Do you consider yourself to be a maverick? I know a lot of people who do. It does not mean that they become instant successes but they do have a character of their own. In Hollywood, more than in other places, we can find a lot of mavericks. Forbes actually ran a feature article on some of Hollywood’s best known mavericks with this unforgettable lesson: “If you make people money, you can get away with being a maverick in Hollywood. If you don’t, well, that’s another story.”
So who made the list? Here are some of them.
Oliver Stone
He’s cemented his outsider status with a rebellious nature and a penchant for high-minded, controversial films. His work has provocatively depicted American culture, politics and business with Wall Street, Born on the Fourth of July and Natural Born Killers. But his latest film, W, grossed just $10 million during its opening weekend.
Michael Moore
He’s turned controversy into commerce, with documentaries that have explored American health care, the Iraq war, President Bush and gun ownership. But when his 2004 film Fahrenheit 9/11 grossed over $200 million worldwide–though it had a production cost of $6 million–that’s when he became a Hollywood darling. He’ll earn a reported $20 million to do the sequel.
Mel Gibson
Besides being outspoken, they’re adept at manipulating publicity–both positive and negative–to boost their fame, allowing them to work on their own terms. “Celebrities are selling their own brands because it affords them more freedom and they can drive the machine,” Says Levine.
That last description was actually referring not only to Mel Gibson but to other personalities such as Madonna and Kanye West as well. We all know where these people are right now and I think that being mavericks is one big reason that they reached where they are.
Originally posted on June 10, 2011 @ 4:34 am