What’s the point of thinking cast members are going to be friends forever?

 

It’s not often we get shows with a large cast that have impeccable chemistry on screen. The chemistry is so good that you are bound to think they must have struck up a friendship in real life, too. 

And that assumption seems validated when we see the press junkets and their off-screen camaraderie. They are laughing, praising each other, hugging, and patting each other.

It’s natural to believe that since they have been working together for a long time, their friendship must be authentic. They’ve been coworkers for years now, working on the same project, and most probably have the same dynamic with your coworkers. 

You are best friends with your coworkers, right? All of them? And invited to all of their special events?

Celebrities may get along with each other, but there are some biographies by former stars who say otherwise, though. Most stars come out later in life, proclaiming that no one in the industry is their friend and that their true friends are people outside the industry. 

But posting photos of people not from the movie industry isn’t going to get you a huge fan following on social media, is it? Celebrities receive media training, have social media managers who sometimes post on their behalf, and, of course, have stylists whose job is to make the celebrity look ethereal in every public appearance. 

Off to a grocery store? Their casuals are more trendy than your best clothes. At a premiere? Celebrities have to wear what their stylists give them. And of course, they are directed on how to behave with other cast members and other celebrities. 

So when you see them on the red carpet, hugging each other, taking photos, and acting like they are going to be best friends forever, most of the time it is a performance. Their contract demands that they like each other. Sometimes, when the director wants the cast chemistry to appear palpable on screen, they literally put them in a room together and force them to be friends. 

At this point, the cast members perhaps start to like each other. It helps to be civil to one another while working together on a project, after all. 

But once the final episode airs, and the after party takes place, its farewel to them. 

There are other projects that they need to work on, private lives to give priority to, and, of course, staying relevant through social media and connecting with fans. 

So when a birthday or wedding comes along, and a cast member invites their coworkers, but all of them don’t show up, suddenly the fans begin to speculate. If even one cast member doesn’t show up, old clips from their interviews resurface. 

A smile is seen as sarcasm. A look is seen as hostile. Every action is analyzed, and the result is always the same: the cast members hate each other. They have been snubbed from important events because they hated their very presence, which is why they never got together. 

Or remember that time when they played a game, and so and so cast member, taunted them? It was a witty reply, but now it’s taken out of context. They are showing attitude! The fans have decided that certain cast members have grouped together to form an “I hate that star” club. 

So, what is the point of thinking that cast members are going to be friends forever?

They cannot. They are way too busy promoting themselves in every way possible so that they can land more roles and earn more money. They have prior commitments, are asked to host a random event, or are invited to parties that they must attend because they need to network. 

Or perhaps they want to sit at home in their pajamas and spend time with family and pets. 

Even if they did like their coworkers, maybe they find it hard to balance their professional and personal lives after the show is over. They need a break. 

Or maybe, they couldn’t stand their coworkers and no longer have a contractual obligation to fulfil. 

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