Here at Celebrity Cowboy we’re all about the dumb celebrity tricks. Indeed, where would we be without the Paris Hiltons and Britneys making bad decisions?
While we generally believe the words "smart" and "celebrities" to be an oxymoron when sharing the same sentence, our research may surprise you. Plenty of celebrities are smart, many of them even went to Ivy League universities or are members of MENSA. Some are engineers while others are English Lit. majors. You’ll probably agree they make better role models than the celebrities who steal all the attention.
Here they are in no special order, Celebrity Cowboy’s 15 Celebrities Who are Actually Smart. Some of them may surprise you!
1. Natalie Portman - Natalie Portman graduated high school with a 4.0 and headed off to Harvard where she received a Bachelor’s Degree in psychology. She attended Hebrew University on a graduate level and is fluent in Hebrew, French and Japanese.
2. Kate Beckinsale - Studied French, Russian and literature at Oxford University. She also won the W.H. Smith Young Writers’ competition twice with short stories and poems. Speaks German,Russian and French fluently.
3. Quentin Tarantino - Though he made a dumb move by dropping out of high school, Quentin Tarantino is a member of MENSA with an IQ of 160.
4. Jodie Foster - Graduated as valedictorian from the French-speaking Lycee Francais de Los Angeles. After which she attended Yale and graduated magna cum laude with a degree in literature. Jodie speaks French fluently.
5. Sharon Stone - Well-publicized member of MENSA, Sharon enrolled in Edinboro Univeristy in Pennsylvania at the age of 15. She has an I.Q. of 154.
6. Matt Damon - A consistent straight-A student through grade school and high school, Matt studied English at Harvard University.
7. Alicia Keys - Graduated high school at the age of 16 and also served as Valedictorian. Gave up a scholarship to Columbia University to pursue a career in music.
8. Steve Martin - He may be a wild and crazy guy, but Steve Martin is no fool. He majored in Philosophy at Cal. State and even considered becoming a professor at one time. He’s a member of MENSA and his IQ is estimated to be about 142.
9. Shakira - With an IQ of 140, Shakira is more than just a pretty face.
10. Claire Danes - Attended the upscale Dalton School in New York City and also the Lycee Francais des Los Angeles. Finally she studied psychology at Yale before giving up education in favor of an acting career.
11.Geena Davis - Went to Sweden on a student exchange program and is now fluent in Swedish. Studied Drama at Boston University, plays piano, flute, drums and organ and is a member of MENSA with an IQ of 140.
12. Nicole Kidman - Though Nicole dropped out of college, she has an IQ of 132.
13. James Woods - James Woods scored 1580 in his SATs, including a perfect 800 on the verbal. He majored in Political Science at M.I.I. and is a member of MENSA with an IQ of 180.
14. Elisabeth Shue - Academy Award nominee Elisabeth Shue attended Wellesley College and then Harvard University majoring and receiving her degree in Government.
15. Dolph Lundgren - this Swedish actor and director has an IQ of 160 putting him up there with some of the smartest people in the world. In addition to being a graduate of Sweden’s Royal Institute of Technology, Dolph also has is Master’s in Chemical Engineering from the University of Sydney and was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to M.I.T. - he only lasted at M.I.T. for two weeks however, as he left to pursue a career in show biz.
[…] Cowboy has a list of 15 Celebrities Who Are Actually Smart. They’re Ivy League graduates, members of MENSA and are degreed in subjects such as […]
It’s well known that Madonna has an IQ of 140 as well.
Quentin Tarantino left high school precisely because he is that smart (160!). He certainly didn’t need a standard education to become successful and proficient at what he does. Thumbs up!
James Woods has 180?!
Other celebs come to mind who must have high IQ’s: Robin Williams, Jamie Foxx etc.,
I wish people would stop bragging about being in MENSA. It’s a collection of weirdos. The friends you make at the next MENSA meeting are more likely to pick their noses in public and live with their Mom at age 46 than be celebrities. Society’s sink-trap……
Having a High IQ and being a member of mensa is not all that great. Research and study is very important. Are there any actors or famous personalities out there who have PhDs or who have written research papers?
David Duchovney - Master’s in English Literature from Yale and an uncompleted PhD.
Brian May (Queen guitarist) - PhD in Astrophysics.
Anyone else?
Another one: Jeff Monson aka “The Snowman”, UFC fighter with a Master’s Degree in Psychology.
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Included on the list are Natalie Portman, Quentin Tarantino, Matt Damon […]
impressive! I had no idea Tarantino had actually something working in that twisted head of his! Still I have doubts about Kate Beckinsale. But hey, who am I to say she’s not bright?
K
Ted (Theodore) Kaczynski, known as the Unibomber, has an IQ of 167 and is considered a genius. Once a Mathematics Professor at UC Berkeley, he turned into a murderer and is now in prison. Why does society place someone with a high IQ in such superior status to others? It is a known fact that IQ tests are inaccurate and culturally bias. In addition, some parents make their children take the test over and over again, until they obtain the highest score they can. Really, a great parameter of measuring ones contribution to society.
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