History Main / ThePrimadonna

* Series/{{Batman}}: Parodied with Dawn Robbins from ''The Penguin's A Jinx'':

The Primadonna is the AlphaBitch of show business. Her talent and beauty are matched only by her ego, and she is prone to making infuriating demands of her producers (like demanding an UnlimitedWardrobe), and God help the poor sap in a position of servitude to her. As a performer, she will make sure everyone knows it is ''her'' show and she rules the stage with an iron fist. She never considers that she may be [[WhiteDwarfStarlet past her prime]], or that her nasty attitude could be bringing down the morale of those around her. Often she'll be [[NiceCharacterMeanActor considerably meaner backstage than any of her famous roles]]. Expect her to put on a sweet face for interviews and publicity appearances, but rumors of her real personality will always abound.

* Wrestling/ShawnMichaels was such a primadonna, in and out of the ring, on and off camera, that people largely forgot all about his {{jobber}} run in the Wrestling/NationalWrestlingAlliance, his TagTeam with Marty Jannetty that imitated Wrestling/TheRockNRollExpress and even his stint as a GorgeousGeorge who feuded with Wrestling/RickMartel and posed for Playgirl magazine. Mostly what is remembered that Michaels was a whiny but talented wrestler who ruined the careers of several other wrestlers, quit the business, lost his smile and returned to atone for the wrongs he did after helping train several better-behaved wrestlers like Wrestling/BryanDanielson, Wrestling/LondonAndKendrick. Incidentally, Shawn sang too, [[SoBadItsGood but he wasn't any good at singing.]]

* WesternAnimation/MyLifeAsATeenageRobot had Don Prima, who cares more about his shoes then most of the characters on the show. Heck, his name is a play on this!

The Primadonna is the AlphaBitch of show business. Her talent and beauty are matched only by her ego, and she is prone to making infuriating demands of her producers (like demanding an UnlimitedWardrobe), and God help the poor sap in a position of servitude to her. As a performer, she will make sure everyone knows it is ''her'' show and she rules the stage with an iron fist. She never considers that she may be [[WhiteDwarfStarlet past her prime]], or that her nasty attitude could be bringing down the morale of those around her. Often she'll be [[NiceCharacterMeanActor considerably meaner backstage than any of her famous roles]]. Expect her to put on a sweet face for interviews and publicity appearances, but rumours of her real personality will always abound.

The Primadonna is etymologically and stereotypically female, but men are just as likely to act this way, and the word's meaning gradually became [[YouKeepUsingThatWord less specific through overuse]]. It's Italian for "first lady" and originally referred to the lead female singer in an opera company. Evidently enough of them embodied the traits described here that the word has gained a decidedly negative connotation. Nowadays it refers to any individual--male or female--who is talented in their field but insufferably egotistical. The term "diva", which is Italian for "goddess" and referred to a seasoned and respected female singer, has gained the exact same associations with ego and entitlement, to the point that the two terms are virtually synonymous. However, "diva" is still limited to entertainers (though not necessarily women or singers).

Compare TakingAdvantageOfGenerosity. See also PrimaDonnaDirector, who acts much the same. Also see {{Bridezilla}} for when it's a bride--performer or not--who behaves like this during her Big Day (but can be a lovely person most other times).

* Bianca Castafiore from the ''Franchise/{{Tintin}}'' comics, though much nicer than most examples. Still, if you don't serve her pasta "al dente", she'll upends them on the poor sap doing so, even if he's a prison guard.

* Parodied in ''ComicStrip/{{Dilbert}}'', where a technology Prima Donna is shown to be rude but indispensible.

--> "Oscar! Oscar! I'm back! I'll give you one more chance, you hear me? I'll give you one more chance, you hear me, Oscar? Otherwise I'm out for ''good''! Out, out, ''out''! I'm not being ''humiliated'' in this place! You know I ''am'' the star and I should be treated like it absolutely all the time!"
* Creator/EdwardNorton in Film/{{Birdman}} played a borderline self parody of one.

* Pornstar 'Trixie Vixen' (she had it legally changed) from [[Literature/TheDresdenFiles The Dresden Files]]. A brainless Grade-A bitch who absolutely believes that everyone that isn't her is worthless - the very last person who should have any kind of access to reality-warping magical powers.

* Wrestling/ShawnMichaels was such a primadonna, in and out of the ring, on and off camera, that people largely forgot all about his {{jobber}} run in the Wrestling/NationalWrestlingAlliance, his TagTeam with Marty Jannetty that imitated Wrestling/TheRockNRollExpress and even his stint as a GorgeousGeorge who feuded with Wrestling/RickMartel and posed for Playgirl magazine. Mostly what is remembered that Michaels was a whinny but talented wrestler who ruined the careers of several other wrestlers, quit the business, lost his smile and returned to atone for the wrongs he did after helping train several better behaved wrestlers like Wrestling/BryanDanielson, Wrestling/LondonAndKendrick. Incidentally, Shawn sang too, [[SoBadItsGood but he wasn't any good at singing.]]
* MNM were a mix of this and TheBully in Ohio Valley Wrestling. They weren't exactly the most respectful group ''before'' they had got to spend time on national television, after which barging into the locker rooms of other {{tag team}}s and terrorizing non wrestling personnel became their modus operandi. Ironically on cable television they were merely portrayed as celebrity hanger ons, with Wrestling/{{Melina}} ending up more like an ruthless diva, Wrestling/JohnMorrison become an bizarre religious figure and Joey Mercury becoming obsessed with destroying Wrestling/MattHardy after Matt and Wrestling/{{Jeff|Hardy}} destroyed his face.

The Primadonna is etymologically and stereotypically female, but men are just as likely to act this way, and the word's meaning gradually became [[YouKeepUsingThatWord less specific through overuse]]. It's Italian for "first lady" and originally referred to the lead female singer in an opera company. Evidently enough of them embodied the traits described here that the word has gained a decidedly negative connotation. Nowadays it refers to any individual--male or female--who's one of the best in their field but their success has gone straight to their head. The term "diva", which is Italian for "goddess" and referred to a seasoned and respected female singer, has gained the exact same associations with ego and entitlement, to the point that the two terms are virtually synonymous. However, "diva" is still limited to entertainers (though not necessarily women or singers).

-->-- '''''{{Series/Angel}}''''', "[[{{Recap/AngelS05E19TimeBomb}} Time Bomb]]"

[[quoteright:350:[[WesternAnimation/TotallySpies https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/totallyspies_01441b.jpg]]]]
[[caption-width-right:350:How ''dare'' they not give her any lines![[note]]What? Just because she's had no prior acting experience, her part is just an InnocentBystander, and she's actually [[UndercoverModel going undercover]]? You call ''that'' an excuse?![[/note]]]]

* Lady Frost became one after winning her first title belt in Midwest Championship Wrestling, complaining the shading of her picture on promotional posters and demanding the filter on the camera be turned of while recording her promos, so fans could see how "porcelain" her skin was". [[/folder]]

* Wrestling/ShawnMichaels was such a primadonna, in and out of the ring, on and off camera, that people largely forgot all about his jobber run in the Wrestling/NationalWrestlingAlliance, his TagTeam with Marty Jannetty that imitated Wrestling/TheRockNRollExpress and even his stint as a GorgeousGeorge who feuded with Wrestling/RickMartel and posed for Playgirl magazine. Mostly that Michaels was a whinny but talented wrestler who ruined the careers of several other wrestlers, quit the business, lost his smile and returned to atone for the wrongs he did after helping train several better behaved wrestlers like Wrestling/BryanDanielson, Wrestling/LondonAndKendrick. Incidentally, Shawn sang too, [[SoBadItsGood but he wasn't any good at singing.]]
* MNM were a mix of this and TheBully in Ohio Valley Wrestling. They weren't exactly the most respectful group ''before'' they had got to spend time on national television, after which barging into the locker rooms of other {{tag team}}s and terrorizing non wrestling personnel became their modus operandi. Ironically on cable television they were merely portrayed as celebrity hanger ons, with Wrestling/{{Melina}} ending up more like an ruthless diva, Wrestling/JohnMorrison become an bizarre religious figure and Joey Mercury becoming obsessed with destroying Wrestling/MattHardy after Matt and Wrestling/{{Jeff|Hardy}} destroyed his face.[[/folder]]

Compare TakingAdvantageOfGenerosity. See also PrimaDonnaDirector, who acts much the same. Also see {{Bridezilla}} for when it's a bride--performer or not--who behaves like this during her Big Day (but can be a lovely person most other times). Contrast TheDiva, who ''may'' have the personality but demonstrates the skill to back it up.

The Primadonna is etymologically and stereotypically female, but not AlwaysFemale. This is because the word's meaning has become [[YouKeepUsingThatWord less specific through overuse]] in RealLife. It's Italian for "first lady" and originally referred to the leading female singer in an opera company. Evidently enough of them embodied the traits in the preceding paragraph that it came to refer to any individual--male or female--who's talented in their field but insufferably egotistical and a pain to work with. The term "diva," which is Italian for "goddess" and originally referred to a seasoned and respected female singer, has gained negative connotations for all the same reasons, to the point that the two are synonymous. However, "diva" is still limited to the entertainment industry, though not necessarily women or singers.

->'''Wesley''': She still thinks she's the god-king of the universe.\\
'''Gunn''': So she's like a TV star.\\
'''Wesley''': No, nothing that bad.

The Primadonna is etymologically and stereotypically female, but men are not exempt but being called one. This is because the word's meaning has become [[YouKeepUsingThatWord less specific through overuse]] in RealLife. It's Italian for "first lady" and originally referred to the leading female singer in an opera company. Evidently enough of them embodied the traits in the preceding paragraph that it came to refer to any individual--male or female--who's talented in their field but insufferably egotistical and a pain to work with. The term "diva," which is Italian for "goddess" and originally referred to a seasoned and respected female singer, has gained negative connotations for all the same reasons, to the point that the two are synonymous. However, "diva" is still limited to the entertainment industry, though not necessarily women or singers.

Compare TakingAdvantageOfGenerosity. See also PrimaDonnaDirector, who acts much the same. Also see {{Bridezilla}} for when it's a bride--performer or not--who behaves like this during her Big Day (but can be a lovely person most other times).

* Darla Dimple from ''WesternAnimation/CatsDontDance'', combined with EnfantTerrible.

* EdwardNorton in Film/{{Birdman}} played a borderline self parody of one.

The Primadonna is the AlphaBitch of show business. Her talent and beauty are matched only by her ego, and she is prone to making infuriating demands of her producers (like demanding an UnlimitedWardrobe), and God help the poor sap in a position of servitude to her. As a performer, she will make sure everyone knows it is ''her'' show and will not tolerate some young upstart stealing her spotlight. She never considers that she may be [[WhiteDwarfStarlet past her prime]], or that her nasty attitude could be bringing down the morale of those around her. Often she'll be [[NiceCharacterMeanActor considerably meaner backstage than any of her famous roles]]. Expect her to put on a sweet face for interviews and publicity appearances, but rumours of her real personality will always abound.

* EdwardNorton in Film/Birdman played a borderline self parody of one.