19 Celebs Who Are Soo Much Smarter Than You Thought They Were

Buzz Feed

17-02-2025

Entertainers are often defined by their onscreen personas, but many of them have far more to offer the world. Of course, there are artists who excel at various mediums. However, we don't talk about the extremely brilliant minds whose intelligence isn't highlighted as much.
Rowan Atkinson of Mr. Bean has a master's degree in electrical engineering, for example.
He's not the only actor who has an impressive academic background. From Mensans to Harvard graduates, here are 19 celebrities who are way smarter than you thought.
1. Ken Jeong worked as a physician before his acting career took off. He graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's School of Medicine, then worked for the health care provider Kaiser Permanente, per Duke Chronicle.
2. Marilu Henner has a condition called highly superior autobiographical memory that allows her to recall every detail of her life. She explained on 60 Minutes Australia that she could remember some details immediately while others might take more time.
3. Modern Family star Nolan Gould isn't just a stellar talent onscreen but also a member of Mensa, according to E! News. During an interview on Ellen, he revealed that he graduated from high school when he was 13. "Over the summer, I did a lot of studying and I took an exam and tested out of high school, so I'm hopefully going to go on and do some online community college courses," he said.
4. Wallace Shawn has taken on many lighthearted and comedic roles, from Rex in the Toy Story series to Vizzini in The Princess Bride. However, he's exceptionally brilliant, having graduated from Harvard University as a Fulbright scholar.
5. Dolph Lundgren has often taken on villainous roles, whether in Rocky IV or the Universal Soldier film series. But what most wouldn't expect is that he's extremely academically gifted. Like Shawn, he's a Fulbright scholar who was accepted to MIT. He eventually completed his Master's gegree in chemical engineering at The Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm during an exchange program with the University of Sydney in Australia, according to his official website.
6. Playing a complete airhead in Phoebe on Friends seemed effortless for Lisa Kudrow. However, before her big break, she graduated with a biology major and a job as a headache specialist. She even started working on a study concerning hemispheric dominance and headache types, as she explained during her speech at her alma mater, Vassar College.
7. Kesha hasn't ever marketed herself as an intellectual type, but there's more than meets the eye with her. According to a profile with NPR, she got a near-perfect SAT score.
8. Cindy Crawford is undoubtedly one of the most recognizable models in the industry. However, what's just as impressive as her hefty resumé and accomplishments is her academic background. Not only did she graduate as valedictorian in high school, but she also enrolled at Northwestern University on an academic scholarship for chemical engineering.
9. Matt Damon's Hollywood feats are second to none. He's among the highest-grossing actors with a long list of nominations and awards. Good Will Hunting helped launch his career, but what's even more interesting is that he began writing its script while enrolled at Harvard. Although he left the school to pursue his career in acting, he was later awarded the Harvard Arts Medal in 2013.
10. Mayim Bialik's ability to tap into the role of neuroscientist Amy Farrah Fowler in The Big Bang Theory was practically second nature. Bialik graduated with a Bachelor of Science and PhD in neuroscience with minors in Hebrew and Jewish studies.
11. Brian May's contributions to music have been etched in the history books. In addition to his artistic successes, he also received a PhD in astrophysics from Imperial London College. Moreover, he also became the Chancellor of Liverpool John Moores University.
12. Steve Martin's a man of many hats but perhaps the most overlooked fact is that he's extremely intelligent. He previously penned an article for the New Yorker titled, "How I Joined Mensa."
13. WWE superstar Raven has a surprising background that mirrors Martin's. The wrestling icon became a member of Mensa with an IQ of 140, per WWE.
14. Speaking of Raven, Kyle Hamilton of the Baltimore Ravens reportedly scored above 132 on his IQ Test by the third grade, according to Sports Illustrated.
15. Jodie Foster has been in the entertainment industry since she was 3, which just so happened to be the same age when she learned to read. Per the New York Times, she was "a gifted child who could read at the age of 3, and within two years understand scripts on her own." What's even more impressive is that she graduated Magna cum laude with a degree in literature from Yale.
16. From One Tree Hill to MTV's Awkward, Ashley Rickards has flexed her acting prowess in various roles. She's also incredibly gifted, having graduated high school at 15 and becoming a member of Mensa in 2011.
17. Rebel Wilson has an impressive background outside of acting. Wilson graduated from the University of New South Wales with two degrees, a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Laws. In an interview with the Guardian, she also revealed that she participated in the Australian junior maths olympiad and described herself as having "weird mathematical abilities" since an early age.
18. The Offspring frontman, Dexter Holland, made a career as a pioneering figure in the pop-punk scene. Yet his accomplishments have never been limited to music. He was valedictorian in high school and later earned a PhD in molecular biology with his thesis on HIV research, per Rolling Stone.
Did we miss any gifted celebs? Let us know in the comments!