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Washington Post: Red carpet magic: How Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt have perfected the art of first-person fan management
Quote:
So many things were shocking about Brad Pitt getting punched in the face by a deranged prankster at the Los Angeles premiere of “Maleficent” on May 28. The brazen, senseless hostility of the act, for one. Not to mention that the same self-described “journalist” had recently pulled another stunt at the Cannes Film Festival, when he crawled under a full-skirted gown worn by actress America Ferrera.
The one thing that wasn’t shocking about the assault Pitt suffered was that his fiancé, Angelina Jolie, announced just a few days later that she had no intention of increasing security when she and Pitt are on the hustings meeting fans. Calling Pitt’s assailant “an exception to the rule,” she told the Associated Press, “Most fans are just wonderful. We’ve had a wonderful experience over the years, and we’re very grateful for their support, and it will not change the way we behave.”
Unlike those publicity-shy hothouse flowers who make an artistically pure point of shunning red-carpet glad-handing, Jolie and Pitt have perfected the art of first-person fan management, a level of public engagement that goes much deeper than the easy smile-and-wave from a safe distance.
In Jolie’s case, I’ve seen first-hand how she meets and treats her fans, and can attest to a devotion that isn’t just steadfast on her admirers’ part, but mutual. At Cannes a few years ago, she accompanied Pitt to the premiere of “The Tree of Life,” there making its world premiere. As I watched from a nearby balcony Jolie, dressed in a sleek brown Versace gown, bounded up and down the rope line like a headstrong colt just about to win the Triple Crown – shaking hands, signing autographs and stopping for an odd selfie or two.
Pitt joined her, showing similar good sportsmanship with the crush of screaming cine-tourists, many of whom had been standing in the hot Riviera sun for hours just to catch a glimpse of celebrity skin. But when Pitt joined his castmates for photo ops on the staircase leading to the Grand Theatre Lumiere, Jolie stayed behind, working the rope line with high spirits and unreserved vigor that seemed to increase exponentially with each encounter.
These small connections, steadily accruing into an overwhelming one, were extraordinary – even moving — to witness.
Jolie reflected that same sense of presence and reluctance to leave. And that, I think, explains why each of them is more than just a fine actor, but a global superstar. They understand, better than some of their I’m-an-artist-don’t-touch-me peers, the transactional nature of stardom. A contract between fan and celebrity that keeps both afloat — one on a cloud of borrowed glamour and proximate fame, the other on intangible social capital that allows the audience to forgive even the worst flops, gaffes and missteps.
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Humble legend who doesn't act like she's too good.
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no wonder she tries so damn hard 
and she's said to be amazing in her new movie that comes out on Christmas Day. Poor Angelino.
The only part that is somehow sufferable is the "la la la" part.
