109 Celebrity Facts That’ll Impress Your Friends

Many fans feel like they know everything about their favorite celebrities, but as proven time and time again, that’s basically never the case. Just when you think you’ve figured out what they’re capable of, stars from all fields often find a way to throw a curveball, from hidden talents to famous families members.

Read on for 109 celebrity fun facts that are sure to impress your friends and help your team on trivia night.

Celebs’ Real Names

1. Rihanna was born Robyn Fenty.

The singer was born Robyn Rihanna Fenty in 1988, and decided to use her middle name as a mononym after entering the music world.

2. Emma Stone is actually named Emily.

The only reason the Oscar winner decided to use Emma as her stage name was because there was another Emily Stone who was already registered in the Screen Actors Guild.

3. Reese Witherspoon’s real name is Laura.

The actor was born Laura Jeanne Reese Witherspoon in 1976, but decided to go by her middle name professionally.

4. Katy Perry shares a name with Kate Hudson.

Perry’s birth name is Kathryn Hudson, and she used the name Katy Hudson for her first self-released album. However, due to possible confusion with the actor Kate Hudson, she came up with Perry.

5. Bruno Mars is Peter Gene Hernandez.

The singer was nicknamed Bruno by his dad because he resembled wrestler Bruno Sammartino. He added Mars to the end for his stage name because he claimed he was “out of this world.” Yes, really.

6. Lady Gaga is Stefani Germanotta.

She’s Italian.

7. Lana Del Rey is really Elizabeth Grant.

Del Rey went by Lizzy Grant for her first self-titled album, but crafted her stage name in Miami, where she’d speak Spanish with her Cuban friends. “It sounded gorgeous coming off the tip of the tongue,” she said.

8. Miley Cyrus was born Destiny Hope.

The singer was named Destiny Hope Cyrus, but quickly got the nickname Smiley from her parents, which was shortened to Miley. In 2008, she legally changed her name to Miley Ray Cyrus.

9. Jamie Foxx’s real name is Eric.

The actor and comedian was born Eric Marlon Bishop, but told David Letterman in 2014 that he went by a gender-neutral name like Jamie to get an advantage in stand-up comedy, since women were more likely to be picked first for open mics.

10. Blake Lively’s last name is Brown.

The actor was born Blake Ellender Brown, but decided to use her mom’s maiden name as her last name when she became an actor, possibly to differentiate herself.

11. The Duchess of Sussex wasn’t born Meghan.

Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, was named Rachel Meghan Markle, but decided to drop her first name and use her middle name professionally.

12. Prince Harry is actually Prince Henry.

Markle’s husband also goes by a different name. Prince Harry was born Henry Charles Albert David, and even he has no clue why everyone’s called him Harry his whole life.

13. Alexis Bledel is named Kimberly.

The Gilmore Girls star was born Kimberly Alexis Bledel, which she used as a child model. But before entering the acting sphere, she decided to go by her middle name.

14. Drake is not really Drake.

The rapper was born Aubrey Graham, which he used as a teenager while starring as Degrassi. Like his one-time flame Rihanna, he decided to use his middle name as a mononym once his rap career took off, but he still frequently refers to his first name.

15. Joaquin Phoenix has had several name changes.

The actor was born as Joaquin Bottom, but when he was 4 years old, his family changed their last name to Phoenix after leaving the Children of God religious group. He then went by Leaf Phoenix as a child actor to match his siblings, who were all named after nature, before returning to Joaquin as an adult.

16. Natalie Portman was born Neta-Lee.

Portman was born Neta-Lee Hershlag in 1981, but after moving from Israel to the United States as a child, she adopted an English spelling of the name. When she became an actor, she started using her maternal grandmother’s maiden name.

17. Brad Pitt isn’t just short for Bradley.

The Oscar-winning actor was born William Bradley Pitt, and while he decided to shorten his middle name and use that professionally, he still prefers to go by William in his personal life.

18. Olivia Wilde’s last name is Cockburn.

The actor and director chose to use Wilde as her last name professionally, inspired by author and playwright Oscar Wilde.

19. Jason Sudeikis’ first name is Daniel.

Wilde’s ex-husband also changed his name professionally, going by his middle name Jason instead of his first name, Daniel, to avoid confusion with his father, who’s also named Daniel.

20. Frank Ocean also changed his name.

The singer was born Christopher Edwin Breaux in 1987, but in 2011, he legally changed his name to Christopher Francis Ocean, keeping his first name while also reflecting his stage persona.

Unexpected Celebrity Couples

21. Julia Roberts dated Matthew Perry.

The actors dated briefly in the late ’90s, which Perry revealed in his memoir. It helped secure Roberts’ memorable guest appearance on Friends.

22. Sandra Bullock had a relationship with Ryan Gosling.

Bullock and Gosling met on the set of their 2001 film Murder by Numbers and were romantically linked for the next two years, before reportedly splitting in 2003.

23. Cher had a fling with Tom Cruise.

Cher and Cruise met at Madonna and Sean Penn’s wedding in 1985 (the most fabulous meetcute) and had a quick fling after reconnecting at a White House event. They didn’t go the distance, but in 2013 she did call him one of her top five lovers.

24. Kelis dated Bill Murray.

The singer’s milkshake brought Murray to the yard for a two-month whirlwind romance in the summer of 2023.

25. Pamela Anderson was engaged to Kid Rock.

Anderson’s relationship with Tommy Lee is well-documented, but she also wed another rocker. In 2002, she got engaged to Kid Rock, but broke it off a year later, only to reconnect with him on a yacht in 2006 before splitting again a few months later.

26. Kim Kardashian dated Pete Davidson.

While Kardashian and Davidson’s relationship is now canon, nobody expected it. It supposedly started after the reality star hosted Saturday Night Live, and the pair dated for eight months before splitting in August 2022.

27. Davidson was engaged to Ariana Grande.

In what feels like a fever dream, Davidson got engaged to Grande in the summer of 2018 after roughly a month of dating. They went their separate ways by year’s end.

28. He also dated Kate Beckinsale.

Davidson is the king of unexpected relationships. After breaking things off with Grande, he casually dated the 50-year-old model for a few months in 2019.

29. Avril Lavigne & Tyga were a thing.

He was a boy, she was a girl, but this pairing wasn’t obvious at all. The artists had an on-and-off romance throughout 2023 but called it off later that year.

30. Katie Holmes & Jamie Foxx were together.

The two actors were together for six years before splitting in 2019. They kept the relationship very private.

31. EmRata & Eric André happened.

Emily Ratajowski started dating the comedian a month after she split from her ex-husband. They broke up two months later.

32. Mila Kunis was Macaulay Culkin’s first love.

The That ’70s Show alum dated the Home Alone star for nearly a decade before splitting in 2011.

33. Rachel Bilson & Bill Hader dated.

The comedian doesn’t seem like Summer Roberts’ type, but Hader and Bilson’s relationship said otherwise. The pair were first linked in 2019 and split a year later.

34. Chelsea Handler & 50 Cent casually dated.

Tthe rapper and comedian had a “casual” fling in 2011. Hilariously, Handler was open to rekindling the flame if 50 Cent denounced Donald Trump on social media, which he promptly did.

35. Jessie J dated Channing Tatum.

The British singer and the Magic Mike star started dating in 2018 after his divorce from Jenna Dewan. They stayed together for nearly two years before separating in April 2020.

36. Grimes has children with Elon Musk.

The indie singer dated the Tesla founder for nearly four years, welcoming their first son, X Æ A-12 Musk, in May 2020. Even after becoming on-and-off, they welcomed two more children, Exa Dark Sideræl and Techno Mechanicus.

37. Alanis Morrissette dated Ryan Reynolds.

No, Reynolds did not inspire “You Oughta Know.” The singer and actor met at Drew Barrymore’s birthday party in 2002, years after her breakout hit, and got engaged two years later before eventually splitting in 2007.

38. ScarJo & Jack Antonoff were high school sweethearts.

Yes, Scarlett Johansson and Taylor Swift’s producer dated for over a year in 2001, when they were students at New York’s Professional Children’s School. They even went to prom together.

39. Nicole Kidman was engaged to Lenny Kravitz.

Kidman dated Kravitz for over a year in 2002, and revealed they were actually engaged while starring on Big Little Lies with his daughter Zoë.

40. Cameron Diaz dated Jared Leto.

Diaz always had a thing for rockstars. Over a decade before marrying Good Charlotte singer Benji Madden, she dated the 30 Seconds to Mars frontman for over four years, splitting in 2003.

Family Relationships

41. Sofia Coppola & Nicholas Cage are cousins.

Cage’s uncle is legendary director Francis Ford Copolla, the father of filmmaker Sofia, making them direct cousins. Yes, this means that Cage’s last name is actually Coppola, which he changed in order to make his own way in Hollywood.

42. Jamie Lee Curtis is Jake Gyllenhaal’s godmother.

Curtis is longtime friends with Gyllenhaal’s parents, director Stephen and screenwriter Naomi Foner. During 2020 lockdown, Gyllenhaal and his girlfriend Jeanne Cadieu lived next door to Curtis in a house she owns.

43. Gyllenhaal also has a famous goddaughter.

Keeping the godparent chain going, Gyllenhaal is the godfather of Heath Ledger and Michelle Williams’ daughter, Matilda.

44. Sabrina Carpenter’s aunt voices Bart Simpson.

Carpenter’s claim to fame was the Disney Channel, but having a famous voice actor in the family didn’t hurt. Her aunt Nancy Cartwright voices the iconic TV character. “By relation, I am also a legend,” she joked in a 2021 radio interview.

45. Mariska Hartigay has a famous mother.

Acting runs in Olivia Benson’s bloodline. Hartigay’s mother was the late actor Jayne Mansfield.

46. Meryl Streep is Billie Lourd’s godmother.

Not only did Lourd have the legendary Carrie Fisher as her mom and Debbie Reynolds as her grandmother, but Meryl Streep is also her godmother.

47. Dionne Warwick is Whitney Houston’s cousin.

Houston’s mother, Cissy, is the sister of Warwick’s mother, Delia, making the two singers direct cousins.

48. Emily Blunt is Stanley Tucci’s sister-in-law.

Emily and Nigel from The Devil Wears Prada are related in real life. Tucci married Blunt’s sister Felicity in 2012, a couple years after connecting at Emily’s wedding to John Krasinski.

49. Paris Jackson is Macaulay Culkin’s goddaughter.

Jackson’s father, Michael Jackson, was lifelong friends with the Home Alone star.

50. Yara Shahidi & Nas are cousins.

The black-ish star is first cousins with the rapper, and even served as the flower girl in his 2005 wedding to Kelis.

51. Diana Ross is Ashlee Simpson’s mother-in-law.

Simpson married Ross’ son Evan in 2014. Yes, this also means that Tracee Ellis Ross is her sister-in-law.

52. Miley Cyrus is Dolly Parton’s goddaughter.

There’s a reason why Cyrus called Parton “Aunt Dolly” on Hannah Montana. As a close friend of her father, Billy Ray, the country legend was asked to be Cyrus’ godmother when she was young.

53. Tom Hanks’ ancestor is Abraham Lincoln.

Filmmaker Michael Moore asked Hanks to run for president, which is actually in his bloodline. Hanks is distantly related to Lincoln through the president’s mother, Nancy Hanks.

54. Jeff Bezos is related to a famous country singer.

The Amazon founder is related to legendary country singer George Strait. He called him a “cousin” in 2018, but their family tree suggests it’s a bit more complicated.

55. The Beckham kids have famous godparents.

It feels natural that the children of David and Victoria Beckham would have epic godparents. Brooklyn and Romeo count Elton John as their godfather, and Harper has Eva Longoria as a godmother.

56. President Obama has notable distant cousins.

Obama counts fellow President George Bush as his 10th cousin and Brad Pitt as a 9th cousin, which makes for quite the family tree.

57. Cameron Diaz is Nicole Richie’s sister-in-law.

Richie doesn’t just have a famous father. She and Diaz became sisters-in-law in 2015 after Diaz married Benji Madden, the brother and Good Charlotte bandmate of Richie’s husband, Joel.

58. Melissa & Jenny McCarthy are actually related.

Melissa and Jenny are first cousins, as the latter casually reminded us on Instagram in 2015.

59. Brandy is cousins with Snoop Dogg.

The singer counts rapper Snoop Dogg as one of her cousins, making for a very musical family dynasty.

60. Beanie Feldstein is Jonah Hill’s sister.

The Superbad star’s last name is actually Feldstein, which is why many fans have never clocked that he’s the Broadway star’s older brother.

61. Steven Spielberg has two famous goddaughters.

The iconic director has iconic goddaughters: Gwyneth Paltrow and Drew Barrymore. Barrymore called him the “only parental figure” in her life.

Hidden Talents

62. Sydney Sweeney is also a car mechanic.

When she’s not acting in Euphoria, Sweeney moonlights as a car repair woman. She revived her vintage 1969 Ford Bronco by herself.

63. Margot Robbie is now a breathing expert.

While training for an underwater fight scene in Suicide Squad, Robbie learned how to hold her breath underwater for an impressive five minutes.

64. Dermot Mulroney plays cello for Spider-Man.

At 10 years old, Mulroney was a cellist in children’s orchestras. He never gave up that passion and played cello in major film scores such as Mission: Impossible III, Spider-Man: Far From Home, and The Incredibles 2.

65. Maya Rudolph has a Prince cover band.

Rudolph doesn’t just play the richest TV character ever. When she’s not making fans laugh, she regularly plays shows with her Prince cover band, Princess.

66. Steve Martin is a banjo player.

He’s a full-blown banjo player, recording albums and going on tour with various bluegrass artists.

67. Ariana Grande is a master of impressions.

Grande’s impressions are almost as impressive as her vocals. (Almost.) She’s able to nail nearly every diva’s voice, from Celine Dion to Britney Spears.

68. Geena Davis is almost Olympic-level in archery.

Davis decided to take up archery after the 1996 Olympics and became so skilled that she nearly qualified for the 2000 Summer Olympics.

69. Kaley Cuoco is a professional equestrian.

Cuoco has been horseback riding and competing in equestrian competitions for as long as she’s been acting, which is how she met ex-husband Karl Cook, a professional show jumper.

70. So is Bella Hadid.

Horseback riding is Hadid’s first love, but the model had to take a break from competing in 2016 due to Lyme disease symptoms. She’s slowly gotten back on the horse and rode in an equestrian event in March 2023.

71. Jamie Foxx & his daughter have a matching talent.

The comedian and his daughter Corinne can both cross their eyes in a very weird way, a hereditary trick they also share with Kristen Bell.

Roles Actors Didn’t Get

72. Britney Spears was almost in The Notebook.

The singer was the second choice to play Rachel McAdams’ role of Allie in The Notebook. While she said it would’ve been fun to reunite with her Mickey Mouse Club co-star Ryan Gosling, she’s glad she didn’t get the part.

73. So was George Clooney.

Believe it or not, Clooney was attached to play Gosling’s role of Noah. But after realizing that he looked nothing like Paul Newman, who was set to play the older version of his character, they both dropped out.

74. Blake Lively auditioned for Mean Girls.

The Gossip Girl star was one of many young actors to audition for Mean Girls. Lively tried out for the role of Karen Smith, which famously went to Amanda Seyfried.

75. Amy Schumer was supposed to be Barbie.

The Barbie movie that dominated 2023 was originally announced back in 2016 with Schumer attached to star and co-pen the script. She left the project due to creative differences.

76. Vince Vaughn was nearly part of the Friends cast.

Vaughn was brought in to audition for Joey Tribbiani in Friends and was seriously considered for the part. But apparently Matt LeBlanc had better chemistry with the rest of the group.

77. Leonardo DiCaprio turned down Boogie Nights.

DiCaprio doesn’t regret many things, but he does regret turning down the role of Eddie Adams in Paul Thomas Anderson’s ’90s classic Boogie Nights, which he had to reject due to filming Titanic.

78. Claire Danes was almost Rose in Titanic.

In 2021, Danes said there was “strong interest” in her playing Rose in Titanic — she’d just starred alongside DiCaprio in Romeo + Juliet. Ultimately she turned it down after sensing that it would be a “life-changing role” and not feeling ready for that level of fame.

79. Hugh Jackman was asked to be James Bond.

After the success of X-Men, Jackman was asked if he had interest in taking on the Bond mantle. He turned it down because he thought the script has gotten “unbelievable and crazy.”

80. John Travolta was nearly Forrest Gump.

Long before Tom Hanks won his second Oscar for playing the titular character, Travolta was offered the role. He rejected it in favor of Pulp Fiction.

81. Emily Blunt had to pass on Black Widow.

Before ScarJo put on the superhero suit, Blunt had been asked to play Black Widow. She was forced to pass due to contract obligations with another studio, calling it “a heartbreaker.”

Songs Artists Passed On

82. Kesha wrote this Britney Spears hit.

Kesha originally wrote Spears’ 2011 hit “Till the World Ends” for herself, but even after she passed it on to the Grammy winner, she ended up featuring on a remix with Nicki Minaj.

83. Spears wrote this Selena Gomez song.

Spears is no stranger to passing songs along. Gomez recorded a song that Spears co-wrote, entitled “Whiplash,” for her 2011 album When the Sun Goes Down.

84. Sia offered this Beyoncé song to two artists.

Before Beyoncé recorded “Pretty Hurts” for her 2013 self-titled album, songwriter Sia offered the song to Katy Perry, who didn’t get the email, and Rihanna, who had it “on hold for eight months” but didn’t pay for the rights.

85. “Since U Been Gone” was given to two others first.

Max Martin originally wrote Kelly Clarkson’s seminal 2004 hit with P!nk in mind. After she turned it down, it was then offered to Hilary Duff, who had to reject it because she couldn’t hit the higher notes.

86. Many singers recorded Maren Morris’ “The Middle.”

Before Morris was selected to sing Zedd and Grey’s hit “The Middle,” 12 other artists recorded her part and tried to land the collab, including Demi Lovato, Carly Rae Jepsen, Tove Lo, Bebe Rexha, and multiple Fifth Harmony members.

87. Kylie Minogue passed on “Toxic”

After recording her mega-hit “Can’t Get You Out of My Head,” Minogue was offered “Toxic” by Cathy Dennis, who co-wrote both hits (about the same person, ironically). She decided not to record it after hearing the demo.

88. Jesse McCartney wrote this Grammy-nominated hit.

One of the songwriters behind Leona Lewis’ breakout hit “Bleeding Love” is actually Disney alum Jesse McCartney, who was told by his label that he couldn’t put it on his own album.

89. Hilary Duff declined Charli XCX without knowing.

Before she recorded “Boom Clap” and made it a hit, Charli XCX offered it to Duff, whose team declined it without even showing it to her, saying it “wasn’t cool enough.” Duff was peeved once she found out, writing on Twitter, “If I had known I would have taken it.”

90. Rihanna has rejected many hits.

RiRi has one of the most hit-filled repertoires of any artist, which means she’s rejected just as many: Miley Cyrus’ “We Can’t Stop,” Selena Gomez’s “Come & Get It” and “Same Old Love,” and Sia’s “Chandelier” and “Cheap Thrills.”

91. Taylor Swift pitched this song to The Chicks.

After writing “Teardrops On My Guitar,” Swift generalized the lyrics and pitched a demo to The Chicks for their 2006 album, Taking the Long Way. Once the group passed, she put Drew’s name back in and recording it for her own debut album.

Celebs’ Jobs Before Fame

92. Madonna ran on Dunkin’.

Yes, you read that correctly. The Queen of Pop worked at Dunkin’ before getting her big break, but she only lasted a week before she got fired after playing with the jelly-squirting machine.

93. Melissa McCarthy was a Starbucks barista.

After moving to Los Angeles to start her career, McCarthy worked at Starbucks. She got to serve coffee to many famous people, including her comedy idol Chris Farley.

94. Nicholas Galatzine worked with this Bridgerton star.

While building his acting resume, The Idea of You star worked at a fro-yo shop with future Bridgerton star Simone Ashley.

95. Joe Alwyn also worked at a yogurt shop.

Alwyn worked at a “yogurt shop” in London, as ex-girlfriend Taylor Swift famously wrote on the Folklore track “Invisible String.”

96. Meghan Markle wrote Robin Thicke’s wedding invites.

Before becoming the Duchess of Sussex, Markle worked as a freelance calligraphist. She wrote the invitations for Thicke’s 2005 wedding to ex-wife Paula Patton.

97. Rachel McAdams worked at McDonald’s.

As a teenager, the actor worked at McDonald’s for nearly three years, although she’s said she was “not a great employee.”

98. Nicki Minaj served tables at Red Lobster.

Before her rap career took off, Minaj was a waitress at Red Lobster. She was fired after she banged on the car door of a couple who didn’t tip her and took her pen.

99. Brad Pitt wore a chicken costume.

When starting out in Hollywood, Pitt took on many odd jobs, like becoming the mascot of El Pollo Loco when they opened a new Los Angeles location. Chicken costume and big sign included.

100. Tiffany Haddish was an airport gate agent.

Before making fans laugh, Haddish made travelers laugh as a gate agent for Alaska Airlines, where she’d test out material while scanning boarding passes and making announcements.

Unexpected Hobbies

101. Mila Kunis is a World of Warcraft fiend.

The actress admitting to loving the game in a 2008 interview with Jimmy Kimmel.

102. Tom Cruise has his pilot license.

The movie star became a pilot in 1994, and even piloted the P-51 Mustang in Top Gun: Maverick.

103. Karlie Kloss knows how to code.

She also founded the free coding school, Kode With Klossy, in 2015, that teaches teenage girls and non-binary teens how to code.

Celebs With Interesting College Degrees

104. Natalie Portman has a bachelor’s degree in Psychology.

Portman attended Harvard University and graduated in 2003.

105. Lisa Kudrow has a bachelor’s degree in Biology.

Before she was an actress, Kudrow studied Biology at Vassar College.

106. Will Ferrell has a bachelor’s degree in Sports Information.

The comedy legend graduated from the University of Southern California in 1990.

107. Ashley Judd has a bachelor’s degree in French.

Judd attended the University of Kentucky, where she majored in French and minored in anthropology, art history, theater, and women's studies.

108. Cole Sprouse studied Archaeology.

The Riverdale actor took a break from acting in 2011, and graduated from New York University's Gallatin School of Individualized Study in 2015 alongside his brother, Dylan.

109. Angela Bassett has a bachelor’s degree in African-American Studies.

The What’s Love Got To Do With It actress graduated from Yale University in 1980.