A group that seems to get bigger every year, there are more ways to get famous today than ever before which has the side effect of creating more celebrities. On top of that, now that you can turn on the TV and see people gain a following for ever more mundane things, we’re looking at you “reality” stars, attaining fame seems to actually be in reach.

Whether you’ve ever aspired to being a celebrity or not, there is one thing that we all know to be true, being a star looks pretty sweet from the outside looking in. Of course, there are things about it that suck but the fortune that usually comes along with that level of success makes it seem totally wonderful. However, when you think about it, the huge bank account is far from the only positive thing in a star’s life. Realizing all of that inspired us to put together this list of the 20 biggest benefits of fame beyond the salary.

In order for something to be considered for possible inclusion on this list, it first and foremost needs to be something that is available to most people who are famous. For the purposes of this list, it makes no difference if a regular person may experience a similar thing occasionally in their life as long as it comes easier and more often for celebrities. Additionally, not everything on this list applies to every celebrity out there but there is no question that each entry is something a lot of stars enjoy.

Special Treatment

Something of a grab all for almost everything that appears on this list, we still think that the special treatment that celebrities tend to get from the rest of us deserves an entry as well. After all, when virtually everyone is excited when you even enter a room it is bound to change most things about the way you go through life. On top of that, its sounds pretty awesome to have most people wanting to please you, as long as you don’t allow your ego to make you awful.

Freedom of Expression

It is a sad fact but most of us go through our lives attempting to live up to the expectations of society, at least to a certain degree. Sure, you may let your freak flag fly on the weekends, but in most cases when you go to work you’ll dress for the occasion. However, if you are a star like Lady Gaga, Nicki Minaj, or Johnny Depp, you can dress pretty much any way you want to in most situations. On top of that, many stars are free to act in a much more expressive manner as well.

Hair and Makeup

Something that we always find ourselves looking forward to, when we go and get a haircut it is an absolute pleasure, assuming that our new look comes out looking good anyways. That said, we can’t afford to hit up the hairdressers as often as we’d like to. A problem that celebrities never have to grapple with, they have the money to get their look perfected but they don’t need to spend it a lot of the time. That is because a hair and makeup team are provided to them for free prior to much of their work and appearances.

Open Doors

A television and film trope that is all too real, if you live in a major city and try to get into the latest hot spot without planning your chances are next to nothing. Far from the case for celebrities, however, if you are an A-lister, many businesses will figure out whatever they have to accommodate your last minute appearance at their door. Epitomized by the existence of Club 33, a private club that was a Disneyland secret, millions of people arrive at the park every year but only the rich and famous can enter that restaurant’s doors.

Opportunities

One of the most obvious and enviable parts of being a celebrity, the fact of the matter is that stars get to do many things that the rest of us shouldn’t even dream of. Something that holds true in both their professional and personal lives, things are offered to famous people that blow our minds. On top of that, they can request weird things too like Beyonce and Jay-Z when they got the whole Louvre to themselves.

Management

Absolutely a necessity for anyone that wants to be a star in the acting, music, sports, or most celebrity fields, hiring a manager may seem like a pain in some ways. In fact, at first blush, it may seem like a bad thing for famous people as your new agent gets to take a percentage of everything you make. However, if you really think about it, how awesome would it be to have someone whose job it is to make sure they further your career in every way possible?

Famous Friends

Something that can make a real difference in your life, having good friends can make many things a whole lot better whether they are famous or not. That said, we’d by lying if we tried to pretend like it wouldn’t be really cool to be good friends with a seemingly rad famous person. For instance, people like Keanu Reeves, Anna Kendrick, Tom Hanks, Kristen Bell, Tina Fey, and Dwayne Johnson all come across like they are amazing people that would be incredible friends.

Attention

Something that is a bit of a double-edged sword for sure, being chased by paparazzi wherever you go would be far from cool but the attention that famous people get has a fantastic side too. After all, who among us hasn’t felt like their best efforts weren’t getting the attention and credit that is deserved. On top of that, being seen as a big enough deal that the world follows your every move must be a boost to your personal self-worth as long as you aren’t receiving scorn for your actions.

Appreciation

This is something that Hollywood and other similar businesses sometimes get a great deal of flak for, there is no doubt that the celebrity culture is a self-congratulatory one. Alter all, in a single year in the acting world alone, there are the Oscars, Golden Globes, SAGs, and the Tonys to name only a sampling of the awards show. While that may be excessive, we still fully realize how amazing it must feel to be celebrated by your peers in such a huge way.

Influence

One of the most important side effects that comes with being a celebrity, the spotlight that you receive gives you a pretty huge opportunity. That is because you can cast attention to any number of issues that you would like to see a change in, even if you don’t want to get involved in politics. For instance, you can put your weight behind any number of charitable efforts and encourage your fans to donate. In addition to that, you can also bring attention to someone you feel needs relief from a legal situation, as Kim Kardashian did for Alice Marie Johnson.

Working with the Best

One of the major downsides of trying to make it as a star in businesses like moviemaking, singing, and sports, when you first start out you are bound to work with some lesser skilled people. Actually, if you chose to work on an independent film, for instance, you may be asked to collaborate with people that have no real idea how to do their job. However, once you become a star in most cases you will typically be sharing sets with people that are great at what they do both behind the scenes and in front of the camera.

Entourage

So cool that an entire television show was based around the idea, whether you appreciated the series Entourage or not, it would be pretty great to be able to surround yourselves with people you like. In the cases of some celebrities that may mean hiring professionals like personal chefs or nannies that follow you wherever you go, whereas for others it means keeping your friends around. No matter which version of an entourage a star may choose, we can see the appeal of both.

Jewellery on Loan

One of the flashiest accessories out there, finding the perfect piece of jewellery that completes your look can feel wonderful. Unfortunately, when most of us go to a jewellery store there are bound to be more pieces you love but can’t afford than not. However, in a crazy twist, if you are a big enough star to have a huge salary there is a good chance you may not need to buy all of your jewellery as you can get a lot of it on loan. In fact, some stars are even paid to wear a specific company’s jewellery.

Specially Designed Clothes

The final example on this list of why it is so much easier for a celebrity to look their best than the rest of us, there is a very good reason why so many stars look incredible at red carpet events. That is because there are long lines of designers that will jump at the opportunity to put together outfits that are specially designed for them. An even bigger deal for female celebrities because they aren’t as limited to suits, most legendary celebrity outfits were the result of hours of work on a design team’s behalf.

Variety

Something of a nebulous idea, arguing that celebrities get to enjoy more variety than the rest of us can seem too wide sweeping, but it is very true. We say that because they can afford to mix things up at the last minute if the desire hits. Their jobs also involve doing different things a lot of the time, like playing a new character or performing to a new audience. Additionally, if they get sick of something it is much easier to make a change. In short, if they get into a routine it is likely because they like it.

Bringing Smiles to People’s Faces

Something that we can all do in our personal lives, at almost any minute you can do your very best to make the people in our life’s day a happier one in many different ways. That said, regular folks like us don’t have the opportunity to have one way interactions with millions of strangers on a regular basis the way celebrities do. Through that access, famous people can lift the spirit of the masses by doing things like performing well on the field, being a part of an enjoyable film, or releasing a beloved song.

Meeting Your Heroes

Another double-edged sword, when you meet your heroes it can be extremely disappointing. On the other end of things, in the case of celebrities that are awesome, when you get the chance to interact with them in person it can be a lasting and happy moment. That said, in reality, most of us only get to meet a tiny list of stars in our lifetimes. In the cases of stars, however, at industry events, there are likely to be several heroes of theirs that are also cool to be around.

Personal Assistants

People that hopefully are treated with respect, being a personal assistant may not be great but having one seems like it would be wonderful. For those of you that may not know what that job actually entails, if you have a personal assistant you can have them do your bidding within reason. For instance, if you get an urge for a coffee from an out-of-the-way shop at any point during the day, you can send off your assistant to fetch you one if you want. Only the simplest example of what an assistant does, that alone seems outstanding.

Free Stuff

An entry that is almost a little bit infuriating from the outside looking in, the fact that stars get so much free stuff even though they also tend to be wealthy is kind of crazy. That said, the truth of the matter is that if we were famous we would line up to get our free stuff too. In fact, it is so awesome that Kim Kardashian answered that “free trips, free planes, free everything” is the best part of being her, even though she loves to share what she gets.

Unique Charitable Abilities

Powerful in the world of charity, celebrities have the means to donate a lot of money themselves and as we pointed out earlier in this list they can drive their fans to do the same. That said, they can also use their star power to help out the needy in several unique and amazing ways. For instance, there have been stars that have auctioned off shared experiences with them for charities. Even more meaningful in a lot of ways though, you can also be like John Cena, a WWE wrestler that has granted more than 500 hundred wishes of sick kids throughout his career.

References: elle.com, foodandwine.com, youtube.com, pizzabottle.co, .elle.com,    foodandwine.com, hollywoodreporter.com, espn.com