30 Celebrity “Side Skills” That Could Make Them Famous In Those Specific Areas, Too
Interview With ExpertOne of the coolest things about people is how multi-faceted they are. Nobody’s really a one-trick pony. We all have lots of different skills, talents, and passions that we can wow the world with. And our beloved celebrities are no different.
The r/AskReddit online community recently had a fun discussion about all the (not so) hidden skills and talents that celebs have that could easily make them famous... if they weren't stars already. We’ve collected some of their most interesting bits of knowledge to share with you. Scroll down to learn more about some of the most well-known stars in showbiz.
Bored Panda wanted to find out how to overcome frustration when learning new skills and rekindling interest after burning out, so we reached out to neuroscientist Burcin Ikiz, Ph.D. She is the founder of the EcoNeuro project and the host of the Connecting Neurons blog on Psychology Today. You’ll find our interview with her below.
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Brian May is the world level guitarist for the band Queen as well as many solo projects. He also has a PhD in astrophysics and is taken seriously as a researcher in interplanetary dust. (The PhD is not honorary, his dissertation is titled "A Survey of Radial Velocities in the Zodiacal Dust Cloud". ) He is a visiting research at Imperial College.
And has a charity and shelter for Hedgehogs called Amazing Grace !!! (I know, it may not be something he could make a living of, but that is super cool).
The hedgehogs came straight to my mind and then I saw this comment ☺️.
Load More Replies...I guess his parents insisted ona degree "in case that thing withtheband didn't work out".
It's been said "the more intelligent the person, the more that person needs to play. Case in point, George "the Animal" Steele; well known pro wrestler that happens to be one of the top 5 most intelligent people.
And I met him in a bar in La Palma island in 2007 when he was working in the telescope there
As a high-school drop out who played for years in prog rock bands in So Cal before returning to Uni, completing engineering degrees and working at Cape Canaveral on space launch systems, Mr. May has been a personal idol to me. Brilliant man. Mad respect for him as a guitarist, musician, and scientist, astrophysicist. As others much smarter than I have long pointed out, there is a natural relation between music and mathematics, with each being more left and right brain, respectively, than is often assumed. Many of the best engineers, scientists, system architects and designers I’ve had the privilege to know are gifted and/or passionate musicians.
Also wrote a (3D), stereoscopic book, "A village lost and found". And was a personal friend of Patrick Moore.
Viggo Mortensen - I really thought someone else would mention him!
He is fluent in English, Spanish, Danish, and French and can function in a lot of others
He paints, released three jazz albums, incredibly accomplished horseman, and has written a book of poetry. Still writes poetry. Has had his photography in an exhibition, surfs, often did all his own stunts, and picked up swordfighting real easy.
Love this guy.
One of my favorite people. He would be fascinating to just sit down with and have a conversation about the world.
As someone working in the linguistics and language services field, Viggo Mortensen makes me happy. I have never really gotten star-struck, but I think my heart would skip a beat if I met Viggo. He must be a fascinating person to talk to.
I read that during the filming of LOTR everyone regularly gathered at his house and he’d cook for everyone. He is a really brilliant, interesting man.
Hedy Lamarr. Laid the groundwork for Bluetooth.
For a lot of radio transmission actually. She did it during WW2 to have jam-free radios.
She also tried to give credit to the engineers when she was the one with the groundbreaking idea.
Jammer proof radio guided torpedoes. The Navy pooh-poohed her ideas and told her to go away and sell war bonds.
Also why fighter planes/jets and even our passenger planes wings angle back for less resistance and greater speed. Figured that one out by watching fish in an aquarium.
We asked Dr. Ikiz what can help people continue with the process of learning a new skill even if they might be frustrated with the results they’re (not) getting. According to the neuroscientist, it all starts with understanding how learning works.
“We know through neuroscientific research that learning new skills involves forming and strengthening neural connections, and it is a gradual process. The initial learning phase can be slow and challenging, but the brain becomes more efficient at performing the task with repeated practice,” she explained to Bored Panda that it’s important to acknowledge and accept the natural learning curve. This, in turn, can manage our expectations and reduce frustration.
On top of that, it’s essential to be realistic about progress. “Setting small, achievable goals can provide a sense of accomplishment and encourage continued effort. These goals should be specific, measurable, and time-bound. Achieving these smaller milestones can boost motivation and confidence, even when progress seems slow,” Dr. Ikiz told us via email.
Terry Crews is actually a really talented artist. He used to do courtroom sketches. They sort of show it in some Brooklyn 99 episodes. He also plays football, is a good flautist, designs furniture, the list goes on. Man of many talents
Natalie Portman was working her way toward a research career in neuroscience when the acting career took off. She got into Harvard on academics (earned high As on an academic course load all through high school) and she's coauthored scientific research papers
Kind of comes with being Jewish and Israeli
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Hugh Laurie, actor (House, Blackadder amongst many others), is an accomplished jazz pianist
He also wrote a fantastic book "The gun seller", which it seems won't recieve a follow up having been published all the way back in 1996.
No Hugh Laurie fan doesn't know this. He's made his love of jazz piano very well known through his characters. I *SO* wish they'd've made him Doctor Who.
Would have made a great Dr. Who! In fact, I would like to see a great deal of Dr. House in the Dr. Who character. Not every Dr. W needs to be a nice friendly guy.
Load More Replies...And in most episodes of their TV show, "A little bit of Fry and Laurie".
Load More Replies...Hah hah, my icon image is Hugh Laurie as the foppish and hilariously idiotic Prince George from the brilliant British comedy, Blackadder. Yes, this is the same man who played the sardonic and slightly sociopathic Dr. House.
You can't mention Blackadder without running through the title song at least once.
Load More Replies...The neuroscience expert noted that people can remain more engaged if they focus on the learning process itself, not just the end result. “This approach involves enjoying the practice and valuing the learning experience, not just the skill acquired.”
Meanwhile, if someone feels incredibly frustrated with their lack of progress, they may want to look for ways to manage all of this stress. “Mindfulness practices can help manage frustration and anxiety associated with learning. Deep breathing, meditation, or short breaks can reset the brain, reduce stress, and improve focus and cognitive function,” she said.
And let’s not forget the importance of proper rest for our bodies and brains. “Proper rest and sleep enhance the brain's plasticity. Adequate sleep is crucial for memory consolidation and skill acquisition. Encouraging learners to balance work, rest, and recreation can facilitate better learning outcomes,” Dr. Ikiz said.
Jamie Foxx, this man should be studied, he is a top tier amazing actor, he sings like a absolute angel, he is an amazing stand up comedian, and his impressions are spot on!
He's also a classically trained pianist, for which he went to college on a scholarship. And the director and producers of Ray did NOT know that before casting him as Ray Charles.
Matthew Perry was a nationally ranked tennis player in Canada (top 20 in singles, top 10 in doubles).
RIP Matthew Perry - he wasn't limited to that role, and he didn't want to be defined exclusively by it. Watch him in The Good Wife to see how great he could be!
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Haven't seen Dolph Lundgren mentioned here yet.
That man has a master's degree in chemical engineering.
He was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to MIT in 1983 (!) and has a 4th dan black belt in Kyokushin karate - he was the European champion in 1980 and 1981.
Bored Panda also wanted to get to grips with what someone might do if they fall out of love with a hobby or skill that they used to enjoy. Dr. Ikiz shared a few suggestions about rekindling that passion.
“Sometimes, stepping away from an activity can renew interest and passion. A break can provide perspective and allow the brain time to process and subconsciously integrate what has been learned,” she said.
According to the neuroscientist, engaging with different aspects of a hobby or skill can also reignite interest. “For instance, if someone loves painting but feels burnt out, they might try a new medium or style. This approach stimulates different brain areas and keeps the activity fresh and engaging,” she told Bored Panda.
Geena Davis almost made the 2000 Olympic archery team
Lucy Liu is a compelling, awesome and accomplished sapphic painter under the name Yu Ling!
Her Instagram profile says she is a sword wielder, that's so cool!
I knew she was an artist, I just hadn't seen any of her paintings. Glad that censorshipsucks down below provided a link!
What is sex priority common with talent? It is the skill of eye and hand.
Not too long ago Tom Hardy turned up at a Jiu Jitsu tournament unexpectedly and won it.
Because we’re social animals, sharing your hobby or skill with others can also work wonders. You can do this through clubs, online communities, or classes. All of these can add a social dimension to the hobby that can end up renewing your interest and motivation.
“Learning from others and sharing experiences can provide new insights and inspiration,” the neuroscience expert noted.
Dr. Ikiz suggested that people can also try revisiting the original reasons why they took up a hobby. “Whether for relaxation, self-expression, challenge, or connection with others, reminding oneself of these motivations can be powerful,” she told us.
In the meantime, you can also make the learning process more challenging to bring some novelty into your life. “Incorporating new challenges within the hobby or skill can make it more engaging. This could mean setting new goals, experimenting with new techniques, or even teaching the skill to others.”
Steve Martin, actor/comedian but also well-known serious banjo player.
Explaining the difference between the banjo and and the guitar....."The banjo has a round pot that projects the sound outwards and the guitar gets you laid"
Guitar players have groupies. Banjo players have cousins.
Load More Replies...the words "serious" and "banjo" have never been put in the same sentence before lol
Oh yes they have! Iain MacKintosh for instance. Brilliant, melancholy Scot and his sad banjo (he plays funny things also, tbh, but I love his darker side) https://youtu.be/PXeMQvdxRXg?si=VVG0ScMBLmgleJAS
Load More Replies..."Why do you never hear, that's the banjo player's ferrari?" & "The banjo, musical choice of the anti-social" --- Billy Connolly, another banjo fanatic
Ken Jeong gave up practicing medicine in California to begin acting.
He didnt give up practicing medicine. He still holds a license to practice in CA
Being licensed is not the same as practicing. He is still licensed but no longer practices. Acting (and judging on Masked Singer) is his full-time gig nowadays.
Load More Replies...The Australian singer Gordi is a doctor and put her latest album on hold to work in the ED during Covid
Nick Offerman is an accomplished woodworker.
I think I heard that Ron Swanson's wood shop is actually Nick Offerman's real woodshop.
Celebrities do not have a monopoly on getting good at something. It’s certainly an asset if you have more spare time and plenty of money—these things allow you more flexibility. But, at the end of the day, it’s about what you do with your time, not how much of it you have, that really matters.
Someone who’s able to fully commit themselves to learning a new skill even for half an hour every day, consistently, is going to quickly outpace anyone with tons of spare time and no discipline. So whether you’re a celebrity with riches beyond count or just a fan of the entertainment industry (hi!), refining your skills until they’re world-class is within everyone’s grasp. Character, rather than resources, is key here.
Nobody is going to learn how to jet ski or play the piano for you. It’s all down to you to persevere through the exhilarating ups and demotivating downs to do what you’re the most passionate about better and better.
Christopher Lee, he had a pretty successful military career.
Not only was he a great singer with a fantastic (and ridiculously deep) voice, he also did his own voice acting work in different languages. Example: he was the voice of King Haggard in The last Unicorn not only in English, but also in German.
I didn't know that! I used to love the Last Unicorn when I was a child though, and was always a big fan of Christopher Lee so makes perfect sense in my mind now :)
Load More Replies...He did a lot of film and TV work throughout his career with Patrick MacNee, who had been his friend since childhood. They died only 18 days apart.
He also worked with the Tolkien Ensemble - putting words and music to Elvish songs.... * https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Tolkien_Ensemble *
He served two years as an RAF liaison officer, and is known to have embellished his career and let people believe he was serving in the SAS. Not sure if that’s exactly successful.
So had John Wayne and lot of artists during WW II (probably at WW I too).
John Wayne's WW2 career consisted of making "flag waver" movies and bedding Marlene Dietrich. "the best lay" he ever had in his own words.
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Peter Weller is very well known as RoboCop and Buckaroo Bonzai, but is also a serious art historian with a PhD in the Italian Renaissance.
Apparently he can get quite mean if you don't address him as "Doctor". (I'd address him as Dr. Banzai.)
Bruce Dickinson of Iron Maiden. Also a pilot, not recreation, but type rated commercial and actually worked for an air carrier. Supposedly did some high-profile sorties including evacuating British citizens from conflict zones. Pilot the band's own aircraft at times, with one of the most famous is a Boeing 747 with Iron Maiden livery "Ed Force One". Owns own training and maintenance company of sorts too.
One of the most well-known TED talks in history is ‘The first 20 hours - how to learn anything,’ by writer Josh Kaufman. He tackled the issue of learning something new, having to overcome resistance, and giving up when we don’t quickly see the results that we want. All too often, we give up on new hobbies, leaving all the associated paraphernalia to gather dust in some dark corner of our closets.
Though it takes years and even decades of consistent effort to become a grandmaster at any skill, according to Kaufman, you can get relatively good at something fairly quickly. He pointed out that you can do this in around 20 hours. The best part is that it’s something you can fit into your busy schedule. “20 hours is doable—that’s about 45 minutes a day for about a month, even skipping a couple of days here and there,” the writer said.
Jack Johnson was world #2 in surfing then broke his ankle and instead became a chart-topping musician.
Gerard Way, My Chemical Romance and wrote the Umbrella Academy. Both very famous in their own regard.
Man I am hooked on the show. Is it pervy that I have a serious crush on #5? I don't see a kid when he opens his mouth, just a grownass man that someone put in the dryer too long lol
And for whoever down voted me, the character he plays is a 50 y.o. man in a teenage body so don't get your panties in a bunch.
Load More Replies...He's an EP on the Netflix show. He created the comic, not the show. S01 and S02 were great. S03... Meh?. Pretty excited about S04!
Aldis Hodge is an actor most famous for playing Alec Hardison in Leverage, but has also been in features like Hidden Figures and Straight Outta Compton. He's also an incredibly talented watchmaker.
According to Kaufman, you should first decide on the skill that you want to learn. Then, break it down into manageable chunks. After getting a handful of resources to help you learn, you should jump into the hard part—actually doing the thing. Sadly, many of us get stuck collecting resources that we’ll never end up using.
The odds are that you’re going to feel pretty silly or frustrated at first. But if you have a growth-centered mentality and embrace any mistakes you make as part of the learning process, things will be easier. Ideally, you want to get a skill level where you can recognize when you’re doing something wrong.
Bryan Adams has a career as an award-winning photographer. He was asked to photograph Queen Elizabeth during her Golden Jubilee.
THAT'S Bryan Adams now? (Ironically, not a great photo.)
So, you don’t like rock music and you don’t use Google?
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Anthony Hopkins is also a composer!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M57Fi19vcSI One of my favourites by Sir Anthony Hopkins is this beautiful Viennese Waltz called 'And The Waltz Goes On'- just beautiful!
He wrote the most beautiful Vienese Waltz- listen to this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M57Fi19vcSI
Dwayne Johnson. If he wasn’t an actor he could have been a wrestler. Dude is built like a rock.
That's the joke, they even say he is built like a rock because of his wrestling name. Sorry you got a down vote for not getting a joke, it's not nice.
Load More Replies...Two of his cousins were very, very good Rugby players, they often joked about getting him on the field
You should also do what you can to make learning the skill as easy as possible, whether you’re spending just 5 minutes per day (in between your job, studies, and chores) or you have a several-hour-long chunk of spare time. That means hiding your phone so you can focus on some deep work. Without interruptions. Without distractions.
Something else that helps is bundling your practice sections together with other enjoyable things. For instance, if you’re learning to draw, you could listen to your fave podcast or put on some funky music that you love in the background.
“You will be astounded at how good you are,” writer Kaufman says that after doing something for at least 20 hours, you’ll have overcome the so-called ‘frustration barrier.’ Who knows, your side skill might turn into something you’re famous for around the globe fairly soon.
Rowan Atkinson can drive. I think he’s 2nd all time best celebrity driver on Top Gear.
He could have been a race car driver.
Not totalled - crashed it twice. Rebuilt it after the second crash at $1,4 million and then sold it for a profit of $11 million - quite a shrewd businessman. https://www.topgearmag.in/news/others/how-mr-bean-crashed-his-mclaren-f1-twice-and-sold-it-for-a-113-million-profit
Load More Replies...His extensive car collection is well known. Ferraris MClaren and a former F1. And cars from Mr Bean !!
Vanilla Ice was ranked like 6th in the world in jet ski racing
One of the funniest things I was ever able to witness is a bunch of young ladies that were possibly inebriated sang "A-1A Detroit Avenue". That was about 10 years ago and it still gives me a chuckle.
Load More Replies...He repairs and flips houses, so there, he is a way more useful and smart person than your stupid useless "self", you idiot.
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Jennifer Tilly has won MANY professional poker tournaments
One of those stars is totally poking her cleavage. Ouch!
Load More Replies...Is it surprising that a good actor is a good poker player? They're trained to bluff convincingly.
Rod Stewart has an absolutely legendary model train layout. He is highly regarded amongst model train enthusiasts.
Should also mention Neil Young. He has at least one patent for electronics that he developed for his son with cerebral palsy so he could run the trains. He also at one time was (part?) owner of Lionel Trains.
With few exceptions, everything on this post is old white man money.
Jason Lee (my name is earl) was pro skater
Earl Lee would've been an annoying name. People would ask his wife if she always had to wake up Earl Lee, etc.
Steve carell is a very good ice skater because he played hockey a lot before he got big for acting. They wrote that plot of Michael going to the ice rink in the office for that reason. Also shoutout to Bridget mendler for making the U-turn from Disney kid to getting her PHD
Will Ferrell was one of the most decorated kickers in California high school football (I believe he still holds the season record for field goals made at his school) and just barely missed the cut for USC as a walk on. Had he transferred to a smaller school and stuck with kicking he might have had a very different career.
If you watch the end credits for The Producers, all the German songs are actually being sung by him.
He's also a skilled drummer. You can see him in a drum off with his doppelganger, Chad Smith of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, here (actual drumming starts about 2 min in) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0uBOtQOO70Y
Will didn't actually play the drums during that. He was just miming while someone else played them. But, there is another actor that is a very accomplished drummer that I don't see on this list: Dana Carvey.
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Jeff Goldblum is also an accomplished jazz pianist.
Jack Black. Is he an actor that can sing or is he a singer that can act? Love him or hate him the man has skills.
Shaquille O'Neal is pretty well known amongst EDM fans for being a dubstep DJ.
Not a PhD but still a doctorate; Shaquille O’Neal received his Ed.D. degree in Organizational Learning and Leadership with a specialization in Human Resource Development from Barry University Florida in 2012. Additionally; Shaquille O'Neal has a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in general studies with a minor in Political Science from Louisiana State University. He also has a Master's degree from University of Phoenix.
Load More Replies...oh fr tho he's so kind, if I ever saw him I'd def squeal like a little kid
Load More Replies...Donald Glover -Known for his talents in acting, writing, and producing, Glover is also a successful musician and rapper under the stage name Childish Gambino.
He got his rapper name from the Wu Tang Clan rapper name generator. My rapper name is "Pinky Master" and my husband's is "Sympathetic Criminal".
Nicole Richie. She was a competitive figure skater and almost went pro! She chose college over professional ice skating, but it's sort of wild to imagine we may have not gotten The Simple Life or years of her tabloid antics with Paris and all their socialite friends if she had an Olympian image to keep up with.
You mean to say if Nicole Richie did figure skating professionally and there was no socialite garbage with Paris Hilton then Paris Hilton may have never hired Kim Kardashian and we could have led a happy life in ignorance of how pointless the Kardashians are?
This is a perfect example of the butterfly effect.
Load More Replies...Paul Newman was a serious race car driver, in addition to his career as an actor
I used to volunteer in timing and scoring at a race track in West Virginia. I got the card of the driver "P. Newman" to time his car around the track, and I started to make the joke, "Hey everybody, this card says 'P. New...'" and EVERYBODY in the timing tower shushed me, and told me to be cool. As long as everyone pretends he's just "P. Newman" he'd keep racing there. He would come to the after party on the track for drivers and track workers, and was really down to earth and friendly (while everyone did their best to pretend he was not famous at all, and this was during the time he was filming "Days of Thunder"...). As far as I know, he raced there for over 25 years. Very nice guy. :)
Lenny Kravitz, not only a musician and actor, he is also an interior designer.
Idris Elba has a career as a DJ if he ever wanted to give up acting. I think he's been doing both for nearly the same amount of time, maybe DJ'ing even longer than acting.
I first saw him in The Wire and had no idea he was British as his American accent was so good.
Brits and Aussies tend to have a knack for mastering the American accent. I was quite surprised the first time I heard Hugh Laurie use his real voice
Load More Replies...Sylvester Stallone was a national ranked polo player and was very good by all accounts before he went into acting. Jean Claude Van Damme as a spy for the US. Amazon did a documentary about it.
Brigitte Bardot was a ballet dancer, Bud Spencer was an Olympic swimmer and water polo player.
The Stallone one is true (confirmed in the Netflix documentary)
Load More Replies...Life is great when you either don't have to work 40 hours a week, can afford someone to do all your household tasks, or both. I'd be a lot more interested in hearing about the single mother working two jobs with a stellar talent.
BP, it’s great that you have new articles, but we are getting to much in celebrity things.
Rachel Maddow has a Bachelor’s Degree in Public Policy from Stanford and was a Rhodes Scholar with a PhD in Political Science. Kris Kristopherson has an Undergraduate Degree and then received a zRhodes Scholarship where he received a Masters Drgree in English Literature.
Ashton Kutcher has an incredible record of making early investments in industry leading new markets. His investment firm has a successful reputation for diligently picking technology companies that shift culture like ChatGPT, early Uber, Poshmark, etc.
Brad Pitt has a deep passion for architecture, particularly mid century contemporary. His love is well known in the historic architecture and preservation communities.
Stealing content from Buzzfeed again, I see. They ran this same info dump a couple days ago.
Life is great when you either don't have to work 40 hours a week, can afford someone to do all your household tasks, or both. I'd be a lot more interested in hearing about the single mother working two jobs with a stellar talent.
BP, it’s great that you have new articles, but we are getting to much in celebrity things.
Rachel Maddow has a Bachelor’s Degree in Public Policy from Stanford and was a Rhodes Scholar with a PhD in Political Science. Kris Kristopherson has an Undergraduate Degree and then received a zRhodes Scholarship where he received a Masters Drgree in English Literature.
Ashton Kutcher has an incredible record of making early investments in industry leading new markets. His investment firm has a successful reputation for diligently picking technology companies that shift culture like ChatGPT, early Uber, Poshmark, etc.
Brad Pitt has a deep passion for architecture, particularly mid century contemporary. His love is well known in the historic architecture and preservation communities.
Stealing content from Buzzfeed again, I see. They ran this same info dump a couple days ago.
