ABSTRACT
Performance has been neglected in the study of Hollywood stars—particularly the star–actress; stardom, on the other hand, has received considerable attention. As Alan Lovell points out, star studies originated not as a way “to develop a richer account of performance,” 1 but as a means of uncovering the ideological meaning of the star phenomenon. The result has been that stardom has been extensively investigated for its social significance at the expense of star acting. One reason for the fascination with the star phenomenon is its complex nature. Produced by a star system that attempts to create many “popular identities” suitable for consumption by a wide range of audience members rather than a uniform category of stardom, 2 Hollywood stardom presents seemingly endless possibilities for investigation.
