We think it’s difficult to be a celebrity, which it is. However, it’s a lot tougher to be a celebrity bodyguard. The job requires constant attention and a lot of effort. The person also needs to be present at any hour of the day – and if that doesn’t sound heavy, I don’t know what does. Bodyguards usually focus on keeping their clients safe, so there’s hardly any attention that is devoted to them. They, however, deserve it.
In this Reddit AMA, a celebrity bodyguard talked about his job and clients. And this is proof of just how tough the job is.
1. What’s the scariest situation you’ve been in while body guarding?
“I’ve been in many high threat level environments. I don’t think I can pin point one, but I guess I would have to say the day I was shot.”
2. What do you need to be a bodyguard?
“That’s actually a good question. People won’t believe it and I don’t expect anyone to, but after 20 years of experience and being in every situation you can dream of, you develop a kind of 6th sense; the ability to see or feel something happen before it happens. This is an invaluable vision or power, if you will.”
3. Do you have a client who is a pain in the ass to protect?
“Haha, oh yeah. Just like any job you’ve got your awesome clients and your painful ones. Fortunately I have reached a point in my career where I can kind of pick and choose whether I want to work for a client or not.”
4. Do you ever have a hard time keeping your client’s secrets?
“No. I think one of the main reasons clients choose me is because they know their secrets are safe with me. It’s not in my DNA to tell my clients secrets or anyone else’s for that matter. I would never incriminate my clients. I wouldn’t have made it this far in the industry if that was not the case. Also, I don’t care about my clients secrets. Celebrities and celebrity gossip is something I care absolutely nothing about.”
5. Is there much interaction between you and the celebrity?
“I keep it professional and respectable with them and do my job to the best of my ability. They seem to appreciate that. Sometimes they want you to open up more and be more of a friend but I steer away from that. They will respect you more for that in the long run.”
6. How big are you?
I’m 6’4″ and weigh 124 kg.
7. What’s the best thing a client can do/has done to make your life easier? What’s the biggest pain in the ass thing a client can do/has done?
I do not speak much in front of my clients or when on the job. I’m very quiet but when I do speak, it’s because I know what I’m talking about and it is important. So when they listen, it helps. When they don’t, it proves difficult. Time and reasoning helps, you gain their trust after a while and hopefully they’ll listen to your warnings in the future.
8. Who in your opinion and the opinion of your fellow bodyguards is the best of all time at the job?
“I remember interviewing with a potential client, she is one of the biggest artists in the world. She interviewed 10 different bodyguards. In my interview she asked, “So, I hear you’re the best in the busines. What makes you think that?” I had to think fast, all I could say was, “With all due respect ma’am, you said you heard I was the best, I never said I was the best, but then again, everybody can’t be wrong.” She liked that and I later got the job.”
9. How do you deal with security at the venues where music clients perform?
“Yes, there are often untrained and unqualified event guards at the venues. You never rely on them, not saying they all are, most are fine for what they are there. As the artist’s security, everything bad that happens is your fault whether it’s your fault or not. That’s just the way it is, so you have to be proactive. I go check out the venue in advance and do a walk through with the venue’s Head of Security.”
10. What’s your schedule like?
“Our schedules are that of the client’s. We do not have a set schedule, we simply keep our phones on loud and have a go-bag ready so when the phone rings, we go.”
It’s definitely a tough job.