# Surprising second occupations of performers **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 4, 2021, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprising-second-occupations-of-performers/955507 "2021-12-04T17:32:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2021, 7:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprising-second-occupations-of-performers/955507/41 "2021-12-05T07:36:02Z")
Bobby Sherman was promoted by his lover Sal Mineo and became a very successful pop singer in the 60s, and an actor after that. After appearing in an episode of TV show _Emergency_, he got interested in EMT work. He left entertainment and trained as an EMT, eventually becoming the lead EMT Trainer for the Los Angeles Police Department & Sheriff for decades. ---
**Author:** ![Newtosite](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/newtosite/32/8623_2.png) [@Newtosite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Newtosite)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2021, 8:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprising-second-occupations-of-performers/955507/42 "2021-12-05T08:34:36Z")
Actress Bonnie Hunt was a nurse before her acting career. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2021, 8:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprising-second-occupations-of-performers/955507/43 "2021-12-05T08:54:19Z")
Peter Weller earned first a master’s then a PhD in Art History and has worked as a college professor. That was after he had been a successful actor rather than a degree he earned before acting. ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2021, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprising-second-occupations-of-performers/955507/44 "2021-12-05T13:00:05Z")
Pianist Ignacy Jan Paderewski had a stint as Prime Minister of Poland. ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2021, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprising-second-occupations-of-performers/955507/45 "2021-12-05T13:16:58Z")
Gene Wolfe, the author, was involved in the development of the process for mass-producing Pringles potato chips. E. E. “Doc” Smith, author of the Lensmen books, also worked as a food chemist, developing doughnut and pastry mixes. ---
**Author:** ![its\_the\_daddy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/bb73d2/32.png) [@its\_the\_daddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/its_the_daddy)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2021, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprising-second-occupations-of-performers/955507/46 "2021-12-05T13:24:21Z")
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, LG, OM, DStJ, PC, FRS, HonFRSC, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990 and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1975 to 1990. The longest-serving British prime minister of the 20th century, she was the first woman to hold that office. Before that she was an industrial food scientist, though details of the things she worked on are contrversial. > **[Was Margaret Thatcher really part of team that invented Mr Whippy?](https://www.theguardian.com/politics/reality-check/2013/apr/17/margaret-thatcher-team-mr-whippy)** > > Bishop of London's claim during funeral address, like everything else about former PM, is subject of controversy I would say she counts as a ‘performer’. ---
**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2021, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprising-second-occupations-of-performers/955507/47 "2021-12-05T13:50:35Z")
Royalty counts as a performer these days, doesn’t it? King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands surprised everyone when he revealed that he flies passengers for KLM. I guess that’s why they call it “Royal Dutch Airlines”. > **[Dutch King Reveals Secret Life As Part-Time Pilot On KLM Airline](https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/05/18/528946937/dutch-king-reveals-secret-life-as-part-time-pilot-on-klm-airline)** > > For more than two decades, King Willem-Alexander has regularly served as a co-pilot on commercial flights. He is rarely recognized, he told De Telegraaf newspaper. ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2021, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprising-second-occupations-of-performers/955507/48 "2021-12-05T14:02:31Z")
Speaking of royalty, Grace Kelly retired from acting to become Princess of Monaco. ---
**Author:** ![Cayuga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@Cayuga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cayuga)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2021, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprising-second-occupations-of-performers/955507/49 "2021-12-05T15:19:25Z")
> [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > And if he doesn’t stop landing his planes at Paddock Mall Given that that’s a family name, I’d be interested in knowing how the mall got that name. I’m guessing because it was built on the site of a horse farm or some such, but a brief online search turned up nothing. I don’t suppose you know? ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2021, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprising-second-occupations-of-performers/955507/50 "2021-12-05T15:32:25Z")
Best guess: Ocala is horse country – big money horse country; lots of land, some horses went on to become Derby winners (or so I’ve heard). I guess “Paddock” is better than “Horse Apple” Mall? On the other hand, “paddock” is a small field for exercising horses; maybe the owners of the mall had a slightly sardonic attitude towards their shoppers. You’re right, more research is called for, stay tuned. ---
**Author:** ![F.U.Shakespeare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aca169/32.png) [@F.U.Shakespeare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/F.U.Shakespeare)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2021, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprising-second-occupations-of-performers/955507/51 "2021-12-05T19:08:03Z")
> [@eschrodinger](#): > > Actress Heddy Lamarr was an inventor who, along with composer George Antheil invented a radio torpedo guidance system for Allied torpedoes, which used spread spectrum and frequency hopping. The technology is used in wifi and Bluetooth now. Small quibble about the technology description: Frequency Hopping is _one type_ of spread spectrum, the other being Direct Sequence . ---
**Author:** ![Paintcharge](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/paintcharge/32/7946_2.png) [@Paintcharge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paintcharge)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2021, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprising-second-occupations-of-performers/955507/52 "2021-12-05T19:16:17Z")
Jim Belushi now farms [pot](https://www.belushisfarm.com/). ---
**Author:** ![furryman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/furryman/32/99_2.png) [@furryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furryman)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2021, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprising-second-occupations-of-performers/955507/53 "2021-12-05T19:31:36Z")
Arthur C Clarke was a mathematician and the Clarke Orbit is named after him. Lewis Carroll (Charles Dodson) was also a mathematician and wrote several books on the subject. H. P. Lovecraft was a Real Estate salesman. ---
**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:** [December 5, 2021, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprising-second-occupations-of-performers/955507/54 "2021-12-05T19:56:34Z")
> [@furryman](#): > > Arthur C Clarke was a mathematician No, he was a radar specialist in World War II (and some other things in the Royal Air Force). After the war he got a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and physics. On getting the degree, he became an editor at _Physics Abstracts_. He spent a lot of time later diving in Sri Lanka. He privately spread the idea of geostationary satellites, although he didn’t invent it. All this time he was also writing various things, and eventually he was able to make his living by writing science fiction: > **[Arthur C. Clarke](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_C._Clarke)** > > Sir Arthur Charles Clarke CBE FRAS (16 December 1917 – 19 March 2008) was an English science fiction writer, science writer, futurist, inventor, undersea explorer, and television series host. > He co-wrote the screenplay for the 1968 film 2001: A Space Odyssey, widely regarded as one of the most influential films of all time. Clarke was a science fiction writer, an avid populariser of space travel, and a futurist of a distinguished ability. He wrote many books and many essays for popular magazi... ---
**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:** [December 5, 2021, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprising-second-occupations-of-performers/955507/55 "2021-12-05T20:02:07Z")
> [@furryman](#): > > H. P. Lovecraft was a Real Estate salesman. I can’t find any source for this. ---
**Author:** ![furryman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/furryman/32/99_2.png) [@furryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furryman)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2021, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprising-second-occupations-of-performers/955507/56 "2021-12-05T20:19:01Z")
I read it on the internet so it has to be true! 😉 ---
**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:** [December 5, 2021, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprising-second-occupations-of-performers/955507/57 "2021-12-05T20:21:57Z")
Do you have any vague memory where you read it? ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2021, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprising-second-occupations-of-performers/955507/58 "2021-12-05T20:39:51Z")
I note that Robert Heinlein did try making money as a real estate agent (sliver miner, political activist) before he achieved success as a writer. Also Lovecraft’s **uncle** was a real estate agent [An H.P. Lovecraft Encyclopedia - S. T. Joshi, David E. Schultz - Google Books](https://books.google.com/books?id=Myawoc_PbF4C&pg=PA202&lpg=PA202&dq=%22h.+p.+lovecraft%22+%22real+estate+agent%22&source=bl&ots=lyji1pICYL&sig=ACfU3U0UPh4tuhE4KS2XJp7YxTAg01_Xsg&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwim6ZiEws30AhUBkYkEHUIDCzcQ6AF6BAgNEAM#v=onepage&q=%22h.%20p.%20lovecraft%22%20%22real%20estate%20agent%22&f=false) ---
**Author:** ![eburacum45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eburacum45/32/8690_2.png) [@eburacum45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eburacum45)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2021, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprising-second-occupations-of-performers/955507/59 "2021-12-05T20:52:47Z")
Alex James from the Brit-pop band Blur is also a professional cheese-maker. > **[Alex James (musician) | Cheesemaking](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alex_James_(musician)#Cheesemaking)** > > James has become notable for his production of cheese. After his success with Blur, he moved to the Cotswolds, purchasing a farmhouse and renovating it into a burgeoning cheese farm. The 200-acre cheese farm in Kingham, Oxfordshire, now produces award-winning cheeses including 'Alex James Presents' – a range of British artisan cheeses – 'Good Queen Maude', 'Blue Monday', 'Little Wallop', 'Farleigh Wallop', and most recently 'Goddess'. > All are distinct in their flavour: "Blue Monday" (named after... ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2021, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprising-second-occupations-of-performers/955507/60 "2021-12-05T20:59:48Z")
English musician James Blunt was an officer in the British Army for six years. He served in the Life Guards, including time in Kosovo in a cavalry (tank) unit, and later was in the Queen’s Guards (during that time, he stood guard at the Queen Mother’s coffin as she lay in state). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprising-second-occupations-of-performers/955507.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprising-second-occupations-of-performers/955507.md?page=4)