D-Teflon speaks about keeping celebrities safe
The 2010 Toronto International Film Festival starts today, bringing throngs of celebrities, media, and fans into downtown Toronto for over a week of film debuts, galas, and afterhours events.
Many of the famous visitors will have discreet, often imposing figures following in their shadows: their bodyguards.
Last year, D-Teflon, aka Derrick Ling, spoke to Wellesley Consulting Services and offered some insight into celebrity security, in particular for major events. He is a celebrity bodyguard, who is also an actor, producer and talent agent. In nearly 20 years in the business, he has worked with Hollywood A-listers such as Morgan Freeman, Justin Timberlake, and many others.
Discretion is the touchstone of VIP security, not just for celebrities, but in all cases. As the VIP’s protector and constant companion, “you will hear and see a lot of things,” says D-Teflon. The guard-client relationship must be built on trust.
“Being discreet is perhaps the most important skill,” for a professional bodyguard.
Professionalism is another important aspect the job. That may mean taking control of a situation, says D-Teflon. As a bodyguard you have to be able to draw lines and let the client know you “will not be a yes man”, he opined. It may mean making an executive decision to prevent a client from doing something that might harm himself, someone else, or his reputation, such as taking the keys away and driving them home if they’ve had too much to drink.
Major events, like those that surround the film festival, may require pre-planning and coordination. The VIP bodyguard may find that the best way to protect their client is to oversee venue security plans and communicate directly with the venue’s head of security. If the venue security is inadequate, or “if I feel there is a high level of risk,” says D-Teflon, bringing in additional trusted security team members may be an option.
Although many security companies offer personal protection services, D-Telfon believes that the personal, one-on-one security offered by a dedicated bodyguard offers better service for the client. He explains, “when a security company comes into the mix … most don’t do enough research to make sure the safety of the client is a top priority.” In contrast, a dedicated bodyguard who travels on the road with the client builds “a level of trust.”
That trust is built with a discreet professionalism. “The first rule of keeping your client safe is keeping quiet,” says D-Teflon. This rule protects them not only from physical harm, but damage to their reputation and image as well, and D-Teflon cites the case of Britney Spears’ bodyguard who sold his story about her battle with drugs to a tabloid. Whatever Spears’ difficulties in her career and personal life, they were amplified in a sensationalized news interview that further damaged her image and made it that much more difficult to recover from, and more difficult for celebrities now to trust hiring bodyguards, making it tougher on the personal protection business itself.
“Treat your job in this business as if you are in the CIA. You can never share any information with anyone. Never. Ever. Not for any amount of money,” insists D-Teflon.
To summarize his view on the bodyguard-client relationship, he continues, “overall, what is expected in this job is to do everything it takes to make the life of your client easier, more comfortable (and) safer.”
This year at TIFF, the spotlight will be on the celebrities. And with discreet, professional bodyguards watching their backs, that spotlight will be firmly focused on the attraction to the festival, and the city, that those celebrities bring.
