Brad Pitt makes surprise debut as sculptor at Finland gallery
He’s not the only star to have an unexpected passion or hobby: Sylvester Stallone paints, while Tom Hanks is crazy about typewriters. Here are some celebrity passions beyond music, movies and TV.
Brad Pitt the sculptor?
The actor surprised the world by showing his sculptures for the first time in an exhibition in the Finnish city of Tampere. "To me it’s about self-reflection. It’s about where I have gotten it wrong in my relationships, where have I misstepped, where am I complicit," he said of his works at the opening. Musician Nick Cave (left) and British sculptor Thomas Houseago (center) also showed their art.
Nick Cave and the devil
Pitt was reportedly nervous about his art debut. It was also a first for Australian alternative rocker Nick Cave, who started creating a ceramic series during the COVID pandemic. The ceramics depict scenes of the life of the devil. Cave was inspired by Victorian Staffordshire flatback figurines, which he collects.
Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt: Pottery bros
Leonardo DiCaprio is well known as a passionate environmental activist, having founded the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation. But according to media reports, in 2019 he and Brad Pitt bonded over their shared love of pottery and made art together during the filming of Quentin Tarantino's "Once Upon a Time ... In Hollywood." It was the first time the actors had been in a movie together.
Sylvester Stallone loves to paint
Pitt and DiCaprio are by no means the only actors in Hollywood to dive deep into art. "Rocky" and "Rambo" actor Sylvester Stallone has a passion for painting which began at an early age. In 2021, he opened his third gallery show in Germany. The multimillionaire also has a collection of works by the likes of Francis Bacon, Claude Monet, Pablo Picasso, Gerhard Richter and Anselm Kiefer.
Angelina Jolie fights for the rights of refugees
Some celebrities have passions of an entirely different kind. It’s no secret that actor Angelina Jolie has dedicated much of her time to traveling the world visiting refugee camps and championing refugee rights. The "Tomb Raider" star was appointed a UNHCR Special Envoy in 2012. She recently visited hospitals and children affected by the war in Ukraine.
Geena Davis mastered archery
Oscar-winning actor Geena Davis learned taekwondo and ice skating during her career. Yet few would have expected that she would become an Olympic-caliber archer. Davis became fascinated by the sport while watching the 1996 Olympics and devoted her time to mastering it, winning national and international competitions. She narrowly missed making it onto the US Olympics team in 2000.
Sting's Tuscan wine
Does good music age like fine wine? Perhaps we can look to Sting for an answer. The British singer has been managing a large winery on his estate in Tuscany, Italy with his wife Trudie Styler. The couple have a shared passion for Italian varieties, including Barolo and Brunello and produce about 150,000 bottles a year — and it’s organic, too!
Emma Watson for women's rights and sustainable fashion
The "Harry Potter" star uses her celebrity plaform for good, advocating for women's rights and fashion sustainability. Watson has long championed eco-friendly and sustainable clothing, wearing vintage items on the red carpet. She also helped launch an online tool, the Fashion Footprint Calculator, which lets consumers calculate how their fashion consumption contributes to greenhouse gas emissions.
Tom Hanks and his typewriters
Star actor Tom Hanks is one of the most famous faces in Hollywood. Yet few know about his secret passion for … typewriters. Although some of his younger fans may not even know what the largely defunct machines are, Hanks has been collecting them since the 1970s. In 2017 he even published a short story book "Uncommon Type," revolving around typewriters.
Neil Patrick Harris is a magician
The multi-talented producer, singer and actor in the TV show "How I Met Your Mother" is a practicing magician. In fact, his character in the show, Barney, frequently does magic to impress women. Harris's love for magic started as a child and he developed it, and once ran one of the most famous and exclusive magic clubs in the world, the Magic Castle in Los Angeles.