BBC Sherlock Fan Forum - Serving Sherlockians since February 2012 / Idols and influences

**Posted by This Is The Phantom Lady** August 25, 2014 2:31 pm

A persons idols through life is a big part of what shapes them along the way...

Who were and are your idols? Who do you look up to?

My first idols I remember having were Charlie Chaplin and Elizabeth Taylor.
When I was little I saw a Chaplin film for the first time 'Gold Rush'. I was taken aback by how much I understood; how much emotion came through without a single world... Since then I tried to watch as many of the films as I could and hoped I could act like that one day.

Some years later, I think I was 9 when I discovered Elizabeth Taylor I wanted to grow up to look like her... (which I didn't in the end though...)

At 14 years old I became a fan of Michael Jackson; having him as an idol forced me to rethink a lot of things and I believe he made me a better person through having him as an idol. I grew up with a very racist and homophobic mother and naturally it had rubbed onto me (I'm not sure I was ever a homophobe... I believe I already had my sexuality as a kid). I started caring for others too...

Some years ago a fictional character became my idol. Patrick/Patricia Kitten Braden from the book and film 'Breakfast on Pluto'. It was at a time when I didn't really know who I was. I didn't even know if I had a favourite colour... what kind of food I liked... I've always had a very weak personality and allowed other people to decide for me. Having Kitten as an idol allowed me to mold myself into a person I wanted to be for the rest of my life...

And right now I have Ben as an idol; going back to the actors making me want to take up acting once more... I lost faith in my own skills and forgot the little girl who wanted to be just as good as Chaplin. Now I want to be half as good as Benedict! He's inspiring me in so many ways... I dare to be creative and smart. I yearn to learn!

**Posted by eurydike** August 25, 2014 3:28 pm

Hmmm, I never really had idols. There were always people I admired for their work (films, music, books, ...), but I never wanted to be like them or tried to be another person because of what they were or did.

I am quite a strong personality and already had a lot of my beliefs and opinions at a very early point in my life. Still, there are some people who were very important to me:

- Federica de Cesco (an author who published her first book at the age of 15 and who I had always admired for that)
- Jonathan Knight of New Kids on the Block (I had a huge crush on him when I was about 12 or 13)
- James Iha of Smashing Pumpkins (had a crush on him too)
- the band X from Japan (they might be have been called an influential part of my life for some time, yes)

When I think about it, a lot of my crushes always used to be musicians. I never had a crush on an actor because I would usually fall for a character they played and not with the actor as such.

But now, with Benedict, it's different somehow. I never had a crush on any of his characters and didn't like him as an actor all that much either. But somehow he managed to steal himself past all my boundaries and to find a place in my heart. Pretty weird, but he can stay as long as he feels like, I don't mind.

**Posted by Schmiezi** August 25, 2014 5:08 pm

I must admit that it was Captain Picard who got me savely through puberty. Whenever there was a moral dilemma (and oh how there are thousands of them when you are fourteen), I was wondering what he would do and that led to some good choices, I think.

Later in live I was influenced by writer John Steinbeck and his brilliant insight into the human soul. He has a way of understanding people without judging that impressed me and still does.

Last edited by Schmiezi (August 25, 2014 5:09 pm)

**Posted by shehzad** September 25, 2014 7:13 am

nice post...........

**Posted by Whisky** September 27, 2014 4:35 pm

That's a really good question. I'm struggling with the definition of idol... what exactly it means. Idol, for me, implies someone I admire without considering his/her faults, but I'm not not sure that's what you mean when reading your thoughts. Do you mean like a role model? (it's sometimes hard for me to distinguish between things like that in foreign languages).
I wasn't into film stars at all when I was young, didn't know names... we had only so few programmes on TV and my life was filled with books.
I think "George" from Enid Blyton's Famous Five was a figure I adored, but not so much an "idol". Also Pippi Longstocking :D
I liked book characters. They wouldn't fail me, and yet they could be very "human".
Nowadays I'm not sure if I have role models or idols anymore. Or rather, I'm not so much aware of them (I'm sure everybody has them). Although, e.g. Louise Brealey makes quite an impression on me.

Last edited by Whisky (September 27, 2014 4:43 pm)