A+ Brands

By SAMANTHA ETTUS
07-JUL-05

Although it is easier to point out celebrities' flaws instead of feats, it is refreshing to shed light on those who have managed to keep their personal brands fresh and above the fray. Three actors this week deserve our applause for expert brand management: Salma Hayek, Nicole Kidman, and George Clooney. Each of these big screen stars has had a successful and lengthy career and, most importantly, has managed to walk the delicate tightrope between stardom and life on earth.

Nicole Kidman

Her recent spread in Vanity Fair and the accompanying article (love letter!) demonstrated that Kidman has captured the adoration of fans and press alike. In the midst of coping with her ex-husband's public antics, Kidman has emerged once again the lady, wishing Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes well but adeptly staying out of it. After their divorce, Kidman escaped Cruise's shadow and her career blossomed; her star power now outshines that of any other current actress in Hollywood. From To Die For to The Hours to Cold Mountain and The Interpreter, Kidman has a string of critically acclaimed performances to her credit, and her reputation remains untarnished by flops like The Stepford Wives. And while Bewitched, her most recent release, has suffered from poor reviews, Kidman has emerged unscathed as the highlight of the lowbrow film. Off camera she is a devoted mother to Isabella, 12, and Connor, 10, the two children she adopted with Cruise, and is extremely close with her parents and sister. Kidman speaks openly about her yet unfulfilled dreams of finding a soul mate and of being most at ease when filming, which likely accounts for her prolific schedule. They say the cream always rises and in a world of divas, Kidman's solid character has propelled her to the top.

Salma Hayek

As a Latina superstar with a killer spirit, Hayek has overcome language barriers, skepticism, racism, and her own battle with dyslexia to become a full fledged Hollywood success. Hayek appeared on the map as a Mexican soap opera star and leveraged that experience into American movie stardom, with turns in a long stream of films including Desperado, Fools Rush In, Traffic and After the Sunset. In 2002, after failing to infuse Hollywood with her own passion for a film based on artist Frida Kahlo, Hayek chose to create it herself. The result was Frida, a critical success that landed Hayek an Oscar nomination for best actress. Her fight for this film was typical of her character; Hayek is a Hollywood anomaly in that she asserts her beliefs rather than parroting the politically correct statements that are the common language of most famous actresses. Whether charming Oprah Winfrey or talking about her own unwillingness to conform to Hollywood's unhealthy standards of beauty, Hayek remains genuine. In using her celebrity so responsibly, she is a role model for women and fellow actresses alike. Rather than playing it safe, she plays it smart – a winning recipe that makes her a real star.

George Clooney

As a writer, director, producer and, most notably, famed actor, Clooney is a renaissance man in a field largely comprised of one act peers. He jumps seamlessly from the world of Ocean's Twelve and other high-budget projects to independent films, and was recently heralded for such efforts when he received the Los Angeles Independent Film Festival's first Spirit of Independence Award. Yet Clooney is a tinseltown enigma; though often photographed and always smiling, he maintains an intensely private personal life. We will never know the details of his reported love affair with Renee Zellweger or why his most recent romance with Lisa Snowdon failed, and he has a tight group of loyal friends including Brad Pitt and Ocean's Twelve director Steven Soderbergh. Clooney seems to have mastered the balancing act in two ways: by supplementing his work in blockbuster films with edgy roles in less commercial independent productions, and by remaining accessible to paparazzi and thereby staying in the spotlight despite his privacy. Pitt, currently suffering from severe overexposure, might take a lesson from best friend Clooney in how to stay relevant while maintaining an air of mystery.

Remember: the most dependable road to the top is to treat your brand as your greatest asset.

(Samantha Ettus is the author of "The Experts' Guide to 100 Things Everyone Should Know How to Do" (Random House). Contact her at Samantha@celebrityassets.com.)