When it comes to talent, some people hit the galactic jackpot. We all know someone who’s just too dang good at everything: cooking, crafting, public speaking, athletics … Virtuosos who make it all look so easy.
(Of course, I’m sure those gifted folks have other crosses to bear, and certainly some of them are just very, very good at maintaining a serene smile that masks how much effort their effortless grace really costs them. Still, it can be hard not to be jealous of the obviously multi-talented.)
Today, I wanted to shine a light on some polymath celebs – folks you already know from stage or screen who are more than just great actors and extremely attractive human beings.
Let’s start with the current man of the hour: A Canadian hunk who really rocks the white blond hair and Ken-ergy in the smash hit film (and beloved meme), “Barbie,” the one and only.
1. Ryan Gosling
I readily confess I was not a Gosling fan until the s’marvelous “Barbie” press tour, wherein the man went so method his brain turned into pink glitter slime.
Sure, I’d enjoyed him as a blood-covered stoic in “Drive” and “Blade Runner 2049,” and I’ll concede he’s an attractive man in that stereotypical, classically handsome way. But for the most part, and perhaps thanks to my raging disdain for “The Notebook,” I was generally ambivalent to Gosling.
But with “Barbie” came a reassessment – especially when a friend reminded me Baby Goose (as he goes by in this context) also is a singer/songwriter for the band Dead Man’s Bones. Not only that, Gosling and band co-creator Zach Shields actually play every instrument on their debut, horror-tinged album, too.
So not only is Ryan Gosling handsome and a solid actor, he also sings, songwrites and plays the piano, guitar, bass guitar and cello. Talk about an overachiever.
2. Aldis Hodge
While we’re on the subject of ruinously handsome men, Mr. Hodge and his glorious arms recently broke onto the big screen with a turn as Hawkman in “Black Adam,” but most know him better for his work in television.
His performance as Assistant District Attorney DeCourcy Ward in the Showtime drama series “City on a Hill” was praised by critics, and he’ll soon be playing Alex Cross, the beloved detective created by James Patterson, in an upcoming new series. To me, he’ll forever be Alec Hardison (“Leverage”), the wisecracking hacker with a heart of gold.
But beyond acting and being a total smokeshow, one of Hodge’s great passions is watchmaking. And I don’t mean designing cool straps or bejeweled faces – Hodge literally designs and makes his own watches, cogwheels, gears and all.
The man is a trustee of the Horological Society of New York (founded in 1866), and was invited to be a judge at the 2019 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève, AKA the Oscars of watch-making. It’s unreal.
Oh, and he plays the violin, too. Because he’s not already devastating enough.
3. Lucy Liu
Longtime readers of “The B-List” know well my great love for Lucy Liu, my favorite Watson (“Elementary”) to date and one-third of the greatest “Charlie’s Angels” team ever. She’s also an activist who’s fought against human trafficking and championed several worthy causes, including marriage equality, the Human Rights Campaign and UNICEF.
And she’s also an accomplished accordionist. No, really. Oh, and an artist whose work (under her Chinese name, Yu Ling) has hung in museums and been included in contemporary art shows. From 2004 to 2006, Liu attended the New York Studio School for drawing, painting and sculpture.
Most artists specialize in one medium, but not Liu; her work ranges from large acrylic paintings to photography, ink drawings, silk printing, embroidery and multimedia collages. Because the gal doesn’t believe in limiting herself in any arena.
4. David Duchovny
Anyone who’s a fan of sci-fi or was of age in the 90s knows who David Duchovny is thanks to his decade spent playing Fox Mulder, the world’s most ridiculous hot mess of an FBI agent, in the iconic series “The X-Files.”
Sure, he’s done other things before and since then, like “Twin Peaks” and “Californication.” But Duchovny will forever be synonymous with “The X-Files” at this point.
Did you know he’s also a stupidly talented writer, too? Not only did he write some of the funniest episodes of “The X-Files” – like “The Unnatural” and “Hollywood A.D.” – he’s also a novelist.
His book “Holy Cow,” wherein a cow, a pig and a turkey escape a farm and flee to India, Israel and Turkey (respectively) in pursuit of better lives, is a laugh-out-loud, ridiculous, religion-heavy allegory in the vein of “Animal Farm.” And his follow-up novel, “Bucky (expletive) Dent,” is a surprisingly touching father/son story centered around the baseball playoffs in 1978.
You’d never believe the same guy who could jump onto trains in search of aliens could also write solid satire and heartfelt drama.
5. Danai Gurira
You probably know Gurira as either the katana-wielding zombie slayer Michonne (“The Walking Dead”), or as the lawful good general Okoye in the “Black Panther” films. Either way, you already know she excels at being a badass, gorgeous fighter on screen.
Well, she’s just as kick-butt behind the scenes, too: before she was ever a television or film actor, Gurira made a name for herself on the stage, as both a performer and a playwright. She’s been commissioned by some of the biggest names out there, like the Yale Repertory Theatre, the Royal Court and the Center Theatre Group.
In 2016, Gurira’s play “Eclipsed” – about three women in war-torn Liberia who have become slaves to a rebel commander; starring Gurira’s “Black Panther” co-star Lupita Nyong’o – premiered on Broadway.
Not only was it the first Broadway play to feature an all female, all Black cast and creative team, it also netted Gurira two Tony nominations. (That’s on top of the other accolades she already has under her belt, like an Obie, multiple Saturns, a SAG Award, a Drama Desk and more.)
Seriously: some folks just got second and third helpings of talent. Way to make the rest of us look downright lazy and boring in comparison ...
ANGIE BARRY is a contributing columnist for Shaw Media. To suggest future topics for The B-List, which covers topics in pop culture, history and literature, contact her at newsroom@mywebtimes.com.