Advocacy
The ‘Wokeness’ of Female Disney Characters
Many Disney characters considered ‘woke’ this century are women or girls. In ...
From fixing cars to painting
We’re so used to only seeing actors perform in our favorite films and TV shows that we tend to forget their lives don’t just revolve around film sets. These six celebrities are well-known for their roles on the screen, but outside of film, they’ve also got talents that may surprise you.
1/6 Sydney Sweeney is a mechanic
The young actress has become widely known for her portrayal of Cassie in Euphoria, but aside from claiming she’s never been happier through tears, she’s also a grease monkey. The 24-year-old has had a long relationship with cars, which started when her mother forced her to change the tires of their car, a story she recounted on The Late Late Show With James Corden. She’s recently restored a ‘69 Ford Bronco, which was shown off in the eBay Motors Auto Parts Show in New York. You can follow her TikTok, @syds_garage, to see the work she did on the restoration.
2/6 Robert Downey Jr. sings
He may have famously portrayed the billionaire-playboy-philanthropist who would give his life to defeat Thanos in Marvel films, but Robert Downey Jr. also has some serious vocal chops. Aside from singing on the soundtrack of many of his films, the 57-year-old actor once seriously tried to pursue a career in music. On The Howard Stern Show, Downey Jr. recounted how he tried to give Sting his mixtape. It wasn’t all for nothing though: they became good friends and RDJ would later perform with Sting on numerous occasions. You can search their duet of Driven To Tears and Every Breath You Take on YouTube. Despite not becoming a singer full-time, the actor did release an album in 2004.
3/6 Michael Keaton was a stand-up comedian
This famous Batman actor also dabbled in a little stand-up comedy. Here’s a clip from the An Evening at The Improv YouTube channel showing a curly-maned Keaton in 1981—eight years before he would don the cape and cowl—performing his set, which includes a lot of character work that he would become known for later in his career.
4/6 Steve Martin is a musician
The 76-year old is a comedy giant who has made a name himself with classics like The Three Amigos, Father of the Bride, Cheaper By The Dozen, and his numerous appearances on SNL (fun fact: he was never a cast member!). He’s also currently starring in the Hulu series Only Murders In The Building alongside Martin Short and Selena Gomez. But aside from tickling everyone’s funny bone, Martin is also an accomplished banjo player and bluegrass musician. His solo album, which was released in 2009, featured Dolly Parton and won the Grammy Award for Best Bluegrass Album. Check out his performance with the Steep Canyon Rangers in NPR Music‘s Tiny Desk Concert above.
5/6 Jim Carrey is a visual artist
Jim Carrey: I Needed Color from JC on Vimeo.
We’re used to seeing Jim Carrey be ridiculously hilarious on screen whether he’s playing Lloyd opposite Jeff Daniel’s Harry in Dumb and Dumber or playing Joe Biden on SNL. But Carrey is also a prolific artist. He’s done a lot of political pieces, which have garnered both praise and criticism alike. A short six-minute documentary was released in 2017 that gives a glimpse into the mind of Jim Carrey the artist. You can watch the entire thing above.
6/6 Nick Offerman is a carpenter
For seven seasons, Nick Offerman played Ron Swanson, the deadpan hyper-masculine director of the Parks and Recreation department of Pawnee, Indiana in Parks and Rec. Though he is much friendlier in real life than his character, one thing he shares with Ron Swanson is his mastery of woodworking. He has his own shop called Offerman Woodshop where he sells dining tables, cutting boards, dressers, and many more. He’s even given late-night hosts Stephen Colbert and Conan O’ Brien gifts from his woodshop.
