# Out of Character ambitions for famous people **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 11, 2009, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/out-of-character-ambitions-for-famous-people/499488 "2009-06-11T21:01:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2009, 10:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/out-of-character-ambitions-for-famous-people/499488/61 "2009-06-13T10:27:08Z")
I wrote: \> . . . a spokeswomen . . . I meant: \> . . . a spokeswoman . . . ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2009, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/out-of-character-ambitions-for-famous-people/499488/62 "2009-06-13T12:50:40Z")
> [@Wendell\_Wagner](#): > > astorian writes: > > \> Ulysses S. Grant hated Army life, though that’s the only career he was ever any > \> good at. He really wanted to be a mathematics professor. > > Is there any evidence that becoming a mathematics professor was anything other than a passing fancy for Grant? He had average grades at West Point, but mathematics was his best subject. Was he really that good at it? I have a serious answer and a cite for this, but first, this reminds me of a scene in “Melvin and Howard.” Mary Steenburgen’s character, a white trash stripper, says it’s always been her dream to live in France and work as a French interpreter. Someone points out that she doesn’t speak French. She replies, “I **told** you it was a dream.” In other words, Grant’s grades are sort of irrelevant… his DREAM was to return to West Point as a mathematics professor. Whether he really had a great shot at fulfilling that dream, I don’t know. But as for the cite, he talks about his career hopes numerous times in his memoirs, beginning in chapters 2 and 3. In chapter 2, Grant admitted himself he was a poor student in most subjects, but says he was very good at mathematics. I haven’t seen his transcript, so I can’t vouch that was true (maybe he was just less bad at math than at everything else!). > **[American Experience | PBS](https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/)** > > Watch full films from TV's most-watched history series. ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2009, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/out-of-character-ambitions-for-famous-people/499488/63 "2009-06-13T14:04:37Z")
[Bob Hope](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Hope) “boxed briefly and unsuccessfully under the name Packy East, once making it to the semifinals of the Ohio novice championship.” ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2009, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/out-of-character-ambitions-for-famous-people/499488/64 "2009-06-13T14:27:47Z")
Thanks, astorian, that answers my question. ---
**Author:** ![descamisado](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@descamisado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/descamisado)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2009, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/out-of-character-ambitions-for-famous-people/499488/65 "2009-06-13T15:09:28Z")
Condoleezza Rice aspired to be a concert pianist; when she decided she was good but not good enough, she switched to to political science (Russion studies) and the rest is history. She actually still practices every day and accompanied cellist Yo-Yo Ma, playing Brahms’s Violin Sonata in D Minor at Constitution Hall in April 2002. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2009, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/out-of-character-ambitions-for-famous-people/499488/66 "2009-06-13T16:37:10Z")
Rock guitarists Steve Vai is a successful beekeeper, and sells his honey for charity. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2009, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/out-of-character-ambitions-for-famous-people/499488/67 "2009-06-13T20:24:40Z")
George W Bush wanted to be a ball player? ---
**Author:** ![DaphneBlack](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/daphneblack/32/5389_2.png) [@DaphneBlack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DaphneBlack)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2009, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/out-of-character-ambitions-for-famous-people/499488/68 "2009-06-13T22:14:14Z")
> [@5-4-Fighting](#): > > Condoleezza Rice aspired to be a concert pianist; when she decided she was good but not good enough, she switched to to political science (Russion studies) and the rest is history. > > She actually still practices every day and accompanied cellist Yo-Yo Ma, playing Brahms’s Violin Sonata in D Minor at Constitution Hall in April 2002. She was also a figure skater, I believe. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2009, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/out-of-character-ambitions-for-famous-people/499488/69 "2009-06-13T22:52:53Z")
> [@gaffa](#): > > [Peter Weller](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000693/bio) teaches literature and fine arts classes at Syracuse University. He holds a master’s degree in Roman and Renaissance art and is working toward a Ph.D. In an interview, he says a lot of students think they’ll get an easy “A” from “Professor Robocop”, and he gets a lot dropping his class in the first week. They completely miss the fact that he is really Buckaroo Banzai. 😛 And I think I’m the first to mention basketball’s star Michael Jordan attempt to become a baseball player. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2009, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/out-of-character-ambitions-for-famous-people/499488/70 "2009-06-13T23:22:00Z")
Author [Vladimir Nabokov](http://www.nytimes.com/1997/05/27/science/nabokov-s-work-on-butterflies-stands-the-test-of-time.html?pagewanted=all), best known for _Lolita_, also was a lepidopterist, decribing and classifying many genera and species of butterflies. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2009, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/out-of-character-ambitions-for-famous-people/499488/71 "2009-06-14T00:03:17Z")
> [@GIGObuster](#): > > And I think I’m the first to mention basketball’s star Michael Jordan attempt to become a baseball player. Ooh, good one. He’s also an avid golfer. I have it on good authority that he used to golf on the golf course I grew up on (my friend’s grandpa was legitimately very good friend’s with Jordan’s dad.) Rumor around town was that they flew a Chicago Bulls flag at the clubhouse whenever he was playing, so we would ride our bikes pretty far out of our way almost every single day to look at the flagpole at the clubhouse. We saw the Bulls flag exactly zero times. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2009, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/out-of-character-ambitions-for-famous-people/499488/72 "2009-06-14T00:49:12Z")
> [@Cisco](#): > > Ooh, good one. He’s also an avid golfer. I have it on good authority that he used to golf on the golf course I grew up on (my friend’s grandpa was legitimately very good friend’s with Jordan’s dad.) Rumor around town was that they flew a Chicago Bulls flag at the clubhouse whenever he was playing, so we would ride our bikes pretty far out of our way almost every single day to look at the flagpole at the clubhouse. We saw the Bulls flag exactly zero times. Jordan has long been an avid golfer, but NOT a very good one. People who’ve played with him, like Lawrence Taylor, used to scoff at oft-repeated stories that Jordan was going to go on the PGA tour after leaving pro basketball. When such stories were at their height, I remember LT saying, “I’m not that great a golfer, but I play golf with Michael all the time, and I usually beat him.” The fact that people gave the idea ANY credence shows how little respect golf commands. Guys like Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson have been practicing their gold game for hours, every day, since they were little kids. The idea that Michael Jordan (or ANYONE) could just pick up the game in his twenties, play a little on the side, and develop the same skills as Tiger and Lefty is just silly. I was embarrassed every time I heard a sportscaster regurgitate that “Michael is going to join the PGA tour” meme. ---
**Author:** ![It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/it_s_not_rocket_surgery/32/312_2.png) [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/It_s_Not_Rocket_Surgery)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2009, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/out-of-character-ambitions-for-famous-people/499488/73 "2009-06-14T15:43:33Z")
Well, as far as celebs who ARE top golfers go, the best are former pitcher Rick Rhoden (who has earned $2 million on golf tours since his retirement from baseball), and, of all people, Kenny G. Vince Gill also has game. ---
**Author:** ![Don\_t\_Panic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/don_t_panic/32/398_2.png) [@Don\_t\_Panic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_t_Panic)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2009, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/out-of-character-ambitions-for-famous-people/499488/74 "2009-06-14T16:13:05Z")
[Samuel Morse](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_F._B._Morse) was a painter. Apparently, that whole telegraph thing was a bit of a side show. ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2009, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/out-of-character-ambitions-for-famous-people/499488/75 "2009-06-14T16:24:34Z")
> [@pravnik](#): > > Ed O’Niell (Al Bundy) is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt under Rorion Gracie. He should have used some of that on Peggy so she’d clean the house and cook him dinner 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Purd\_Werfect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e47c2d/32.png) [@Purd\_Werfect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Purd_Werfect)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2009, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/out-of-character-ambitions-for-famous-people/499488/76 "2009-06-14T16:37:38Z")
Ronald Reagan dabbled in politics after a turn as an actor. Arnold Scwarzenegger, Shirley Temple Black, Jesse Ventura, Sonny Bono and Fred Ward all have or have had secondary careers in politics after first being pretty successful as entertainers. There’s also Gopher from The Love Boat. ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_T-Cups](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Sir\_T-Cups](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_T-Cups)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2009, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/out-of-character-ambitions-for-famous-people/499488/77 "2009-06-14T17:45:59Z")
> [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](#): > > Well, as far as celebs who ARE top golfers go, the best are former pitcher Rick Rhoden (who has earned $2 million on golf tours since his retirement from baseball), and, of all people, Kenny G. > > Vince Gill also has game. Tony Romo famously has only a 2 handicap in golf and routinely shoots scores that would make the cut at PGA events, but never actually plays in them ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2009, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/out-of-character-ambitions-for-famous-people/499488/78 "2009-06-14T18:09:33Z")
> [@pravnik](#): > > Geena Davis is an accomplished archer and made it to the finals for America’s Olympic team. I wouldn’t call her accomplished. She decided that she wanted to try it after that American kid came out of nowhere and got a gold medal in the 90s. She hired the best coaches and bought herself the best equipment and spent months doing nothing but training. In a competition against regular people without coaches who have to juggle their practice with full time jobs she lost in the semi-finals finishing near the bottom. (24th out of 28 according to Wiki). She dropped the sport after that. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2009, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/out-of-character-ambitions-for-famous-people/499488/79 "2009-06-14T18:26:22Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > I wouldn’t call her accomplished. She decided that she wanted to try it after that American kid came out of nowhere and got a gold medal in the 90s. She hired the best coaches and bought herself the best equipment and spent months doing nothing but training. In a competition against regular people without coaches who have to juggle their practice with full time jobs she lost in the semi-finals finishing near the bottom. (24th out of 28 according to Wiki). She dropped the sport after that. You’re not even doing good at JOAD without a coach. Olympic hopefuls have coaches. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2009, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/out-of-character-ambitions-for-famous-people/499488/80 "2009-06-14T19:22:41Z")
The composer Alexander Borodin was a chemist, who only composed music in his off-hours. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/out-of-character-ambitions-for-famous-people/499488.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/out-of-character-ambitions-for-famous-people/499488.md?page=5)