Celebrities often have to deal with Paparazzi, obsessive fans and large crowds. They need a physical barrier to protect them from harm but there is a lot more to the job than that today.
The allure of being a celebrity bodyguard is different from what many people may expect. It’s more of a thinking person’s game today which requires bodyguards to keep calm in all kinds of situations, think on their feet, and constantly adapt to change.
Executive Protection Agents (EPs)
Historically, bodyguards were physically strong men and their main objective was to be a physical deterrent to threats facing clients. With advances in technology and new types of threats, more is expected from bodyguards today. They prefer to be called executive protection (EP) agents rather than bodyguards. Many EP agents come from military or law-enforcement backgrounds and take further training to enhance the skills they already have.
Pacific West Academy is an Advanced Security Concepts (ASC) company in the executive protection field operations with locations in Los Angeles and San Diego. It provides the training required to be effective in positions in the security and protection fields.
EPs don’t have same lifestyle is the celebrities they guard
Those who want to be an EP agent for a celebrity client may think they will enjoy some of that celebrity lifestyle. They may ride around in fast cars, fly in private jets, attend lavish events and travel to exotic locations but EP agents that participate in the fast-paced lifestyle of their celebrity clients won’t last for long.
Professionalism, experience and discretion are some of the defining characteristics of the job. There are some celebrities who expect their EP agents to party with them but this never ends well. Posting pictures of themselves with their clients on social media can be a career-killer for an EP agent.
Physical fitness is a requirement but it’s not the only one
Celebrities who pay for physical bulk when it comes to protection risk hiring a person whose first instinct may be to resort to force when confronted with a problem. Physical fitness is a prerequisite for the job but physical stature alone is not enough. Professional EP agents must have the brains, expertise and demeanor that really matters to keep someone safe.
Each celebrity is different
Celebrities, like any other people, may be compassionate, spiteful, generous or mean. One EP agent speaks about having a client who would reheat hours-old coffee, and another who threw away $500 dress shirts after one use. Clients have different expectations and EP agents need to figure these out.
Some high-profile celebrities avoid social media but most of them are very visible on social media, where they will post about their lives, travels and events they attend. Their fans love this insight into their lives but others can use this information to harm them. EP agents need to be aware of what their celebrity clients post on social media as this helps them to keep clients safe.
Good threat assessment and advance work
Celebrities work hard and often have demanding schedules where every minute is worth money. It’s the job of the EP agent to make sure they get where they have to be safely and in time. They can assist celebrities and help them to get more done because they will scope out directions in advance and often know exactly how to enter and exit locations.
If the celebrity is going to a certain location, the EP agent will know in advance which gate to go in, where the bathrooms are and more. They have to make plans but know that nothing may go as planned so they need to have contingencies for all plans and courses of action.