A disguise can go a long way. Hannah Montana got away with a blonde wig and sparkly clothes. In the realm of superheroes, they can do with going out in a baseball hat and sunglasses. However, it’s not just the fictional realm where disguises are used, as celebrities in real life have done this too. A recent example of this is actor KJ Apa, who has taken on the alter ego of Mr. Fantasy. Mr. Fantasy wears a black bob, false teeth and outlandish clothes, and speaks in an exaggerated British accent. Mr. Fantasy is an outlandish personality who sings and pretty much does whatever he wants without adhering to social expectations. This era of Apa is something that celebrities should tap into more, and be a little bit more unserious.
Since introducing himself in a tiktok video, Mr. Fantasy has gained popularity through speculation of who is behind the costume, and if Apa will ever confirm that it is actually him. Mr. Fantasy has released two songs, both of which are written and performed solely by Apa and are catchy synth-pop tracks. Apa’s alternate persona has allowed him to tap into a different form of self expression that was not acting. Seeing an actor like Apa become a singer out of the blue is a complete shift from what is typical of celebrity actors. At its simplest, actors are entertainers and Mr. Fantasy does just that.
When Apa first made his breakout role in the show “Riverdale,” he displayed his range as an actor in its first couple of seasons. However, as the series went on, it became an inside joke among actors and fans of the show of how much they lost the original plot. By the series finale, the actors were known for interviews shamelessly bashing the writing and plot lines. It was clear they were over the series and wanted a change. Since it ended in 2023, Apa has starred in a couple of movies playing the love interest or “boy next door” character but largely has not made a large jump in terms of his acting work. The timing of this erratic character of Mr. Fantasy is a complete 360 from what we are used to seeing, and it is so refreshing that he is approaching this quiet moment in his career with silliness.
It is common to see fans demand that their favorite celebrities speak up on global issues. Over the years many public figures have been “cancelled” for failing to speak on these issues. I am a large proponent of celebrities using their platform when they can, and speaking up on issues even if they are not directly affected by them, but there are instances where this need is taken too far. It is unrealistic that influencers who sing or film videos for a living are put in a corner and expected to speak eloquently about problems that even some experts have trouble discussing. The standards that we hold for people in the spotlight is too high. This standard is the reason for a lot of the toxicity of the internet and why cancel culture thrives.
The pressure of influencers to be advocates and activists has gotten too extreme. Mr. Fantasy is challenging this norm by choosing to be just a public figure (and an unconventional public figure at that) and by just entertaining. He does not feel the need to overstep his influence as a celebrity. He is embracing that his job is not that serious, and he does not need to be the activist that society pressures celebrities to be. Since gaining a separate following as Mr. Fantasy, brands have started collaborating with him and he has gained almost 500,000 monthly listeners. The response to such a bold act further establishes why more celebrities should try different potentials and take more risks like this.
As someone who enjoys following the lives of celebrities, what Apa has done is a large breath of fresh air. The lack of confirmation adds to the allure of Mr. Fantasy as someone who exists outside of Apa the actor. By keeping it a “mystery,” Apa has proved that alter egos are still possible to pull off and should be done more. In a society surrounded with so much negativity, seeing high profile people let their guard down reminds us why we should take life less seriously, and allow celebrities to do so as well.