I am not a fan of British heavy metal band Iron Maiden, but I cannot but be impressed by the CV (resumé) of their lead singer, Bruce Dickinson. When not imploring us to bring our Daughters to the Slaughter, Bruce has also found time to be a professonal airline pilot, and before that was pretty serious about the sport of fencing (some sources claim that he fenced for Britain and was in the world top ten). He cannot be accused of wasting his life, that’s for sure.
Are there other examples of famous people achieving notable success in other fields?
Yeah, but Bruce Dickinson actually flies regular paying customers, on everyday flights to and from the Mediterranean. As in, “hello, this is your pilot, Bruce Dickinson, we’ll be landing at Heathrow in 35 minutes.” That freaks me out.
Minne Driver has released an album that’s been doing decently.
(Russel Crowe and Billy Bob Thorton have bands and albums, but they don’t do terribly well. Keanu Reeves plays bass with some guys in a band, they don’t do well either, and James Marsters plays in a band too.)
And going the other direction, rock 'n roll Canadian Bryan Adams is a photographer (I hate his work!) and was chosen to be one fo the four official photogs for the Queen’s “Golden Jubilee” portraits. I know he’s released at least one monograph (portraits of famous Canadian women).
IIRC Gina Davis was into archery and tried out for the Olympics. I thought when I opened the thread that she was going to be the subject of the op. …you know…‘other strings to their bow’…never mind.
Viggo Mortensen is a published poet, an exhibiting photographer, a jazz musician with three released albums and an excellent painter. Oh, and damn hot.
Really? Oh. I thought he still played with them form time to time for fun. He’s one busy dude (always seems to have several irons in the fire all at once), so I guess it doesn’t surprise me.
Well, Travolta is type rated in the 747, and flew it around the world as Captain for Qantas airlines. He’s also rated in the 707, and has a private one he uses as his flying home away from home. He is also rated in several fighter jets, and used to own a DeHavilland Vampire jet.
Cliff Robertson is an excellent pilot and owns and flies a Supermarine Spitfire.
Tom Cruise is also an accomplished pilot.
Harrison Ford is a very good pilot of both fixed wing and helicopters. In fact, he has been credited with several helicopter rescues flying part time as a rescue pilot.
Rumor has it that Arnold Schwarzenegger has had some success outside acting.
Other politician/actors: Senators Fred Grandy (“Gopher” on the Love Boat) and Fred Thompson, Shirley Temple Black, Ronald Reagan.
Lots of actors have branched into writing, but I wouldn’t count that very strongly because lots are no doubt propelled by their fame and aren’t any good. But some have made a name for themselves. Carrie Fisher is an excellent writer (“Postcards from the Edge”), and is one of the most in-demand script doctors in Hollywood. William Shatner had a lot of success with Tek War and his Trek novels, although it’s unclear how much of them were ghostwritten.
Shatner is also a world-class horse trainer/breeder/competitor, and his last album is getting pretty good critical acceptance.
Tom Waits has done a good deal of acting (Down By Law and Mystery Men come to mind), and has written and produced plays too.
Christopher Walken is known as quite an accomplished cook, and for a long time, there were rumors of him having a TV cooking show, which would have been the BEST COOKING SHOW EVER.
Many wrestlers have written books, but Mick Foley is known as the best writer among them–in addition to two wonderfully well-written behind-the-scenes books about the industry and his own life, he has written a novel and several children’s books.
Robert Rodriguez is a great acoustic guitarist, and composed the music for his own movie Once Upon a Time in Mexico, and his friend Quentin Tarantino’s movie Kill Bill Volume 2.
Woody Allen plays clarinet in a Dixieland band (as shown in his documentary Wild Man Blues) and is really terrific.
Ron Jeremy was a special education teacher.
Jeff Goldblum is supposed to be a great jazz pianist.
Johnny Depp has a band (or did at one time) that was actually supposed to be GOOD.
Jack White (of the White Stripes) has produced other artists like Loretta Lynn and done some acting (Cold Mountain).
