Everyone wants a little peek into their favorite star’s personal life. In fact, this is one of the defining elements of celebrity— how badly fans want a look behind the curtain is what separates the members of BTS from, say, Pauly Shore. From social media to press junkets, there are tons of ways in which stars let their fans know more about their lives.
One of the most popular questions that people have is in regards to what celebrities do for fun. After all, nothing is more indicative of personality than a person’s hobbies. However, with so much time spent in front of the spotlight, it’s natural for stars to keep their cards close to their chest. In some cases, literally.
Keep reading for five of the most popular celebrity hobbies.
Going All-In at the Tables
Speaking of keeping cards close to their chests, dozens of celebrities have a penchant for casino gaming. The most popular games are poker and blackjack. Poker tends to take the spotlight because Texas Hold’em is one of the world’s most played games. Players include big names like Jason Alexander and Tobey Maguire.
However, the most famous celebrity who’s known to double down in blackjack – a phrase borrowed from that same classic – is Ben Affleck. The actor was known to spend time at major casinos in Las Vegas and Atlantic City, where he was spotted wearing baseball caps and sunglasses. On a recent tour through the Mediterranean with on-again beau Jennifer Lopez, the lovebirds stopped over at the Casino di Monte Carlo, one of Europe’s top casino destinations.
Touring the Final Frontiers
Celebrities love to travel—but some prefer to stick to the furthest frontiers. In this case, outer space. Over the last decade, recreational trips out of the stratosphere have become a popular idea with top stars who have deep pockets.
Last year saw Richard Branson fly on his own commerical spacecraft with Virgin Galactic, alongside two experienced pilots and three other Virgin employees. Many other celebs have expressed an interest in becoming a passenger on his next flight, whilst billionaire Elon Musk is still making waves with his SpaceX project. Last year, he launched the first mission to outer space with an all-civilian crew. Next year, we could see some of the world’s most famous names blast off!
Collecting Some of the World’s Strangest Things
What defines a celebrity’s interest in certain hobbies more than anything else? Money. In fact, even beyond celebrity interests, collectorship remains one of the world’s top past times for those with dispensable income, with everything from fine art to NFTs proving valuable to someone.
However, celebrity collections are a bit stranger than the average fare. While Mariah Carey’s shoe collection might be more of an obsession, many are shocked to learn that Leonardo DiCaprio tends a collection of action figures, while Johnny Depp instead keeps a growing number of Barbie dolls. Amanda Seyfried, on the other hand, has a growing collection of taxidermied animals.
Buying Out Franchises
Speaking of money to burn through, another way celebrities flash their wealth while also having fun is by buying and managing professional sports and eSports groups. In fact, famous athletes were some of the first investors in today’s biggest eSports teams, including Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan’s stakes in aXiomatic Gaming and David Beckham’s investment in Guild Esports.
Since then, the number of celebs investing in eSports has boomed. Drake helped found 100 Thieves, while Will Smith helped out Gen.G with key contributions. Outside of eSports and traditional sports, celebrities also love a franchise. Mark Wahlberg famously launched his own Wahlburgers chain. Others, like Jimmy Buffet and Serena Williams, own Krispy Crème and Jama Juice locations, respectively.
Packing into the Stands
Celebrities are just like us—they’re also willing to travel for events and pack into the stands to enjoy the show just like the rest of the crowd, (even if they do have an easier time buying tickets and getting backstage). Some of the most popular events attended by stars are Fashion Week and major sporting events.
New York Fashion Week and Paris Fashion Week are two of the biggest events in the world for stars that like fashion. Even those who have no involvement in the fashion sector attend, including some of this year’s guests like Keke Palmer, Nina Dobrev, and Nicky Hilton. Each year, even more pack into Super Bowl stadiums. In 2022, Ellen DeGeneres, Sean Penn, Ryan Reynolds, Matt Damon, and Chris Tucker were just a few of the stars who watched the game live in Los Angeles.
