Entertainment
Ansel Elgort Is a DJ Named Ansolo & 10 Other Celebs With Surprising Side Jobs
Fun fact that you may or may not have known: Turns out, The Fault In Our Stars heartthrob Ansel Elgort is one of the many Hollywood fixtures who also has a strange-and-very-random side gig that not many people know about. Though perhaps some of you have been aware of this one for a while, apparently, in addition to being an actor, Ansel Elgort is also a DJ...and his stage name is Ansolo.
Is that epic, or what?
Elgort showed off his little known talent at the Electric Zoo festival this past weekend, an electronic music festival that takes place in NYC. In celebration, Elgort posted to his Ansolo (seriously, all I think of is Han Solo, and I love it) Facebook page: "EZOO!!! WHAT A DREAM COME TRUE :)," along with a clip of him doing his thang on stage. His Twitter also contains some great shots from the event, including this very DJ-ish one. Looks like Elgort is really in his element when he's performing.
Of course, Elgort isn't the only Hollywood performer who has a very surprising/random side gig apart from his the thing he's mainly famous for: Tons of other actors, directors, singers, and sports figures in the industry have dabbled in other fields, including and not limited to: House flipping, show cobbling, and woodworking. In honor of Elgort's triumph on stage, why don't we check out a few?
Nick Offerman: Woodworker
This one isn’t surprising at all, actually — in fact, it just basically makes him more like Ron Swanson than he already was. Apparently, Nick Offerman, like his TV counterpart in Parks & Recreation, is married to Tammy Two (Megan Mullally), stresses the importance of every man eating a steak diet and having a strong mustache, and he’s also an accomplished woodworker with his own business, Offerman Woodshop. No one should be shocked.
Tony Bennett: Painter
Some people just have it all. Tony Bennett is one of the most famous singers in the world, but that doesn’t stop him from conquering other arts in addition to music as well: Apparently, Bennett is also a painter under his full name, Anthony Benedetto, and he still sells his work through his website.
Justin Timberlake: MySpace Owner
Is this an instance of life imitating art? Maybe. Justin Timberlake, who of course starred in 2008’s The Social Network as Napster creator Sean Parker, bought the ailing social networking site MySpace a couple of years back in hopes of turning it into a major social media presence once again. It’s actually a fairly big presence in the music industry now, so Timberlake did somewhat succeed.
Patrick Dempsey: Coffee Chain Owner
You’ll never be able to have a cup of coffee at a Tully’s location without thinking of how McDreamy saved, and then abandoned it. He initially bought the troubled coffeehouse chain (beating out Starbucks!) with the intention of saving it, but, after a short time, walked away from the investment after a legal battle with his business partner. Still, he did, at one point, own a coffeehouse!
Daniel Day-Lewis: Cobbler/Carpenter
This is a weird one, but cool nonetheless. Apparently, as well as being a famed, three-time Academy Award-winner, Daniel Day-Lewis can also cobble shoes and is great at carpenting. Like, so great that, according to the Daily Mail, for a long time his son actually thought carpenting was what his dad did — not, you know, being a world-famous star. Now that’s good acting.
Kristian Nairn (HODOR!): DJ
Most of us probably know about this one already, but I just love Hodor so much, I had to include it: In addition to portraying, well, Hodor in Game of Thrones, actor Kristian Nairn is also a DJ who’s pretty well known in Ireland’s DJ-ing scene. So well known, in fact, that he’s planning a GoT -themed DJ-ing tour, wittily titled “Rave of Thrones.” That should be enough to make you want to go.
Image: HBO
Venus Williams: Interior Design Company Owner/Jamba Juice Franchise Owner
Venus Williams has got a lot on her plate, and yet somehow, she still manages to remain a tennis superstar as well. Apparently, as well as being one of the most famous tennis players in the world, Williams is also an accomplished business owner, with not one, but two ventures: She owners an interior design company called V*STARR Interiors, and she also owns a few Jamba Juice franchises. Or, as the Washington Business Journal called it, ”a Jamba Juice empire.” I suddenly feel very inadequate about my whole life.
Jada Pinkett-Smith: 'The Queen Latifah Show' Executive Producer
How’s this for random? Apparently, in addition to everything else Jada Pinkett-Smith does, she also acts as the executive producer for Queen Latifah’s talk show, The Queen Latifah Show. Who’da thunk it?
Quentin Tarantino: Legendary Movie Theater Landlord
Quentin Tarantino was a longtime patron of LA’s legendary New Beverly Cinema — a moviehouse dedicated to showing classic and hard-to-find films in flawless, often 35mm prints — before he hit the big time with Reservoir Dogs in 1992, so when the theater found itself in danger of being kicked off their Beverly Blvd. property so a Supercuts location (seriously) could open, Tarantino stepped in and bought the building himself. He’s the landlord now, and generally only makes programming decisions once in a while (often times, he’ll screen his own films at the theater in advance, and before filming Inglourious Basterds, he even had star Mélanie Laurent prepare for her role as theater owner Shoshanna by working the projectors there), and the Torgan family, who run the New Bev, are still considered the owners.
”As long as I’m alive, and as long as I’m rich, the New Beverly will be there, showing double features in 35mm,” he told Reuters back in 2010. (Also, maybe this is my own bias talking because the New Bev is the greatest place on earth, but everyone should visit it at least once in their lives. Trust me, you won’t be sorry.)
Jeremy Renner: House Flipper
So, in addition to being Hawkeye in the Marvel franchise (as well as that one crazy vampire on Angel at the turn of the century — never forget) Jeremy Renner is also a very accomplished house flipper. That is, he buys houses for cheap, fixes them up, and sells them at an inflated rate to make some serious cash off the sale. He credits it with keeping him “grounded,” but considering he just recently made $17 million off a mansion he flipped in Hollywood, I can’t imagine he’s not getting at least a bit proud of himself. That’s impressive!
