“Never judge a book by its cover.” This saying must be familiar to every individual on the planet. For individuals involved in the show biz industry, this is particularly true. Many individuals automatically assume that actors and actresses are unintelligent and that their good looks have only become famous. The truth, however, is that many stars out there have IQs well above the average. Not only do they have millions of dollars in their bank accounts, but they also have amazing minds to boot as well. Let us find out what geniuses are actually red-carpet staples. Get ready, because you will be shocked by some of these names!
You Might Be Surprised To Hear How High The IQs Of These Celebrities Are
Shakira
Because of her lovely personality and incredible voice, we all love Shakira. The musician has brought home, among other things, three Grammy Awards, five MTV Video Music Awards, 13 Latin Grammy Awards, and seven Billboard Music Awards. On its own, this is already impressive enough, but wait until you learn that her IQ is about 14. The reality is that she is well-educated and has done her studies very well.
Shakira
Goldie Hawn
In the past, Goldie Hawn played a number of “dimwitted” and “goofy” characters. However, this does not necessarily imply that this is her true personality. If you make the assumption, she’s like this, and we’re going to let you know that she’s got an IQ of 130. It ensures that she is much smarter than she gets credit for. For her performance in Cactus Flower, she has won an Academy Award and a Golden Globe over the years. She was nominated for another Oscar, as well as eight more Golden Globes, on top of that.
Goldie Hawn
James Franco
James Franco boasts an IQ of 130, which means that he is smarter than the average American. After all, the national average in the United States is only 98! We are not shocked to hear that he has earned multiple degrees. In case you did not know, he is a two-time Golden Globe award winner. Aside from his wins for James Dean and The Disaster Artist, he was also nominated for his incredible performance in a 2011 movie called 127 Hours.
James Franco
Cindy Crawford
Cindy Crawford is familiar to most people. She’s only a supermodel who has to be among the most gorgeous ladies to grace the planet! That being said, more than those wavy locks, long legs, and memorable birthmark, there is more to her. We’re betting that you didn’t know her IQ was 154. This is a clear indication that there are no mutually exclusive “beauty” and “brains.” You get to have both if you’re lucky!
Cindy Crawford
Alicia Keys
Reports say there is an IQ of a whopping 154 for Alicia Keys. If factually correct, that means she’s much better than the average Joe! Owing to her incredible lyrics and compositions, her fans may tell you that she is an intelligent woman. For many decades to come, we are sure that people are going to continue to sing her music!
Alicia Keys
Conan O’Brien
On his late-night shows, Conan O’Brien gets up with a lot of stupid antics, but actually, he’s a genius! His IQ amounts to 160. He actually attended Harvard University and even did work on the Harvard Lampoon, a legendary satirical periodical. He also deserves some credit for his behind the scenes work on Saturday Night Live, aside from his TV shows. From 1987 until 1991, he was a part of the show. On top of that, he also wrote some of the best episodes of The Simpsons’ animated show.
Conan O’Brien
Steve Martin
The comedian Steve Martin is mainly remembered for his cleverness, but you might be shocked to know how clever he is indeed. Reportedly, the funnyman does have an IQ of 142. He went to the State University of California, Long Beach, and majored in philosophy. He has written novels and scripts, as well as managed to score soundtracks and released his own records. Not only does he play the banjo, but over the course of his long career, he has also raked in various nominations and awards. We’re not shocked at all to find him on this list!
Steve Martin
Ashton Kutcher
This is not what he is like in real life, even though Ashton Kutcher always plays dumb characters. The star of That ’70s Show reportedly has an IQ of 160! This certainly explains how he has achieved success as a venture capitalist when he is not working behind or in front of the camera. He is an investor in a number of startups in the high-tech sector. There are 60 companies on the list, such as Airbnb, Foursquare, and Skype!
Ashton Kutcher
Bill Gates
Reasonable enough, not the most shocking thing on the list is this one. After all, to be one of the wealthiest men on the planet obviously requires brains! He’s got an IQ of about 160, which we’re sure isn’t a surprise to anybody. The tech genius is best known as the founder of Microsoft. However, more recently, through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, he has also become popular for his philanthropic work.
Bill Gates
Claire Danes
Ever since she was a little girl, Claire Danes have been acting in television shows and films. She managed to snag her breakout role at the age of 13 by making an appearance in an episode of the hit Law & Order show. She managed to land a major role in My So-Called Life two years after that. Sources claim she has an IQ of 140, which could explain her ability to put so much fear and enthusiasm into the iconic position. With that character, she did not stop either! When she brought to life a CIA operative called Carrie Mathison from Homeland, she also impressed all of us.
Claire Danes
Quentin Tarantino
Quentin Tarantino will probably be capable of giving you the answers if you want to know anything about the film. He does have an IQ of a cool 160, so remembering obscure trivia about the industry must be easy for him. He is amazing at creating memorable characters through movies and telling incredible stories. He said he’s planning to retire soon, but we doubt he’s going to be able to put a mind like that to rest that easily.
Quentin Tarantino
David Duchovny
Many people don’t understand just how comparable David Duchovny is to Fox Mulder, his role on the X-Files. The two of them brag IQs of genius level. The actor does have an IQ of 147, to be precise. Supporters from all over the world still adore the hit show. You also should check out his other ventures, including Twin Peaks and Californication! You won’t be disappointed, believe us.
David Duchovny
Natalie Portman
Natalie Portman is not only a talented actress but at 140, she also happens to have a high IQ. Could we remind you that for her psychology degree, she went to Harvard University? Once, she was asked whether she thought her education would mess up her career. Her response? “I would rather be smart than a movie star.” It is also spectacular to hear that she successfully completed her degree when working on the Star Wars prequels set. In her early 20s, she was able to accomplish so many things, but she did not stop there!
Natalie Portman
Madonna
Madonna said that she’s got an IQ of 140. This is not really surprising in our opinion. She dominated the music charts at varying intervals for around three decades. She launches a new album or single that receives widespread praise when people think that she has hung up her gloves. And apart from that, for her acting chops, she has also been recognized. We simply love Evita, her award-winning feature film.
Madonna
Lisa Kudrow
Lisa Kudrow seems to be the opposite of Phoebe Buffay, the personality she plays in Friends, a hit show. Although the character has many “blonde moments on the show,” she may be the smartest person on the sitcom cast. Just so you know, her IQ arrives at a cool 160! Whoa.
Lisa Kudrow
Meryl Streep
Can you come up with a much more admired movie actress than Meryl Streep? We’re betting you can’t. She has won 172 awards already and has received 356 nominations. Her IQ is not so far from the number of awards she has won! At 143, it stands. There’s nothing we can name that she is not excellent at! You know what, she just might be the planet’s first perfect person.
Meryl Streep
Matt Damon
Matt Damon has managed to play a number of smart characters over the course of his acting career. Let us see how clever he truly is. Interviews have indicated that his IQ is 160! This would mean that it is more autobiographical than one might think that Good Will Hunting is. After writing the screenplay for the movie with his pal, Ben Affleck, this actor became a household name. In the field, he has received many accolades. Not only has he been nominated three times for the Academy Awards, but thanks to his performance in The Martian, he also brought home a Golden Globe award for Best Actor.
Matt Damon
Nolan Gould
In the past 20 years, Modern Family has been one of the most successful sitcoms. Every fan of the show knows who Nolan Gould is. He has not only won multiple Emmys with the rest of the cast, but his IQ is also 150. With this in mind, we have no doubt that the actor can memorize his lines faster than the average person. His career has just started, so we’re sure we’re going to see more talented young men in the future! We can’t help but wonder what’s coming for him next.
Nolan Gould
Ken Jeong
When he played a doctor in Knocked Up, Ken Jeong first became a household name. In reality, thanks to his recurring MADtv role, as well as small parts in Two and a Half Men and The Office, he was already making waves. Of course, the memorable roles that he played in the Community and The Hangover series cannot be forgotten! Not only is he an incredibly funny man, but in real life, he also happens to be a physician. He holds a medical degree from Chapel Hill at the University of North Carolina. His IQ is 130 or higher, although some people believe it is even higher than that.
Ken Jeong
Aisha Tyler
Over the years, Aisha Tyler has achieved many things. We are certain that you will recognize her from projects like 24, Friends, and The Whisperer of the Ghost. She also is the voice behind Lana Kane in the animated show Archer, aside from acting. She is a very effective individual, but we want you to concentrate on the reality that she has a reported IQ of 156. It feels like some individuals have it all! We want you to know that you are not the only one if you are jealous of her.
Aisha Tyler
Emma Watson
This one might come as no surprise to you. Do you think Emma Watson used a spell to increase her IQ? At any rate, because she is just as smart as the clever witch, it is fitting that she was cast to play Hermione Granger in Harry Potter. At the University of Oxford, she also did attend highly regarded educational institutions like Brown University and Worcester College. The actress holds an English Literature degree. Her IQ is, at any rate, allegedly around 138.
Emma Watson
Rowan Atkinson
Let’s discuss about a clever actor who has been cast to play a stupid character! No doubt, Rowan Atkinson is best known for playing Mr. Bean. While taking up his master’s studies in electrical engineering at Queen’s College at the University of Oxford, he came up with this character. He turns out to be a genius with a staggering IQ of 178! This is even higher on this list than most individuals!
Rowan Atkinson
Nicole Kidman
Have you heard that there is an IQ of 138 for Nicole Kidman? We have to say we’re not surprised at all to hear this. After all, over her long career, this Australian actress has successfully captured character after character. She is also a hard-working individual, aside from being naturally intelligent. She deserves all the acclaim over the years that she has received! It doesn’t look like she is planning on slowing down soon, either.
Nicole Kidman
Robin Williams
When we learned that Robin Williams passed away in 2014, we were totally devastated. With his memorable appearances in Aladdin, The Fisher King, Happy Days, Good Morning Vietnam, and more, the talented actor brought entertainment to all of us. He also worked as an award show host, a late-night talk show guest, and a stand-up comedian, aside from acting. It is said he had an IQ of around 140. We’re never going to forget that genius who made us all laugh.
Robin Williams
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Although there are many smart film characters out there, we think it is unlikely that Arnold Schwarzenegger’s play is the first thing to come to mind. No matter what you think, the truth is that there are several languages that he can speak. Let us not forget that he served for a period of time as the Governor of California as well. He has an IQ of 135, which explains how successful he was able to become!
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Sharon Stone
Sharon Stone is a star who is not normally cast to play characters that are smart. In fact, in movies such as Silver, Casino, and Basic Instinct, she is often cast in sexual roles. She is all the evidence you need to know that looks can be disappointing. Mind you, 148 is the IQ of this great actress.
Sharon Stone
Mayim Bialik
Mayim Bialik is an actress best known for her work in Blossom and The Big Bang Theory. Her IQ has yet to be confirmed because a source said 150 while another said 163. There is no arguing, at any rate, that she is a bright woman. She actually earned a Ph.D. from the University of California Los Angeles in 2007 in neuroscience. She was clearly the best person to play her character in The Theory of the Big Bang!
Mayim Bialik
Ben Stein
Do you know how smart Ben Stein is? His IQ is 150, so we hope this answers your questions. Although that might not be the best example, we can see why he was hired to write many presidents’ speeches, including Richard Nixon. Now, on Fox News, he is a regular economic and political commentator. He always had an interest in politics and was even a valedictorian for his Yale Law School batch. Apart from that, he also worked as a lawyer for poverty and as a trial lawyer.
Ben Stein
Dolph Lundgren
With all the brawny men he performs, Dolph Lundgren has now become synonymous. This is the reason why hearing that his IQ is 160 is rather shocking. Wait until you hear from the Royal Institute of Technology in Sweden that he has a degree in chemical engineering. He also earned a master’s degree from the University of Sydney in the same field. He decided to try out acting, even though he was awarded a Fulbright scholarship to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. We are happy that things have all worked out for him.
Dolph Lundgren
James Woods
James Wood himself said that his IQ was calculated to be 184. He’s a member of Mensa, and if his IQ measurement is accurate, that means he has an IQ higher than Stephen Hawking and maybe even higher than Albert Einstein by over 20 points. Not to mention, on the pre-1995 test, James scored an almost ideal SAT score. That is when there were rare perfect SAT scores. To top it all off, James studied political science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology on a scholarship.
James Woods
Jordana Brewster
In the brain department, the Furious 7 star takes after her grandfather. Her grandfather was a Yale University professor. Actually, later on, Jordana attended Yale University and graduated with a B.A. in English. It is rumored that her IQ is between 120-130.
Jordana Brewster
Jodie Foster
Jodie Foster, widely recognized for being gifted, taught herself at age 3 to read! It isn’t all that surprising, then, that she has a 132 IQ. She is fluent in French and English and understands Italian, Spanish, and German a lot, too. She graduated from Magna cum Claude at Yale University and majored in literature. In fact, in 1997, she received an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degree from Yale.
Jodie Foster
Geena Davis
The simple truth that her IQ is 140 is probably associated with Geena Davis being multifaceted in Hollywood! She graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in drama from Boston University in 1979. On top of that, she is also a member of Mensa.
Geena Davis
Kate Beckinsale
In Hollywood, Kate’s acting skills are appreciated for a variety of roles. The roles don’t get her the credit she deserves for her intelligence, all the same. Kate attended Oxford University, just as many other stars on this list did. Furthermore, she speaks English, French, German, and Russian. Not surprisingly, she does have an IQ score of 132.
Kate Beckinsale
Kesha
While Barnard College offered her a scholarship, Kesha turned it down in order to concentrate on her music career. Her IQ is 140, and on her SAT, she had a near-perfect score of 1500. The pop star was very studious when growing up. Kesha said, “I was in the international baccalaureate program, I loved physics and math, and I was in the marching band. After practice, I would drive to Belmont [a college in Nashville] and listen to Cold War history classes; I just think it’s so interesting.”
Kesha
Tommy Lee Jones
Aside from having an IQ score of 135, in addition to his successful acting career, Tommy Lee Jones has accomplished a lot in his life. He attended the University of Harvard and got an undergraduate degree. Not to mention, none other than Al Gore was his roommate!
Tommy Lee Jones
Allison Williams
Growing up, until she graduated from college, Allison Williams wasn’t allowed to act professionally. At Yale University, the “Girls” actress studied English and archaeology. It turns out she didn’t get a part as a freshman in Yale’s big musical, so she instead joined an improv group and discovered her comedy skills.
Allison Williams
John Legend
Scholarships to Georgetown, Morehouse College, and Harvard were offered to John Legend, but he turned them down so that he could go to UPenn. There, with a focus on African-American literature, he studied English and graduated cum laude. Not to mention, back before he made it big as a musician, he also worked at a prestigious consulting company.
John Legend
Mindy Kaling
Before switching over to the theater, the Dartmouth College student studied Latin. In fact, in 1999, Midy Kaling earned an Eleanor Frost Playwriting Award. As a student, she illustrated a daily comic for the school paper called “Badly Drawn Girl.”
Mindy Kaling
John Krasinski
John Krasinski pursued an array of academic interests at Brown before he became an actor. Before going back to Brown, he spent his first semester teaching English in Costa Rica. “Management of Industrial and Nonprofit Organisations” and also an introductory biology course were said to be his favorite classes.
John Krasinski
Edward Norton
At Yale University, the two-time Oscar-nominated actor studied history. There, a back injury forced him to retire early from the crew team. That was when, at the theater, he tried his hand. After graduating, Edward moved to Japan to consult with the nonprofit Enterprise Foundation on behalf of his grandfather. He studied Aikido, a martial art, while there and learned Japanese.
Edward Norton
Kevin Spacey
After Kevin Spacey graduated from high school at the top of his class, he went to study acting with Julliard. He dropped out two years later to pursue his career and did some shows on Broadway before making it big on the silver screen.
Kevin Spacey
Rashida Jones
Rashida Jones attended the University of Harvard, where she studied and received a B.A. Through comparative religion. She exhibited musical and theatrical talents as a student, wrote music scores, and also performed in campus plays. She originally thought of becoming a lawyer, and it turns out.
Rashida Jones
Eva Longoria
Eva Longoria has a bachelor’s degree as well as a master’s degree. She got her B.A. before she began acting, producing, and launching different companies. Kinesiology from Texas A&M Kingsville University. She went back to school later and got her Master’s degree from California State University, Northridge, in Chicano studies.
Eva Longoria
Kara Hayward
Kara Hayward has been a member of Mensa since she was 9. In reality, when she made her film debut in Wes Anderson’s “Moonrise Kingdom,” she was only 12 years old. Kara is a published poet as well, on top of being a successful actress.
Kara Hayward
Elizabeth Banks
Elizabeth Banks studied communications and theatre arts at the University of Pennsylvania before she was an Emmy nominated actress in Hollywood. She went on to get her Master’s at the American Conservatory Theater after graduating Magna cum laude.
Elizabeth Banks
Colin Firth
First attending Barton Peveril College in the UK, Colin Firth recalls this time as “among the two happiest years of my life. I must have been paying some attention as I can still quote randomly from Thomas Hardy and Lord Byron.” The actor commissioned scientists in 2011 to scan politicians’ brains and analyze if, depending on political leanings, there were any differences. As a co-author of this study that was published in the journal Current Biology, his name appears.
Colin Firth
Dr. Oz
Dr. Mehmet Oz transplanted thousands of hearts and lungs during his career as a cardiothoracic surgeon. The New York Times actually called him “one of the most accomplished cardiothoracic surgeons of his generation.” Made famous by his 55-plus cameos on “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” Dr. Oz studied at Harvard University and UPenn, where he received his MD and MBA. He served as the director of the Cardiovascular Institute of New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center for eight years.
Dr. Oz
Flavor Flav
Flavor Flav was a musical prodigy as a kid. Once upon a time, he was part of the most creative hip-hop groups of all time. He would cut classes when he was younger in order to hang out in the band room that he had at school. About 15 instruments he was able to play and learned to play songs by ear.
Flavor Flav
Ke$ha
Ke$ha is said to have an unbelievable IQ of 140, meaning that she has above average intelligence. “A lot of people might be shocked to hear this because they didn’t expect this from the star who came out with hits like “TiK ToK” and “Die Young.” As she went through a legal battle with her old producer, she had to take a step away from the spotlight. The good news is that she has again begun to release new music. Over the years, she has received different awards. She has received many Grammy Awards, American Music Awards, MTV Video Music Awards, and Billboard Music Award nominations in the past!
Ke$ha