GE B1 Unit 5 Reading Test B

Becoming famous

Many people would give almost anything to be famous. Some work for years to achieve their dream only to fi nd that it wasn’t as great an experience as they’d hoped. It’s not that they hate being famous. They just realise that other things might make them happier.

Amanda Bynes became famous as the young girl with the positive attitude in several TV series and then in fi lms such as She’s The Man. Although the parts she was getting became increasingly interesting, working in the profession was becoming very hard to manage and, with the support of her parents, she decided to move into the fashion industry. She’s now a successful designer and has also completed a course at fashion school.

Another child actor who decided on a sudden change of direction is Frankie Muniz. He’d had an interest in motor racing since watching it on TV as a child and announced, when he was at his most famous, that he was giving up his highly successful acting career to become a professional racing driver. Unlike many boys who start doing the sport after watching their mum or dad racing, Frankie had to wait until someone asked him to take part in a celebrity race while he was still acting before he took racing seriously. He was so good, he got a contract with a racing team soon after and the acting had to go. One of the few acting roles he’s played since was that of a racing driver.

Mara Wilson became a child star overnight after playing Matilda, a girl with magical superpowers, in the film of the same name. Despite the fame and admiration, for as long as she can remember, Mara had dreamt of following a different career. She decided to turn her back on fame to achieve her ambition of becoming a writer. Her fi rst play was performed in 2013 and a book soon followed in 2016. Since quitting acting and taking up writing, she’s also become involved with several charity projects which support mental health.

Studies suggest that trying to become wellknown comes from a powerful human desire in many of us to be accepted by others, especially strangers. However, as these former celebrities show, sometimes having fame doesn’t always give people the feeling they’re looking for.