Posted by Jan den Breejen on March 20, 2000 at 05:35:13:
James Cameron
JAMES CAMERON commits serial matrimony when he makes movies, he dumps a wife, takes another, or both. His resume includes hits such as The Terminator, Aliens and True Lies - and four failed marriages. He also is a terror to work with - and his wives almost always work with him. His longest relationship was with teen sweetheart Sharon Williams. It lasted from 1972, when he was 18 and she was 17, until 1984, when he made "The Terminator." From 1975 on, Sharon supported him by working two jobs. They married in 1976. Cameron's first job came in 1978, at New World Studio. He became a workaholic and separated from Sharon to be closer to the studio. Cameron's first break came on the 1980 film "Battie Beyond the Stars." He met New World co-worker Gale Anne Hurd. Sparks flew, but they didn't become lovers until 1981. She later became a successful producer and his second wife. In 1982, the idea for "The Terminator" came to Cameron in a flu-and-fever inspired nightmare. Gale, herself a workaholic, helped him write and sell the script. Production started in 1983. Cameron finally divorced Sharon in 1984. In an amicable split, she got $1,200, just before "The Terminator" became a runaway hit. Cameron and Gale tied the knot in 1985. After a brief honeymoon, they moved to London in 1986 to film Aliens." She produced, he directed. During 1987 he wrote the screenplay for "The Abyss." In 1988 he made the film. By then, he and Gale were separated, contemplating divorce. Yet, astonishingly, they continued working together before divorcing in February 1989. Within months, he fell in love with director Kathryn Bigelow on the set of her movie "Blue Steel," where he was scouting actors. By August 1989, they married. In 1990, Cameron began work on "Terminator 2: Judgment Day." His marriage to Bigelow had already soured. During the shoot, rumors flew about a romance between Cameron and lead actress Linda Hamilton. Opening day of "T2" was July 4, 1991. On August 30, he divorced Bigelow and agreed to give her the house they shared, valued at $1 million -and produce three of her upcoming films. Linda moved into Cameron's house shortly thereafter, but they didn't wed. In spring 1992, Linda gave birth to Cameron's first child, Josephine. That same year, she moved out of Cameron's house and took Josephine with her. For five years, the two would be together, then apart. But without legal bonds, this proved to be Cameron's most stable love. Cameron conceived "True Lies" in 1993 and shot it in 1994. Crew members called him "Mij" or Jim spelled backward, and it stood for the evil Cameron. The director admits to his dark side. "When I get to the end of a film, 50 percent of my crew usually believes I'm a complete a---- The other 50 percent know I'm an a--- he has told a reporter. And he lived up to his billing during the 1997 making of "Titanic." During filming, Cameron fell in love with and dated actress Suzy Amis. He moved out of the home he shared with Hamilton on April 23, 1997. Then, in a bizarre twist, Cameron dumped Suzy Amis and married Linda three months later on July 26, 1997. And after the 1998 Oscar ceremony, Cameron went back to Suzy! By mid-1999, he and Linda divorced. Said Hamilton in USA Today, "Living with Jim was very difficult. Divorcing is harder." Rumor has it he gave her $100 million.
+++ Comments by Jan
The character of Cameron is labelled by dr. Oldham 'conscientious style' (and by most enneagrammists E1). This kinda persons can be obsessively pursuing their self-inflicted Herculean work tasks to the point where feelings and emotions get repressed and people around them start feeling unimportant because all attention is focussed on the task. So its easy to see that those opininated, self-righteous, impersonal characters are seen as 'unsympathetic'/cold. The self confident character style (E3) has a similar task focus, but is able to make his/herself popular by expressiveness/extraversion.
Dr. Oldham gives as one of the most important hallmarks of the extreme variants of the conscientious character: '..is excessively devoted to work and productivity to the exclusion of leisure activities and friendships (not accounted for by obvious economic necessity')
Cameron seems to think that he's loved when he makes the 'best' movie; 'I am ok, I am hard working'. He must have been so nitpicking perfectionistic that the less fastidious collegues after some time don't see him as 'king of the world' but as 'king-size jerk'. He pronounced himself King of the World at the Oscar ceremony; conscientious style persons have an inclination to be vain with regard to their works - and for Cameron not without reason; he got 10 Oscars for Titanic. The unpopular obstinacy of the E1 combined with their rational efficiency often makes them able to do things others can't or don't. Howard Carter was a similar 'jerk' as Cameron but his task obsession allowed him to find the grave of Tutanchamon where many other researchers had failed to find the needle in the haystack.
When you see the complete picture, no character style is better or more sympathetic than another...
Jan
PS
For those suffering from someone with this character style and wanting to take positive action dr.Oldham provides a text (p.79); 'How to survive an obsessive-compulsive (or very conscientious boss)'