Actions speak louder than words, and the way celebrities react when spotted by fans speaks volumes about their true character. With thousands of people watching, attending a sports game is the biggest public interaction of them all, and the way two movie stars reacted on a jumbotron recently highlights the vast difference in celebrities being recognized in public.
Leonardo DiCaprio and Jeff Goldblum separately attended the same 49ers football game recently, and so of course they ended up on the jumbotron with their names plastered underneath. Their responses to being put on the big screen could not have been more opposite. In a video posted to Instagram, DiCaprio barely glances up from his phone, his black cap pulled down tight, whereas the Wicked cast member shows the crowd some love by standing up and waving, dancing along to the music.
To be honest, the individual reactions don’t surprise me. The Jurassic Park actor has always shown a bit more personality out in public than the Killers of the Flower Moon star. Perhaps it has to do with the fact that the internet is kinder to Goldblum than DiCaprio, with the latter often subject to negative discussion surrounding his dating life.
One might argue DiCaprio needs to hide his face in order to protect his peace. Having acted in some of the most well-known movies of the past 30 years, most people would recognize him thanks to his fame. However, 72 year-old Jeff Goldblum has recognizable roles as well.
In a place where you are secure in your own private suite, and your name is plastered under a live feed, it can’t hurt to let down your guard a bit. Maybe smile, give a wave. Positive interaction, no matter how small, can go a long way in the court of public opinion.
Take Taylor Swift for example. When she started attending her boyfriend Travis Kelce’s football games, Chiefs fans were hardcore booing her. The hate surrounding her amount of screentime during the game was directed at her, not the NFL or network in charge of the broadcast, but she didn’t let that get to her. Week after week she smiled and waved, and even chugged a beer at the Superbowl. The result? Online comments decided that despite her fame and fortune, Swift is just like all of us. Go figure.
I’d say ignoring the fans and then picking at his nose while on camera definitely didn’t help the Inception actor’s reputation, whereas, Goldblum fed his god-like internet presence. At the end of the day, as long as you aren’t wearing the away team’s logo, a jumbotron appearance is easy good publicity for whatever project is coming up on the 2025 movie schedule. DiCaprio, I hope you took notes on Goldblum’s technique!
