Reality television stars are becoming increasingly shrewd, and more of them are managing to parlay one reality appearance into a few more into a photoshoot or two into a legit career in the entertainment industry - just take Farrah Abraham, for example. Audiences first met her when she was a pregnant teenager on the show Teen Mom, struggling to come to terms with her young pregnancy. Then, she decided to milk that angle, releasing a memoir about her struggle. Then, to really cover her basis, she released a children's book and a random song. Then, with the help of porn star James Deen, she released what she claimed was a sex tape but was quickly revealed to be a regular old porno. Seriously - what won't she do?
6 Kanye West
Once upon a time, Kanye West was an unknown, promising young rapper from Chicago. And then, he became Kanye. While it's certainly not unusual for rappers to get all caught up in the fame and bling, Kanye took things to an entirely different level, basically becoming a huge tool who thought that the sun shone out of his mouth and that everyone should listen to his expert opinions and that he was owed everything. When he snagged reality television superstar Kim Kardashian as a wife, his fame rose even more as he earned an entirely different audience - and he had someone to test out all his fashion ideas on. West has experienced his fair share of drama and controversy over the years, and he's certainly learned from his experiences - the problem is, what he's learned is that it's easier to stay in the spotlight if you court that controversy as much as possible.
5 Janice Dickinson
Once upon a time, Janice Dickinson was one of the hottest supermodels on the scene. She was romanced by countless rock stars and A-List actors, regularly hit the hottest clubs, and documented it all in a juicy memoir later in life. She would have easily been one of the starring angels if the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show existed at that time. However, as everyone knows, models have a fairly short shelf life - unless they build empires for themselves, they rarely stay famous into their 30s or 40s. However, Janice Dickinson wasn't content to disappear. She managed to snag a judging role in the popular reality show America's Next Top Model, where she became the hilariously outspoken judge for the first four seasons of the show. Then, she snagged her own reality show, and made several appearances on other reality shows. She's taken younger lovers, she's declared bankruptcy, and much more. I mean, this is a woman who literally said in an interview that she “will get back on TV” no matter what it takes.
4 Taylor Swift
Okay, okay, calm down - we know that Taylor Swift is a little bit different from others in this list in that her career is legitimately thriving and she seems to be getting better every year. However, let's be honest - she's also an absolute master at PR. When she first stepped onto the scene, she rocked the country girl image compete with cowboy boots and curly natural hair. Then, she ventured into the pop world and rocked a retro look with an ever-present red lip. Through all that, she hopped from boyfriend to boyfriend trying to find that perfect love she wrote about in her songs. Then, she decided that she'd be all about girl power, and build a solid girl squad to spend her days with. The point is, if Taylor Swift ever stopped penning chart-topping hits, we have absolutely no doubt that she'd find some way to stay in the spotlight.
3 Tila Tequila
It's a little bit baffling to hear about how Tila Tequila first got famous - on Myspace. Yes, the vampy sex kitten got her foot in the celebrity door simply because she was gorgeous and her provocative pictures made her the most popular person on the then-popular social networking site. The Myspace popularity led to revealing photo spreads in various magazines, which eventually led to her snagging her own reality television show, A Shot At Love With Tila Tequila. She's also released songs, written a book, created a sex tape, spent time in rehab… the list goes on and on. Recently, she's created her own line of e-liquids for vaporizers and will be appearing in the flick 24/7. There's really nothing that she wouldn't do to stay in the spotlight, including totally rebranding herself, so you'd better get accustomed to seeing her because we have a feeling she's not going to let herself disappear anytime soon.
2 Kate Gosselin
Unlike the many reality television stars who use the outlet to pursue careers in the entertainment industry, Kate Gosselin simply took the offer for Jon and Kate Plus 8 to add a little extra income to her life - after all, that's a lot of mouths to feed! They were TLC's unusual, happy family for awhile before drama erupted between Kate and then-husband Jon. Kate wouldn't let herself get pushed out of her lucrative reality television career, though - she rebranded and continued on in the show Kate Plus 8. Then, she went on to appear on Dancing With The Stars and Celebrity Apprentice, tried her hand at writing for a coupon website, and in 2015, though the network formerly canned Kate Plus 8, they relaunched it once more. Gosselin has managed to take a slightly unusual trait - the fact that she's a mother to so many children - and create a career out of it that's lasted several years. I mean, if it weren't so desperate, it would be almost impressive.
1 Tori Spelling
When your father is a big shot television producer and you grow up in a humongous Beverly Hills mansion where you're regularly meeting celebrities, it's a little bit easier to break into the entertainment industry than if you were a regular girl from some small town. We're betting it's partially due to father Aaron Spelling's job that a teenage Tori managed to snag one of the leading roles in Beverly Hills 90210 playing Donna Martin on all ten seasons of the show. After the teen hit wrapped, Spelling seemed to have trouble staying in the spotlight, as she wasn't quite able to transition her teen drama stardom into a legit acting career. So, she did what other desperate celebrities do - turn to reality television. Spelling has penned memoirs and appeared on a variety of reality television shows trying to milk her marital drama and personal drama as much as she can.