20 Celebrities Who are Literally Geniuses
What’s the first thing that comes to your mind when you think about your favorite celebrity? Probably not their intelligence. It’s not that you think all famous people are dumb, but unfortunately, their smarts aren’t aways given the attention they deserve. Plus, once a celebrity gets caught up portraying a character who isn’t viewed as smart, that image often sticks with them for years. However, despite being constantly overlooked, there are many celebrities whose brain power is off the charts. Seriously, some of these people are so smart they could have found success in anything they chose to pursue. Whoever said Hollywood was all about beauty and not about brains clearly doesn’t know much about these people. Here are 20 celebrities who are literally geniuses.
(Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images)
Rivers Cuomo
Weezer front man, Rivers Cuomo, is well-known for singing lead for the band and being the brains behind many of their songs. However, aside from being a great musician, Cuomo also has a great mind. He is highly intelligent and graduated cum laude from the prestigious Harvard University. There aren’t too many music superstars who can say that!
(Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images for MGM Resorts International)
Ashton Kutcher
Many studies have shown that funny people tend to be very smart, which is the perfect explanation for Ashton Kutcher. Although Kutcher is well-known for being a goof ball, even sometimes portraying dopey characters, he’s actually a smart guy with several accomplishments to prove it. Before pursuing an acting career, Kutcher was majoring in biochemical engineering at The University of Iowa, and according to some sources, Kutcher’s IQ has been measured at 160, which puts him well into the genius category.
(Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
Mike Posner
Mike Posner may not be the type of person that most people would peg for smart, but that’s exactly why you should never judge a book by its cover. The ability to think of clever rap lyrics certain isn’t an easy task, and Posner’s brain is definitely working on over drive. Posner graduated from Duke University with a very impressive 3.59 GPA.
(Photo by Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images)
Natalie Portman
Natalie Portman is certainly no slouch, and she takes her education just as seriously as she takes her career. According to several sources, Portman earned a bachelor’s degree from Harvard, and speaks approximately half a dozen languages. Apparently, Portman’s intelligence is so remarkable that she’s left a lasting impression on some of her former teachers, one of whom referred to her as a “terrific student.”
(Photo by Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images)
James Woods
James Woods is a bit of an overachiever in everything he does. Aside from his very successful acting career, Woods earned nearly a perfect score on the SATs and has a reported IQ of 180. Woods even earned a full ride to MIT, but decided to take his chances with acting instead. With such an impressive resume, there’a good chance that Woods would have been successful no matter what he decided to do.
(Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images)
Weird Al
You’ve got to admit, you’ve always secretly thought Weird Al was smart, because there’s no other way he could have written all those awesome spoof songs. Well, the good news is you were right. Weird Al isn’t just weird after all. Weird Al graduated from high school at just 16 years-old, and he was the valedictorian of his class.
(Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
Geena Davis
No surprise here. There’s something about Geena Davis that just screams extremely smart. The question now is just, how smart? Well Davis has an IQ of 140 and is a proud member of mensa, “the largest and oldest high IQ society in the world.”
(Photo by Jonathan Leibson/Getty Images for The Princess Grace Foundation-USA)
Lisa Kudrow
Former Friend, Lisa Kudrow, may be well-known for portraying resident ditz, Phoebe Buffay, but don’t let her on-screen persona fool you. Kudrow reportedly has in IQ of 154 and boasts a degree in biology. Before becoming an actress, Kudrow put her degree to good use by spending eight years working in the medical research field.
(Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
Sharon Stone
The myth of the dumb blonde stops with Sharon Stone. Although physically she may fit the stereotype of what most people would consider an air head, Stone’s head is definitely not filled with air. In fact, Stone’s IQ has been said to be somewhere between 148 and 154 and for years stoned claimed to be a part of the mensa organization. Although it was later revealed that she was not, there’s a pretty good chance she would be accepted if she applied.
(Photo by Mike Windle/Getty Images)
Steve Martin
Before becoming a world-famous actor and comedian, Steve Martin almost went down a completely different career path thanks to his 142 IQ and hard work in school. After majoring in philosophy, Martin considered becoming a professor. Although it would have been cool to have him in class, the world would have missed out on seeing one of the most talented entertainers of his generation.
(Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
James Franco
James Franco may be well-known for playing stoners, but trust and believe he’s only acting. Although Franco’s exact IQ is unknown, he excelled in school and attended both UCLA and Colombia. Franco also enrolled in PhD classes to take his education to another level.
(Photo by Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images)
Quentin Tarantino
Everyone knows that Quentin Tarantino is a genius when it comes to making movies. But he’s actually just a genius, period. Although he dropped out of high school, Tarantino’s IQ has been clocked in at 160. Although it’s always great to pursue an education and learn as much as you can, Tarantino is proof that intelligence can be applied in places other than classrooms and textbooks.
(Photo by Adam Pretty/Getty Images)
Cindy Crawford
Throughout her career, Cindy Crawford’s undeniable beauty has been what has earned her the most attention, but there’s actually a lot of brains behind that beauty. Crawford graduated as the valedictorian of her high school class, turned down a scholarship to Northwestern University, and immediately entered the modeling world. There’s no telling what Crawford would have done with her education has she chosen not to pursue a life in the spotlight, but it’s safe to say that she would have been amazing at what ever she chose to do.
(Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images)
David Duchovny
For most people, attending an Ivy League school is simply out of the question because of the tight competition that takes place every year. However, David Duchoveny is so smart that he attended TWO Ivy League schools. After earning a bachelor’s degree from Princeton, Duchovny went on to obtain a master’s degree from Yale. He was even accepted into a PhD program, but chose not to complete it because his acting career started to take off.
(Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
Mayim Bialik
Mayim Bialik is one of the few stars whose characters actually match up to who they are. On The Big Bang Theory, Bialik portrayed a neurobiologist, and in real life, she’s actually has a PhD in neuroscience. Bialik is also one of the few people who was able to go from a child star to a successful adult actress. If only other former child stars could follow in her footsteps.
(Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
Ben Stein
Ben Stein is another celebrity who has smart written all over him, but you may be surprised to know just how smart he really is. Well-known for playing the extremely monotone economics teacher in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Stein works in the economics field in real life. He is also a lawyer who has written over 30 books.
(Photo by Brendan Smialowski/Getty Images)
Dolph Lundgren
All brawn and no brains? Nope, not Dolph Lundgren. With a reported IQ of 160, Lundgren is far from a fool. In 1983, he was awarded a Fulbright scholarship to attend MIT, and over the course of his lifetime he has earned six degrees. With a busy schedule and an acting career, it’s amazing that he found the time to do anything other than work, but apparently he knows just how to put his intelligence to good and practical use.
(Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images)
Conan O’Brien
Conan O’Brien is another example of how well great comedic timing and high levels of intelligence play off of each other. O’Brien attended Harvard University where he majored in history and literature. However, even though he was serious about his studies, O’Brien managed to make time for a few jokes, and the school newspaper referred to him as the “pre-eminent jokester” of his class.
(Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
Matt Damon
Having a handsome face is helpful, but Matt Damon has much more to offer the world than just his looks. Matt Damon has an IQ of 160, and even attended Harvard University. Although he never graduated from the school, he put his intelligence to good use. Damon has been credited with coming up for the idea for the popular film, Good Will Hunting while still enrolled at Harvard.
(Photo by Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images)
Nolan Gould
Nolan Gould may be the youngest person on this list, but he could also be the smartest. At just 16 years-old, Gould’s IQ is said to be 160, which puts hill well above genius range. He is a member of the mensa organization, and is considered in the top two percentile for the general population in regards to his IQ. With time on his side, there’s no telling where Gould’s skills and smarts will take him in the long run.
(Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images)