# Strange "hobbies" of well known people. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 1, 2008, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-hobbies-of-well-known-people/431879 "2008-01-01T12:06:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2008, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-hobbies-of-well-known-people/431879/81 "2008-01-03T21:56:59Z")
[QUOTE=OneCentStamp] A couple of years ago, a bunch of famous, successful and/or critically acclaimed writers put together a rock band, the Rock Bottom Remainders. They included **Stephen King, Amy Tan, Dave Barry** and **Barbara Kingsolver** among others. They even did a tour of clubs throughout much of the U.S. [/QUOTE] And good lord, do they suck - but they fully embrace their suckitude and have a great time, so more power to them! ---
**Author:** ![Jodi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7feea3/32.png) [@Jodi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jodi)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2008, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-hobbies-of-well-known-people/431879/82 "2008-01-03T22:10:10Z")
Robert Duvall is a serious tango enthusiast. He wrote a movie in which tango was an integral part and married a tango instructor. ---
**Author:** ![TV\_time](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f17d59/32.png) [@TV\_time](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TV_time)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2008, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-hobbies-of-well-known-people/431879/83 "2008-01-03T22:51:35Z")
Actor Bruce Dern was an ultra-marathoner and used to regularly run (on foot) 100-mile plus races. He was rated in the top six or seven in the U.S. for a while. Really no secret, but U.S. Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice was slated for a concert career as a classical pianist before turning to politics. She still plays regularly. And doesn’t Brittany Spears donate her underwear to charity? That would explain so much. ---
**Author:** ![OneCentStamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/13edae/32.png) [@OneCentStamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneCentStamp)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2008, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-hobbies-of-well-known-people/431879/84 "2008-01-03T22:52:32Z")
[QUOTE=TV time] And doesn’t Brittany Spears donate her underwear to charity? That would explain so much. [/QUOTE] All of it, apparently. ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2008, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-hobbies-of-well-known-people/431879/85 "2008-01-03T23:23:45Z")
Brittany’s underwear brings up an ad entitled “Help Cover Hillary’s Face.” That is wrong on so many levels. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2008, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-hobbies-of-well-known-people/431879/86 "2008-01-04T00:37:59Z")
[QUOTE=Paul in Saudi] Brittany’s underwear brings up an ad entitled “Help Cover Hillary’s Face.” That is wrong on so many levels. [/QUOTE] I got “concealed holsters,” which isn’t a lot better. ---
**Author:** ![BarnOwl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e95f7d/32.png) [@BarnOwl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BarnOwl)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2008, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-hobbies-of-well-known-people/431879/87 "2008-01-04T00:58:18Z")
[QUOTE=Baldwin] Omar Sharif is a bridge enthusiast (card game); he even writes (or used to write) a syndicated column on bridge. [/QUOTE] He still does. His column (now co-written by Tannah Hirsch) appears regularly in my local paper. ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2008, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-hobbies-of-well-known-people/431879/88 "2008-01-04T01:09:01Z")
Michael Shermer, who writes the monthly Skeptic column for _Scientific American_, is also an avid marathon cyclist and one of the founders of the 3,000-mile Race Across America, which he has completed several times. ---
**Author:** ![slaphead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9bcb4/32.png) [@slaphead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slaphead)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2008, 10:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-hobbies-of-well-known-people/431879/89 "2008-01-04T10:33:43Z")
[QUOTE=Struan] When not doing Iron Maiden stuff Bruce indulges his other hobby - he flies commercial jets. [/QUOTE] A mate of mine was flying to watch a football game in Prague IIRC when the pilot came on with the usual blurb - and it was Bruce :eek: :eek: :eek: Must have been a real Wayne’s World moment as a load of pissed-up brit lads realised they were being flown by A Metal Legend of their childhoods. ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2008, 12:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-hobbies-of-well-known-people/431879/90 "2008-01-04T12:04:25Z")
Although Eisenhower was known as a golfer during his presidency, he was in fact a much better bridge player. Richard Nixon was huge fan of American-rules football. My Dad worked at Camp David during that era, he has a little booklet describing the President’s dream team, the publication was given to the press and has a nice gold cover with the presidental seal and all. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2008, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-hobbies-of-well-known-people/431879/91 "2008-01-04T13:20:48Z")
Franklin Roosevelt was an enthusiastic stamp collector. ---
**Author:** ![BarnOwl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e95f7d/32.png) [@BarnOwl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BarnOwl)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2008, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-hobbies-of-well-known-people/431879/92 "2008-01-04T14:51:28Z")
[QUOTE=Paul in Saudi] Although Eisenhower was known as a golfer during his presidency, he was in fact a much better bridge player. Richard Nixon was huge fan of American-rules football. My Dad worked at Camp David during that era, he has a little booklet describing the President’s dream team, the publication was given to the press and has a nice gold cover with the presidental seal and all. [/QUOTE] Don’t know if it was mentioned earlier, but Nixon was also a damn good poker player. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2008, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-hobbies-of-well-known-people/431879/93 "2008-01-04T15:04:10Z")
[QUOTE=OneCentStamp] A couple of years ago, a bunch of famous, successful and/or critically acclaimed writers put together a rock band, the Rock Bottom Remainders. They included **Stephen King, Amy Tan, Dave Barry** and **Barbara Kingsolver** among others. They even did a tour of clubs throughout much of the U.S. [/QUOTE] The group also includes Robert Fulghum on mandolin. Andrew Lloyd Webber has one of the best Victorian art collections in the world. He also collects wine and is a gourmet cook. His brother Julian Lloyd Webber is a classical cellist and sciene fiction fan. Lisa Kudrow is an excellent pool player. ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2008, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-hobbies-of-well-known-people/431879/94 "2008-01-04T15:33:49Z")
Are these really “strange hobbies”, though? Stamp collecting, playing pool, playing bridge? Let’s get this thread back on track. _ahem_ Chuck Berry likes to videotape women using the toilet. And Jeffrey Jones . . . nah, let’s not go there. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Miskatonic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr.miskatonic/32/310_2.png) [@Mr.Miskatonic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Miskatonic)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2008, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-hobbies-of-well-known-people/431879/95 "2008-01-04T15:40:45Z")
Kathy Ireland is a [beer homebrewer](http://thuisgemaakt.blogspot.com/2007/05/chicks-brew-too.html). One good friend of mine went to a signing of hers and had her sign that magazine, which was to her delight as apparently it was a welcome change from her signing copy after copy of Sports Illustrated swimsuit issues. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2008, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-hobbies-of-well-known-people/431879/96 "2008-01-04T16:28:23Z")
Does Bill Frist’s kitten disassembly count as a “hobby”? ---
**Author:** ![BarnOwl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e95f7d/32.png) [@BarnOwl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BarnOwl)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2008, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-hobbies-of-well-known-people/431879/97 "2008-01-04T16:30:54Z")
[QUOTE=elucidator] Does Bill Frist’s kitten disassembly count as a “hobby”? [/QUOTE] Would you elaborate on this please? (Even though I might end up almost wishing you hadn’t.) ---
**Author:** ![Surly\_Chick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@Surly\_Chick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surly_Chick)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2008, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-hobbies-of-well-known-people/431879/98 "2008-01-04T16:39:41Z")
Several years ago in Enterainment Weekly (I think - or it might have been Rolling Stone) interview, Jamie Lee Curtis said that masturbation was her hobby. Really. ---
**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:** [January 4, 2008, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-hobbies-of-well-known-people/431879/99 "2008-01-04T16:52:04Z")
Ian Anderson, from Jethro Tull, raises [salmon](http://money.cnn.com/1998/05/05/busunu/jethro_pkg/). ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2008, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-hobbies-of-well-known-people/431879/100 "2008-01-04T16:54:43Z")
[QUOTE=BarnOwl] Would you elaborate on this please? (Even though I might end up almost wishing you hadn’t.) [/QUOTE] Well, there’s more than one way to skin a cat, but some are more entertaining than others… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-hobbies-of-well-known-people/431879.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-hobbies-of-well-known-people/431879.md?page=6)