Well, it depends.
The reason celebrities have to be beautiful is that most of their public will never know them personally – will never see anything about them but the superficials. So, yeah, their livelihood depends on it.
Writers, on the other hand ...
I have dated "ugly" people. If I see you in person before I get to know you, beauty may attract my eye, but it might not get me to approach you. I'm not particularly good-looking myself, any more, so I'd be too indimidated.
The person I most regret not being "with" any more was definitely not-handsome – spindly, pot-bellied, awkward – but brilliant in bed and in conversation, and a real sweetheart. Beautiful eyes, though. We met over the Internet.
And beauty is in the eye of the beholder, anyway. I like a little extra meat on a woman. A set of laugh lines can be very attractive – I fondly remember one in particular, though I don't want that person back. (I also fondly remember the deep, resonant voice and faint Mexican accent.)
So, yeah. Though I do have my "deal-breakers" when it comes to appearance, I have dated "ugly" people and would be glad to do so again.
gently feral