Alan Tudyk

This really doesn't have anything to do with being young, fit, or financially free. But it is something I've been thinking about. I'm a big Joss Whedon fan and he often "recycles" actors between his productions. One of the actors he has used in several different works is Alan Tudyk.

Alan Tudyk is a very talented, and pretty prolific actor. His biggest/most famous works include the Pirate from Dodgeball; Wash – Serenity and Firefly; Wat – Knight’s Tale; Alpha – Dollhouse; the voice of Sonny from I, Robot. Besides a successful Broadway career, he's also had smaller parts in pretty big movies: 28 days, Knocked up, 3:10 to Yuma, Death at a Funeral, Patch Adams, Ice Age:The meltdown. He has had guest appearances on CSI, Arrested Development, V, and Fraiser. I feel like most Americans would recognize him. However, his name is not a household name. He does not appear on tabloid magazines (although this may be a blessing for him).

Which leads me into my question: What determines fame? What decides if people will become a household name or not? Is it their manager? Is it someone holding up all the puppets of Hollywood? Why are people (Kardashians, Girls Next Door, Paris Hilton) famous for being famous? Do you have to pay to get into the public view?