The Hollywood scene can sometimes seem predictable, but it never ceases to amaze us. It’s as if you think you know everything there is to know about your favorite stars, and then they come out with a talent that is completely unexpected. Whether it’s musical talent or circus-level stunts, the list of celebrity talents is full of surprises.
10. Christina Hendricks – Accordion Enthusiast
Most of us are familiar with Christina Hendricks as Joan, the fashionable and feisty force to be reckoned with on Mad Men. What you may not know about her, however, is that she is a passionate accordion player. When a script required her to play piano, she volunteered her accordion talents instead, and even managed to bring the accordion to the set. She finds the accordion “very romantic,” bringing a touch of Parisian café flair to the world of Madison Avenue.
9. Mark Ruffalo – Unicycle Rider Extraordinaire
The unicycling Hulk is a laugh-out-loud sketch idea, but for Mark Ruffalo, it’s everyday life. He taught himself to ride a bicycle as a child and never forgot how. Years afterwards, he remounted for a TV guest spot and even rode a mammoth six-foot unicycle for The Graham Norton Show. He and James McAvoy even engaged in a unicycle battle. Forget Avengerssomeone already put him in a circus movie.
8. Angelina Jolie – Knife Collector and Thrower
Angelina Jolie’s action hero parts are no coincidence; she’s really proficient with knives. She became a knife enthusiast at Renaissance fairs when she was a kid, and it became both an arsenal and a honed ability. Jolie has dazzled late-night audiences with her butterfly knife magic tricks and even performed her own knife-throwing stunts in Tomb Raider and Mr. & Mrs. Smith. Lara Croft would be proud.
7. Steve Martin – Banjo Virtuoso
Yes, Steve Martin is a comedy great, but he’s equally great with a banjo as he is with one-liners. Self-taught on the instrument in his teenage years, he won numerous Grammys for his bluegrass playing. Martin even established the Banjo Prize to honor other artists. See him on stage, and you might catch him swapping jokes for string picking.
6. Geena Davis – Almost Olympic Archer
After seeing archery on TV at the Olympics, Geena Davis thought to herself, Why not give it a shot? Two years of rigorous training later, she was shooting at national and international competitions. She even qualified for the semifinals of the 1999 U.S. Olympic trials, coming in at 24th place. Not bad for a girl who simply picked up the sport by chance.
5. Kesha – Jewelry Maker… with Teeth
Kesha has always embraced her quirky side, but this one takes the cake. She once asked fans to send her their teeth, and they did, by the thousands. She turned the collection into a series of wild creations, including earrings, necklaces, and even a bra top. It’s strange, it’s creative, and it’s exactly what you’d expect from Kesha.
4. Pierce Brosnan – Fire Breather
Before becoming James Bond in a tuxedo, Pierce Brosnan was actually breathing fire. As a teenager traveling with a theater troupe in London, he learned the trick and flaunted it on television years later. But after a mishap during an appearance on Muppets Tonight left his lips blistered, he hung up the fire-breathing act. Still, not a bad icebreaker to keep in your back pocket.
3. Christopher Walken – Teenage Lion Tamer
Christopher Walken’s CV is as unexpected as his performance technique. At 16, he took a job in a circus as a lion tamer. His co-worker? A lioness named Sheba, whom he wrote about more like a big housecat than a beast. Even then, lion taming is quite an unbeatable teenage summer job.
2. Hugh Laurie – Multi-Instrumental Musician
Better recognized as the cantankerous yet clever Dr. House, Hugh Laurie is also a very accomplished musician. Piano, guitar, drums, and saxophone are all instruments that he can play, and he’s made numerous albums of blues and jazz songs. His Spotify profile is testament enough that he would have no problem trading in acting for music altogether if he were ever so inclined.
1. Clint Eastwood – Composer and Pianist
Before he became a Hollywood legend, Clint Eastwood had dreams of a music career. A talented pianist, he has written music scores for some of his own pictures, such as Mystic River and Million Dollar Baby. His musical foundation is so great that he might have just as easily been famous as a musician as an actor-director.
Hollywood’s biggest surprises often aren’t written into scripts. The most interesting tales are sometimes the unseen abilities these actors have up their sleeve, abilities they only unleash when the time is exactly right.