This may be hard to believe, but an unusual turn of events in his youth may have been the catalyst that led to Sam Rockwell becoming a familiar face in many Hollywood productions over the last 30-plus years. As a teenager, Rockwell dropped out of the San Francisco School of the Arts before he was able to graduate. As a result, his parents enrolled him in an alternative high school called "Urban Pioneers". Ironically, it was a school that had a reputation as being popular with stoners because it was an easy program to graduate from. And as Rockwell admits, at that age, all he wanted to do was get stoned and go to parties to flirt with girls!
He did end up receiving his high school diploma. But more importantly, during his senior year, Rockwell landed a role in an independent film which reignited his passion for performing. Straight after graduation, he moved to New York to pursue an acting career. Who knew that his passion for performance would be "re-lit" by his penchant for parties and pot!?
Chefs made their way into celebrity land a while ago. But how many celebrities that weren’t trained as professional cooks are actually whizzes in the kitchen? Here are several that come to mind.
Actress Julia Roberts is confident about her cooking skills. “I’m quite a good cook,” she told E! News. “I’m like a closet home ec teacher…I can really cook anything.” Roberts has said she often cooks fish for herself and her kids. And speaking of her three children, “They think that I’m a good cook,” Roberts told People. “They actually told me that I should open a restaurant.” She also relishes cooking for the holidays, particularly shredded Brussel sprouts. Roberts hasn’t published a cookbook, but we did find recipes attributed to her for peach crisp and banana hemp muffins. Or you can make the same summer salad the actress supposedly eats.
Chrissy Teigen started off as a supermodel. Then her love of cooking filtered into her professional life too. At this point, she’s created recipes for a limited Blue Apron release and also just launched her own home and cooking line at Target named “Cravings,” after the two cookbooks she’s released. Teigen describes cooking as “a time of peace” for herself. So maybe peace out to her tuna melt sandwich or the fried chicken wings that are a favorite of her husband, John Legend.
Lady Gaga, whose real name is Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, comes from a cooking Italian family. Her father started his own restaurant in New York and also published a cookbook. And apparently, Lady Gaga has inherited the family’s cooking genes. Her Instagram account occasionally features photos of her culinary activities. Sure, sometimes it’s topless cooking. But other times it’s more poignant like in the post she shared about her bringing food to the family of her dear friend who passed away. Want to try a Gaga/Germanotta family favorite? Check out her recipe for whole wheat pasta with a sweet fennel sauce.