When it comes to celebrities, there’s a lot of attention paid to their acting, singing, dancing, and styling skills. One thing that often skips popular conversation is their intelligence. Measured by a set of standardized tests, the intelligence quotient (IQ) is a score of one’s reasoning abilities. While the standard IQ ranges between 85 and 115, some celebrities have outranked these numbers and received scores of 125+, making them members of esteemed associations like Mensa.
James Woods
Renowned for taking on several fast-talking roles on screen and stage, Woods reportedly has an IQ of 180. In his younger days, he was offered a full scholarship to MIT, but he turned that down to continue his career in acting. Some of his most notable movies include Once Upon A Time in America, Ghosts of Mississippi, Salvador, among others.
Rowan Atkinson
Best known for his role as Mr. Bean, Rowan Atkinson is one of the most beloved actor-comedians ever. According to some sources, he has an IQ of 178. Following in his father’s footsteps, he embarked on his Ph.D. journey at the Queen’s College, Oxford, before dropping out and turning his full attention to acting, taking on title roles in productions such as Blackadder, Johnny English, Wonka, and Man Vs. Bee.
Lady Gaga
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, more popularly known as Lady Gaga has an IQ of 166. She became the talk of the town via her unique take on art pop that featured flamboyant costumes and strong lyrics. With humble beginnings that included a lot of school plays and open mic nights, she went on to study music and theater at the Tisch School of the Arts in New York.
Mayim Bialik
Bialik has been an inspiration to young girls across borders. The actor who played a neuroscientist on The Big Bang Theory also has the smarts to back it up. She has an IQ of 163 and holds a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Neuroscience from UCLA.
Quentin Tarantino
Writing and directing cult-favorites is no mean feat. Tarantino, with his unique brand of stylized violence and popular references, has several titles under his belt, such as Pulp Fiction, Django Unchained, and Kill Bill. According to some sources, he has an IQ of 160 and dropped out of high school to pursue a career in films.
Matt Damon
In an uncanny parallel with his character on Good Will Hunting, Matt Damon is truly as smart as he looks! He has an IQ of 160, making him one of the most intelligent people in Hollywood. Damon was originally a literature student at Harvard, but he dropped out of college to chase his passion for acting.
Geena Davis
Virginia Elizabeth Davis is a member of Mensa, a non-profit organization for people with high IQs. There have been some discrepancies in her IQ score, with some reports pinning it at 158, and others at 140. She studied drama at Boston University and even received an honorary doctorate from Bates College for her work on Gender in Media.
Cindy Crawford
Supermodel Cindy Crawford was one of the most popular faces on the ramp and magazine covers in the 1980s and 90s. Over time, she expanded her career to include acting and production, working on films like Fair Game, 54, and Cougar Town, among others. A true manifestation of beauty with brains, Crawford reportedly has an IQ of 154.
Sharon Stone
Since her childhood, Sharon Stone has been considered academically gifted. With an IQ of 154, she is one of the most intelligent women in Hollywood. She started her career with her iconic performance in Basic Instinct and has since gone on to win several awards and nominations.
Lisa Kudrow
Kudrow is most popular for her role as the ditzy but warm-hearted Phoebe Buffay on Friends. But with an IQ of 154, she couldn’t possibly be further away from her character. She graduated from the Vassar College of New York with a degree in Bachelor of Science and also assisted her father in his research as a headache specialist.
Nolan Gould
Another warm and fuzzy face on screen, Nolan Gould is most commonly associated with his role as Luke Dunphy in the show Modern Family. He began acting and modeling at the age of three and graduated from high school at the age of 13. With an IQ of 150, he is reportedly a member of Mensa as well.
Meryl Streep
One of the most celebrated actors of all time, Meryl Streep has a strong legacy in Hollywood. She received her Bachelor’s in Acting from Vassar College in New York and then went on to continue her education in drama at Yale University. Over the course of her career, she has received more Academy Award nominations than any actor – 21! And if that weren’t enough, she is also on the list of people with the highest IQ in Hollywood, with a score of 143.
Madonna
Widely regarded as the “Queen of Pop,” Madonna has received a lot of critical and popular acclaim in the field of music. Few people know, though, that this singer-songwriter-actress also has a high IQ, with a score of 140. She received high grades throughout school, and even received a scholarship at the University of Michigan, but decided to drop out of college for her music career.
