Here's another film that will take you right back to childhood if you're of a certain age - 'The Princess Bride.' Memorably, it had professional wrestler Andre the Giant in it, but it also starred Wallace Shawn as Vizzini. In fact, it's probably the only Shawn film we can name without having to check Wikipedia - and yet he would never have been in it at all if Danny Devito had been available.
Being the second choice for the only major part of your career would sting the ego of most actors, but Shawn has shown that he's got a sense of humor about it. In an interview with 'Entertainment Weekly,' he said that he was once at the same party as Devito. He accosted the famous actor, and thanked him for having such a busy schedule that it allowed for Shawn to step in and have a moment in the spotlight. Devito, apparently unsure of the best way to respond to this, laughed and walked away. Perhaps he didn't even know who Shawn was!
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.