How to Interview a Celebrity: What You Need to Know to Ace a High-Profile Interview

There’s the interview — and then there’s the celebrity interview. To many writers, publishing an article on a celebrity can be lucrative___ and yes, just plain cool. It’s not always so easy to land interviews with an A-list star, though.

Often, writers will target a celebrity because the star is in a new movie or television show; has just launched a charity event; or, in the case of a politician or executive, has an issue to discuss. However, just because you want to talk to a superstar doesn’t mean it will happen. Many celebrity pieces are handled in house. But some publications are open to celebrity article pitches from freelancers if there’s a distinctive angle — and, of course, if you already have a personal connection to the star.

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A few months ago, I got an offer to interview actor Patrick Dempsey. I cover the health industry, and the Grey’s Anatomy star had recently funded a medical startup — so it was a good fit. I realize that not all writers have an opportunity like this fall into their laps, so I’ve gathered some insight to help you succeed at celebrity interviews.

Understand the nuances of the celebrity interview.

There are a few things that make interviewing a high-profile individual different from other interviews you have performed. First, there will likely be at least another person (the publicist) in the room or on the phone with you. The star’s availability might be tight, especially if you get to talk to them during a press tour. As such, you might have limited time to interview him or her. And then there may be restrictions on what you can or cannot ask the celebrity.

Another challenge may be making contact with your subject. Sometimes a celebrity’s publicist may reach out to you, which breaks down some of the barriers. But if you’re targeting a star on your own, it helps to have an outlet in mind — and an angle.

Track down publicists — and be persistent.

“Publicists tend to work with you more easily if you’ve gotten an assignment to write about their client,” said Michele Wojciechowski, a Maryland-based writer.

The first step is to reach out to the publicist to see if he or she can grant you the interview — even making contact there isn’t easy.

“You need to get creative,” Wojciechowski said. She recommends trying to contact publicists on IMDb Pro, which is a paid service. Googling the publicist is another option. “You’d be surprised how many people have their publicists listed on their own websites,” she said.

Of course writers cannot always secure a time to speak with the celebrity they desire. Sometimes, like magazine editors, the publicist will reject your request — or simply not respond to your inquiry.

“Usually, it’s not about you. So don’t blame the publicist,” Wojciechowski said. “And if you get turned down, always ask if there would be a better time to talk with the celeb.”

Also keep in mind that a publicist isn’t your only way “in” with a celebrity. Melanie Votaw, a writer from New York, wrote to a network to get an interview with Stuart Townsend about his role in the show Betrayal without a response until she reviewed the show and promoted it via social media. “When I requested an interview a second time, Stuart knew my name and consented [to an interview],” she said.

Have an angle in mind when pitching editors.

It’s a good idea to try to secure an interview with a celebrity before pitching a publication. Editors are going to want to know that you have an interview lined up, or a sure-thing connection to the celebrity.

“Have a good idea for a story and a market to sell it to,” said Joel Keller, a writer based in New Jersey. “Yes, you can get away with ‘Want a Q&A with so-and-so?’ especially if you have a relationship with an editor already. But, just like with non-celeb pitches, the editor will be looking for a story to hook to the celebrity.”

It might take a little back-and-forth with the editor, but if you can get the editor to confirm a spot for the interview, you can then let the publicist know you have secured a home for the article. He or she may then give it the green light. “The better a story it is, the better chance you’ll place the idea with a bigger pub that’ll carry more juice with the publicist,” Keller said.

Prepare your questions in advance.

As journalists, we’re used to “winging” interviews___ who hasn’t? The celebrity interview, on the other hand, is not one that can be improvised. Without planning, your interview could turn into a disaster and leave you with little material to deliver. A poor interview means the publicist won’t work with you in the future, may tell others about the bad experience and tarnish your reputation. That means that your editor may not publish the piece — or work with you again.

“I make sure to research the celebrity ahead of time, and I write my main questions out before the interview,” Wojciechowski said.

In my own experience, I find that high-profile celebrities often have a tight-knit group of publicists that want to evaluate your questions before you speak to the star or know if you will record the conversation (highly recommended) — another reason to gather your thoughts and jot down your questions long before the interview.

Do your homework and get the facts straight.

With a celebrity interview, it’s likely that the interviewee has had some poor experiences in the past with the press. He might be under constant fire for his professional choices, and have probably had untrue rumor spread about him.

No matter how much you know about the celebrity, take a moment to Google the person. Look into recent headlines, as they may affect your story. If the piece is about a certain issue, try to educate yourself on it. One part of my Dempsey story that made it special was that the actor was supporting a startup that helped people get answers to their personal medical mysteries. I learned that Dempsey’s mother had ovarian cancer, so he understood how hard it was for families to receive an accurate diagnosis — something that brought out the human-interest side of the piece.

“Unless it’s a fact given to me by their publicist, I always ask them if something I read about them is true,” Wojciechowski said. “A few times, it hasn’t been, and that in itself led to some interesting anecdotes.”

Build a rapport with your star subject.

In addition to researching your subject, it’s vital to remain calm and be professional. “If you’re too much of a fan, it can make the celebrity uncomfortable,” Votaw said.

I never told Dempsey that I all but wore out the VHS tape of his ’80s flick Can’t Buy Me Love because I watched it so much___ and I never called him McDreamy or told him I had seen every episode of Grey’s Anatomy. Although I was nervous to interview one of my favorite actors, keeping a professional tone helped foster a better dialog.

Having a good connection with celebrity handlers can also be a plus. “They can be your best friend or they can be a brick wall,” Keller noted.

Keller had a great interview with comedian Louis Szekely, as Louis C.K., when the show Louie was being made. During the second season of the show, the actor had a different representative — someone Keller had a good relationship with. Still, he could not get an interview because the new rep only wanted high-profile coverage for the actor. “So the websites I was writing for didn’t cut it anymore,” he said. “It had nothing to do with my previous interview with Louie or my relationship with his new publicist. It’s all about the juice.”

Get on publicists’ A list.

One celebrity interview can’t make or break your career, but a good one can lead to more. After a good piece, the publicist might contact you for future stories, put you on their press list or share your contact details with colleagues.

“Once they know you’re easy to work with and that they can count on you to publish when you say you will, they will do their best to get you the interviews you want,” she said.

After the story publishes, it’s a nice touch to send the publicist your clip. Post the link of your interview on social media and tag your subject — that could make you a bit of a star if the celebrity shares it, too. And your editor will appreciate the traffic!

Kristen Fischer is the author of ‘When Talent Isn’t Enough: Business Basics for the Creatively Inclined’ (Career Press, 2013).