Have you ever wondered if celebrities are just glorified not-so-smart people? The truth is that while many of them are famous for their talent, bodies, scandals, or luxurious lives, some of them really are superior to your average Joe. They’ve got both the looks and brains to prove it. While survival and success in the entertainment industry is dependent on various kinds of smarts, you will be shocked by some of the most unexpected celebrities who prove they were “intellectually smart” before they were “industry smart.” Guess which celebrity is a genius with an IQ of 160 according to MENSA? You will never believe which celebrities were Harvard attendees! Which secret celebrity nerd do you know? Click through to see which of them went under your radar!
Shakira
Rowan Atkinson aka Mr. Bean
Most millennials grew up watching the hilarious, witty, and goofy Mr. Bean on television.
Did you that Rowan has a Master degree in Electrical Engineering? He attended Newcastle University for his bachelor degree in Electrical Engineering and Oxford University for his master’s in Electrical Engineering.
Dolph Lundgren
Lundgren is the perfect stereotype of a European meathead; he is blond, tall, ripped and fits the characters he plays so well you would think he conducts himself the same way in real life. Although the truth is the precise opposite!
He graduated top of his class with a Masters in Chemical Engineering from Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm and the University of Sydney in Australia. He is such a genius he was awarded a Fulbright scholarship at MIT. He is multi-lingual and speaks Swedish, English, Spanish some German, French, Japanese and Italian. While he has the perfect body and enough amount of bad-ass going for him he has the brains to go with it!
Shakira
Who said brains, beauty and so much talent cannot be given to one person?
Despite her hips not lying, her raspy voice and beauty, Shakira has a recorded IQ of 140 according to MENSA. She is pursuing a course in the History of Western Civilization at UCLA.
Jodie Foster
Jodie Foster is no stranger to acting as she started acting at the tender age of 3. The actress has been dubbed as freakishly smart by people that know her.
She graduated from French-speaking Lycee Francais de Los Angeles as valedictorian. Jodie Foster was able to impressively juggle acting as a child and learning in a foreign language-based school.
Matt Damon - 160
Goldie Hawn - 130
Nolan Gould - 150
James Franco - 130
James Franco has a poker face that makes him look perpetually high. He is an uber-nerd as he enrolled for 62 course credits in UCLA whose usual limit is 19.
In addition to being a successful actor and director, he doubles up as a writer, fashion photographer, art exhibitionist and poet. Did you know that he simultaneously enrolled at four universities at the same time?
Cindy Crawford - 154
While she is famous for her killer poses on famous magazines and intangible modelling career, becoming a supermodel Cindy Crawford earned a scholarship to the Northwestern University to study (not just any program) Chemical Engineering.
Alicia Keys - 154
Conan O'Brien - 160
Did we know that our favorite floppy-haired ginger is also a genius? Conan O’Brien graduated valedictorian of his high school class and further as magnum cum laude from Harvard University with a degree in History and Literature.
Conan allegedly has an IQ of 160 and is regarded as one of the most intelligent celebrities.
Steve Martin - 142
Kate Beckinsale - 132
In addition to her bad ass acting skills as evidenced in the movie series Underworld and gorgeous looks, Kate Beckinsale is intellectually superior.
According to her grade school, she recorded intelligence levels of an 11-year old when she was just six years old! She attended the prestigious Oxford University where she studied Drama and French and Russian literature.
Ashton Kutcher - 160
Bill Gates - 160
Claire Danes - 140
James Woods - 180
James Wood could as well be the smartest person in Hollywood. This veteran film and voice actor has an allegedly whopping IQ of 184.
During his high school years he almost scored a 100 percent in his SATs getting the perfect 800 in the verbal section and an impressive 779 in math.
Kesha - 140
Quentin Tarantino - 160
David Duchovny - 147
Natalie Portman - 140
Natalie Portman is very famous for her groundbreaking roles in movies like Star wars, or V for Vendetta but she’s also secretly very smart. She had a 4.0 GPA in high school which she gained by skipping the premiere of the Stars Wars:
The Phantom Menace to study for her finals. She has an allegedly recorded IQ of 140 making her a genius and among the smartest people in Hollywood.
Madonna - 140
Lisa Kudrow - 154
Lisa Kudrow has a registered IQ of 154 making her a genius, and among the top percent of test takers.
Despite portraying on screen characters that do not reflect her intellectual capabilities (i.e. her roles in Friends, Neighbors, Easy A), she is a very smart woman. She holds a degree in Biology from Vassar and worked was a medical researcher specializing in headaches before she joined the cast of Friends as Phoebe.
Meryl Streep - 143
Ken Jeong - 132
Geena Davis - 140
Ben Stein - 150
Sharon Stone - 154
