Hollywood actors, what do they know? They memorize some lines, emote for the camera and basically make like an automaton and act.
Well, it turns out, that notion above can’t be farther from the truth. Not least because acting—at least, good acting—entails more than just emoting for the camera and reciting some lines. It turns out that more than a few Hollywood celebrities are actually geniuses. And, we mean that quite literally, to the degree that many of their IQ scores surpass 130, which is the threshold that separates those who are merely smart and those who are geniuses.
In fact, in this listicle, we discuss some of the smartest celebrities in Hollywood. We bet you’ll be surprised who some of them are!
SHAKIRA
Colombian singer, songwriter, record producer and all-around talented individual, Shakira, who released her debut album at the age of 13 under Sony Music Colombia, is a genius. Indeed, with an IQ of 140, she even surpasses Mensa level. We bet that the word “genius” isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when people think about Shakira, not least because dancing and singing doesn’t really showcase one’s intellectual prowess in general, but there you have it—Shakira is, to a huge degree, a genius, according to her IQ level. This makes us excited to watch more of her interviews so we can ascertain whether the rumors of her high IQ are true.
MATT DAMON
Actor, producer, writer and philanthropist, Matt Damon, is unsurprisingly a genius, too. His IQ is reportedly 160, which makes him—weirdly—as intelligent as… Albert Einstein? Yeah, we’re shocked about it, too! We suppose that Damon’s character in Good Will Hunting, who was a genius in need of support, was inspired by aspects of Damon himself that were real. In any case, we aren’t surprised Damon is smart—he won an Academy Award for Best Screenplay for writing the film Good Will Hunting, after all—but we are, to a huge degree, surprised that he is Albert Einstein level smart!
GOLDIE HAWN
Multi-awarded actress, Goldie Hawn, whose career spans more than 4 decades in Hollywood, is another celebrity whose brain is larger than average. Indeed, her IQ is, to her credit, reportedly at 140. And, we would have never guessed, considering she hasn’t infrequently played the naive and ditzy blonde bimbo on screen. Some websites say that it’s also been confirmed that Hawn is a member of Mensa, so, clearly, the engine in her head is like a V12 to our V6. In any case, this revelation got us wondering about what would have been had Hawn pursued a career in, say, Astrophysics instead.
NOLAN GOULD
Actor Nolan Gould, who many will know as Luke Dunphy in one of the most hilarious sitcoms ever created, Modern Family, is, in reality, very different from the fictional character he plays. See, Luke Dunphy was described by his own fictional parents to be the “dumbest child” they ever had. Nolan Gould, on the other hand, has an IQ of 150—at least if the reports about his intelligence credit score are true. Luckily for us, Gould is still young, so we will be seeing more of him in the future, and might even disconfirm the rumors about his intelligence being true, who knows!
JAMES FRANCO
Actor, director and screenwriter, James Franco, who is best known for his many film collaborations with the group that is referred to in Hollywood circles as the Frat Pack, is unsurprisingly a genius, too. Many might find this piece of news surprising since Franco doesn’t infrequently play characters who aren’t very smart—and are often high. His IQ is reportedly at 130, which just about broaches the genius level. At least this piece of information refutes all those naysayers who’ve argued Franco got a degree in UCLA not by hard work but by knowing the right people. Well, it turns out that none of that was true.
CINDY CRAWFORD
Model, actress and successful entrepreneur, Cindy Crawford, who was, during the 80s and 90s, one of the most popular models in the world, is said to have an IQ of 154. One would think modeling would have nothing to do with intelligence, and while that may be superficially true, Cindy Crawford proved that you can’t judge a book by its cover, because it turns out that her IQ score puts her just a few points below Albert Einstein. This means that Crawford was, much to her credit, the complete package, having been born with both beauty and brains. We’re guessing that very few supermodels, from then to now, could match her IQ score.
ALICIA KEYS
Singer songwriter and occasional actress, Alicia Keys, who was signed by Columbia records at the young age of 15, is reported to have an IQ of 154. To some degree, we all expected Keys to be smart, given that her songs preclude the superficiality that pop music is not infrequently inundated with. Basically, she always seemed like a deep person, inside and out. But none of us expected her to be this smart—her IQ is only a few points less than that of Albert Einstein, for crying out loud. In any case, her music—especially New York—will endure for years to come, that’s for sure.
CONAN O’BRIEN
Comedian, writer, producer and television talk show host, Conan O’Brien, who many will know as the host of the talk show, Late Night with Conan O’Brien, is reported to have an IQ of 160. It’s somewhat unsurprising, to be honest, given he’s such a witty person onscreen and off. Indeed, one would need a brain as fully-developed as O’Brien to come up with the things he comes up with, either for the show or even spontaneously during interviews. Prior to his success as a talk show host, he was already, to a huge degree, a legend behind the scenes for his comedy writing.
STEVE MARTIN
Actor, comedian, author and filmmaker, Steve Martin, who’s known for his absurdist comedy, and who gained prominence as a regular guest of Johnny Carson in the Tonight Show, is another comedian who’s reportedly a genius. He is said to have an IQ of 142, and we in particular aren’t surprised, given we followed this man’s career and we know he’s acquired a degree in philosophy, which he is said to have used in the development of his absurdist comedy. In fact, Martin initially considered teaching at Cal State, but decided to plow his way through the comedy world instead.
ASHTON KUTCHER
Actor, producer and entrepreneur, Ashton Kutcher, who gained worldwide recognition playing Michael Kelso in the highly successful comedy sitcom, That 70s Show, is reportedly a genius with an IQ of 160. Shocking, we know! The character he is most famous for, Michael Kelso, is an absolute dunce. Plus, he has frequently played the dumb guy in many of his films, including a film that’s simply titled Dude Where’s My Car? With a title like that, you just know you’re not targeting audiences who fall at the higher end of the intelligence bell curve. But, yeah, all credit goes to Kelso for being way smarter than the fictional characters he portrays.
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