On a recent episode of the Joe Rogan Experience, host Joe Rogan sat down with Scott Eastwood, and the conversation drifted into territory that cuts through much of the mythology surrounding celebrity culture: the difference between wanting to be famous and wanting to be wealthy.
The topic emerged after Scott reflected on behavior he had witnessed in Hollywood. Rogan suggested that, for some people, fame is less about achievement and more about the power it seems to bring.
“There’s a thing that some people want to be a star so they can behave like that,” Rogan said. “They want to be a star so they can order people around or just do whatever they want to do and just be unpredictable and wild. They actually enjoy that aspect of being famous.”
Scott agreed, then offered a perspective shaped by growing up around one of Hollywood’s biggest names.
“People think they want to be famous,” he said. “You don’t want to be famous. Rich. Rich is better.”
Rogan immediately backed him up.
The distinction, they argued, is more significant than it first appears. Fame often comes with constant validation and preferential treatment that can gradually distort a person’s view of the world.
Actors are surrounded by people anticipating their needs, bringing them food, coffee, or anything else they ask for. Over time, Rogan suggested, that environment can reshape someone’s expectations.
“They’re getting their a**es kissed all the time,” he said. “They’re on sets, and people are trying to get them bagels and coffee, and everyone’s always catering to them. So they start feeling like they deserve that from the world.”
Wealth, by contrast, does not require that same public performance. You can enjoy financial success without becoming a character that millions of people feel they own.
Scott connected that mindset to his upbringing under Clint Eastwood, whose attitude toward filmmaking remained remarkably straightforward despite decades of stardom.
“Put your boots on, go to work, man,” Scott said, describing his father’s approach.
He credited that work ethic with giving him a grounded understanding of the industry, allowing him to see past the glamorous image many people associate with Hollywood.
The conversation also turned to the dangers of becoming famous before developing an identity outside of the spotlight. Scott explained that working ordinary jobs before finding success helped him understand how most people live and work.
“You kind of realize how the real world operates,” he said. “You get famous too early, you get stunted in your growth.”
Rogan agreed, adding that people who seem to handle fame best are often those who had already built a solid foundation before public attention arrived.
