The smartest celebrities are those who have documented high IQs, multiple degrees from distinguished universities, and a history of long hours spent studying complicated subjects. Some of these celebs, like Matt Damon, even star in the best movies about geniuses. A number of famous actors are members of the "high IQ society" Mensa - or, at least, a number of online sources say they are. Those people are included here, as are businessmen, musicians, and even wrestlers with impressive academic résumés and degrees, and Bond girls like Jill St. John. For example, Swedish-born action star Dolph Lundgren, aka Ivan Drago, has a master's degree in chemical engineering and was awarded the Fulbright Scholarship to M.I.T. Likewise, Oscar winner Natalie Portman has a Harvard degree, has lectured at Columbia University, and can speak five languages. And Bill Gates founded Microsoft. Which of these most brilliant celebrities surprises you most?
For brevity, this list does not include career politicians or widely recognized geniuses in academia.
- Reported IQ: 172Judy Holliday (born Judith Tuvim, June 21, 1921 – June 7, 1965) was an American actress,... more
Dexter Holland
University of Southern CaliforniaAge: 54
Birthplace: Garden Grove, California, United States of America
Reported IQ: 170Bryan Keith "Dexter" Holland, Ph.D (born December 29, 1965) is an American musician and... moreJames Woods
MITAge: 73
Birthplace: Vernal, Utah, United States of America
Reported IQ: 180James Howard Woods (born April 18, 1947) is an American actor, voice actor, and producer. His... moreMasi Oka
Brown UniversityAge: 45
Birthplace: Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan
Reported IQ: 189Masayori "Masi" Oka (岡 政偉, Oka Masayori) (born December 27, 1974) is an American actor of... morePaul Allen
Washington State UniversityAge: 67
Birthplace: Seattle, Washington, United States of America
Reported IQ: 170Paul Gardner Allen (January 21, 1953 – October 15, 2018) was an American business magnate,... moreBill Gates
Harvard CollegeAge: 64
Birthplace: Seattle, Washington, United States of America
Reported IQ: 160William Henry Gates III (born October 28, 1955) is an American business magnate, investor,... more- Reported IQ: 160Quentin Jerome Tarantino (; born March 27, 1963) is an American filmmaker, actor, film... more
Michael Crichton
Harvard University, Harvard Medical SchoolAge: Dec. at 66 (1942-2008)
Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois, USA
John Michael Crichton (; October 23, 1942 – November 4, 2008) was an American author,... moreJill St. John
UCLA ExtensionAge: 80
Birthplace: Los Angeles, California, United States of America
Reported IQ: 162Jill St. John (born Jill Arlyn Oppenheim; August 19, 1940) is an American actress. She is best... moreRowan Atkinson
Newcastle University, The Queen's College OxfordAge: 65
Birthplace: Consett, United Kingdom
Rowan Sebastian Atkinson (born January 6, 1955), CBE is an English actor, comedian, and... moreJayne Mansfield
UCLA, Southern Methodist UniversityAge: Dec. at 34 (1933-1967)
Birthplace: Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, United States of America
Reported IQ: 163Jayne Mansfield (born April 19, 1933 – June 29, 1967) was an American film, theater, and... moreDanica McKellar
UCLAAge: 45
Birthplace: La Jolla, San Diego, California, United States of America
Reported IQ: 154Danica Mae McKellar (born January 3, 1975) is an American actress, mathematics writer, and... moreReggie Jackson
Arizona State UniversityAge: 74
Birthplace: Wyncote, Cheltenham Township, Pennsylvania, United States of America
Reported IQ: 160Reginald Martinez Jackson (born May 18, 1946) is an American former professional baseball... moreAlan Rachins
Wharton School of Business, Empire State CollegeAge: 78
Birthplace: Cambridge, USA, Massachusetts
Reported IQ: 152Alan Leonard Rachins (born October 3, 1942) is an American television actor, best known for... moreDolph Lundgren
Washington State University, Clemson UniversityAge: 62
Birthplace: Spånga, Stockholm, Sweden
Reported IQ: 160Hans Lundgren (; Swedish: [ˈdɔlːf ˈlɵnːdgreːn] (listen); born 3 November 1957), better known... moreMatt Damon
Harvard UniversityAge: 49
Birthplace: Cambridge, USA, Massachusetts
Reported IQ: 160Matthew Paige Damon (born October 8, 1970) is an American actor, film producer and... moreSteve Wozniak
UC BerkeleyAge: 70
Birthplace: San Jose, California, United States of America
Stephen Gary "Woz" Wozniak (; born August 11, 1950) is an American inventor, electronics... moreBill O'Reilly
Marist College, Queen Mary College (London)Age: 71
Birthplace: New York City, New York, United States of America
Reported IQ: 150William James O'Reilly Jr. (born September 10, 1949) is an American journalist, author, and... moreJimmy Savile
University of LeedsAge: Dec. at 85 (1926-2011)
Birthplace: Leeds, United Kingdom
Reported IQ: 149Sir James Wilson Vincent Savile OBE KCSG (; 31 October 1926 – 29 October 2011) was an English... moreJim Morrison
St. Petersburg College, Florida State UniversityAge: Dec. at 28 (1943-1971)
Birthplace: Melbourne, Florida, United States of America
Reported IQ: 147James Douglas Morrison (December 8, 1943 – July 3, 1971) was an American singer, songwriter... more- Reported IQ: 150Nolan Gould (born October 28, 1998) is an American actor. He is known for his role as youngest... more
Alicia Keys
Columbia UniversityAge: 39
Birthplace: Hell's Kitchen, New York City, New York, United States of America
Reported IQ: 154Alicia Augello Cook (born January 25, 1981), known professionally as Alicia Keys, is an ... moreBen Stein
Columbia College, Yale Law SchoolAge: 75
Birthplace: Washington, D.C., USA
Reported IQ: 150Benjamin Jeremy Stein (born November 25, 1944) is an American writer, lawyer, actor, and... moreKate Beckinsale
New College OxfordAge: 47
Birthplace: Finsbury Park, London, United Kingdom
Reported IQ: 152Kathrin Romary Beckinsale (born 26 July 1973) is an English actress and model. After some... moreScott Adams
Hartwick College, UC BerkeleyAge: 63
Birthplace: Windham, New York
Reported member of Mensa (IQ at least 140)Scott Raymond Adams (born June 8, 1957) is the creator of the Dilbert comic strip, and the... more
