- Can you guess which famous person enjoys catching frogs, Segway polo, or throwing knives?
Everybody should have a hobby. A hobby helps you take a break from the humdrum of everyday life and do something you really enjoy for a moment.
Celebrities, too, want something they can spend their time on when not being in the limelight. Just like us regular schmoes, they have their share of hobbies.
And, just like ours, some of those hobbies can be quite unexpected — or even weird.
Here are 11 famous people both past and present, with their unusual hobbies.
1. Beyoncé — Beekeeping
Her fans have known for a long time that Beyoncé likes beekeeping. But in case you’re not her fan, well, she owns several beehives.
Between her hives, the pop star has around 80,000 bees (or that’s what she estimates). With that, she gets to reap the rewards of having bees on her property, and she produces several hundred jars of honey every year.
She has a reason to have the hives, too. Beyoncé says her daughters are allergic to a lot of things, and she believes naturally produced honey helps them.
2. Margot Robbie — Doing Tattoos
When not being Barbie, Harley Quinn, or Queen Elizabeth, Margot Robbie does tattoos. Or at least she used to.
She once got a tattoo gun and started inking herself and her friends. She reportedly gave tattoos to the cast and crew of the Suicide Squad film, too.
However, she says she stopped the hobby after 2020, when a tattoo she (drunkenly) gave to a maid of honor at a friend’s wedding went wrong. Let’s just say, a scabbed, raw ink scrawl and an open-backed dress don’t mix.
3. Robin Williams — Video Games
The late comedian Robin Williams loved games. It didn’t really matter to him what kind, but he had a special place in his heart for video games.
Even then, his tastes ran the gamut. He liked everything from old-school adventures to the latest military shooters.
His favorite game, though? That’d be The Legend of Zelda — hence why he named his daughter Zelda.
4. Nick Offerman — Woodworking
Actor Nick Offerman is best known for portraying the manly man Ron Swanson in Parks and Recreation. Swanson is known for his love of whiskey, meat-heavy diet, and woodworking skills, among other masculine attributes.
The woodworking skills came from Offerman, though. He’s an expert carpenter and even does commissioned furniture pieces.
Somehow, it’s very fitting.
5. Angelina Jolie — Knives
Angelina Jolie has a thing for knives in every way. Whether it’s collecting them, playing with them, or throwing them, she just seems to have a good time.
She says her mom bought her her first set of daggers when she was 11, and she’s been fascinated with knives ever since. Jolie has shown off her butterfly knife-twirling skills in several interviews.
Her hobby has helped with her acting work, too. When portraying Lara Croft, she did her own stunts — including chucking several knives around.
6. Steve Wozniak — Segway Polo
Steve Wozniak isn’t exactly an A-list celebrity. He’s a big deal, though, since he’s the co-founder and original tech wizard behind a little company called Apple Inc. that you may have heard of.
He also plays Segway polo. It’s like horse polo but on Segways. You know, those scooter things?
Wozniak seems to love his Segway in general. He says it’s his vehicle of choice, if using it is practical.
7. H. G. Wells — Miniature Wargaming
H.G. Wells is famous for his science fiction stories, including The War of the Worlds, The Time Machine, and The Invisible Man. He also enjoyed playing with little toy soldiers.
Wells and his friends used to stage elaborate battles in his living room. Dressed like fine English gentlemen, they huddled on the floor pushing their troops around and shooting toy cannons.
He even wrote one of the earliest published miniature wargame rules, called Little Wars.
8. Ryan Gosling — Knitting
Hollywood heartthrob Ryan Gosling has a generally very wholesome image. His hobbies do nothing to diminish that reputation.
Namely, Gosling likes to knit. He learned the craft while filming Lars and the Real Girl and kept doing it since he simply enjoyed it.
In particular, he says he cherishes the fact that after the project is over, you’ll have something practical you can wear or use.
9. Tom Hanks — Vintage Typewriters
On the topic of wholesome guys in Hollywood, how about Tom Hanks? Instead of cars or yachts, the superstar collects vintage typewriters.
He got his first typewriter when he was 19 and hasn’t stopped collecting them since. Today, he has about 250 typing machines in his collection.
He’s not planning to hold onto them forever. Hanks says he’ll eventually sell most of them — except for one. We can’t help but wonder which one that is.
10. Paris Hilton — Catching Frogs
If you’d have to guess one of Paris Hilton’s favorite hobbies, you wouldn’t. She might be associated with glitz and glamor, but she also enjoys more down-to-earth activities.
Namely, catching frogs. Hilton has said that, when staying at one of her ranches, she’ll go to the ponds with a bucket, catch frogs, and then let them go at the end of the day.
Maybe it’s us, but we seriously can’t imagine Paris in overalls wading into a murky pond.
11. Isaac Newton — Alchemy
Isaac Newton is practically synonymous with science and math. However, when he wasn’t redefining calculus or coming up with the theory of gravity, he practiced more occult arts.
He was an amateur alchemist, to be precise. Newton genuinely believed that alchemy would help him understand the universe on a deeper level than math could.
He collected occult tomes and books, and conducted alchemical experiments. His greatest goal was to produce the philosopher’s stone that could transform metal into gold.