ABSTRACT
This chapter argues that a celebrity’s success in both their professional and activist fields is dependent on their audience’s perception of a consistency between these two aspects of the celebrity’s public persona. It discusses the case study of Leonardo DiCaprio, a celebrity who it is argued is attempting to carefully negotiate the implicit tensions between his professional and activist careers, and explores some of the means by which the overarching economic structures of the system of celebrity production can shape celebrity activism. The chapter explains the potential damage created when discrepancies between the constituent elements of DiCaprio’s brand come to light and poses questions about what this might mean for the perception of DiCaprio and, by extrapolation, political celebrities more broadly as authentic activists. It provides an analysis of how DiCaprio is able to develop an ‘authentic’ brand and considers how inconsistencies in his persona can potentially damage his brand.
