Hamburg photographer Isadora Tast has portrayed more than 60 actors and actresses from all over the world keen to establish themselves as artists in Los Angeles. She offers us insights into a life in Hollywood far removed from the glamour and the world of stars and introduces us to people who, in many different ways, pursue their dream job with more or less success. The portraits and pointed statements open up a world filled with extrovert personalities who fight for their dream every day. Their life stories are mere sketches, yet their motivations, their experiences and assessments are touching and give us an exciting and unfiltered view of everyday life in the world of show business. A lucid essay by renowned film historian Georg Seesslen examines the question of what makes a star a star.

Here, in Hollywood, I definitely benefit from the fact that there’s something of a lady about me, which is not so common here. You know, a sophisticated lady. That’s also the role I played in Mad Men. But the gaming sector is bigger than the movie industry right now. You work in an empty room; you’ve got on this black body suit with markings for the camera so they can transfer the gestures and facial expressions. And what’s so insane is that I have to imagine everything. Nothing exists; it’s only marked out: the floor looks like a chessboard. And you need actors who are incredibly strong physically. (Nina Franzoszek)

Isadora Tast, *1973, lives and works in Hamburg, Germany.