Insecurity is fast turning fiction into fact for that most sensitive of types - the Hollywood actor.
The recent Hollywood film,
Panic Room
, has proved an inspiration for some high-profile actors who are seeking safety from possible kidnap or attack.
A report in Varietymagazine has revealed that the provision of panic rooms, as featured in the recent film of the same name, is becoming the latest demand from Hollywood film stars and directors who fear for their own safety.
Many actors are now apparently insisting upon the provision by studios of a panic room on-set before accepting parts in films.
Top Hollywood studios are reported to have installed safe rooms to provide a haven for actors and directors in case they come under attack.
Actors are seeking extra protection from potential stalkers - of which many high-profile stars have recently been victims, such as Madonna, Brad Pitt, Gwyneth Paltrow, and famously, Jodie Foster.
Recent world events such as the September 11th attacks and warnings of the use by terrorists of weapons of mass destruction has apparently seen requests for bomb and chemical-proof shelters go through the roof.
However, the provision of panic rooms is not confined to worrisome actors. Senior business people are who are afraid of kidnap are also known to have adopted the better-safe-than-sorry approach.
Closer to home, dot com millionaire and recently appointed head of the FAI, Fran Rooney, is also reported to have installed a panic room in his recently renovated Castleknock home.
