Torrie Wilson came up in the Attitude Era of the WWF/WWE where the majority of the women athletes performed roles focused on their sensuality and looks. And while Torrie Wilson was one of the hot blondes on the roster she was still willing to throw down in the ring. Despite having moves like the Facial AKA Stickface in her arsenal, Wilson was highly athletic. Her Handspring Back Elbow, Swinging Neckbreaker, Torrienado DDT, and Nose Job Facebuster are moves that set her apart from McMahon's infamous Vince's Devils clique.
Prior to stepping foot in the square circle, Wilson won the Miss Galaxy competition in 1999. Within the same year, Wilson was introduced to the WCW where she instantly became an integral member of the notorious New World Order (nWo). By 2001, Wilson acquired a roster slot on WWF/WWE following the WWF and WCW merger. Unfortunately, Wilson was forced into retirement in 2008 after suffering a back injury. However, she has made sporadic returns to the WWE over the past several years. This year she was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.
When we think of inventors, the image that comes to mind is usually that of a frazzled scientist toiling away in a lab, not celebrities pulled from the pages of Us Weekly. However, a number of well-known public figures hold patents for various innovations. Some are related to the work that made them famous, while others are offshoots of hobbies or just a single great idea.
Part of guitar wizard Eddie Van Halen's signature sound was his two-handed tapping technique, but letting all ten fingers fly while simultaneously holding up the guitar's neck could get a bit tricky. Van Halen came up with a novel way to get around this problem, though; he invented a support (top) that could flip out of the back of his axe's body to raise and stabilize the fretboard so he could tap out searing songs like "Eruption." While Van Halen was obviously interested in improving his guitar work, the patent application he filed in 1985 notes that the device would work with any stringed instrument. Want to tap out a scorching mandolin solo? Find someone selling Eddie's device.
It’s probably not surprising that James Cameron—who designed a submersible to take him to the deepest known part of the ocean—will often invent technology to make his films if what he needs doesn’t exist. He holds a number of patents, including US Patent No. 4996938, “apparatus for propelling a user in an underwater environment,” that he and his brother, Michael, created to film The Abyss and patented in 1989. The device is basically an underwater dolly equipped with propellers that makes it easy for a camera operator to maneuver in the water—and allowed Cameron to capture the shots he wanted for the 1989 film, part of which was filmed in an abandoned nuclear reactor.
In 1987 Jamie Lee Curtis designed and patented a disposable diaper that included a waterproof pocket that held baby wipes. She hasn't profited from her idea yet, though, since she refuses to license the patent until diaper companies make biodegradable products.
You know him as a rock legend, but Neil Young also loves trains—so much that he owns a stake in a model train manufacturing company and has an extensive collection. He also holds seven patents related to model trains, including Patent No. US5441223, "Model train controller using electromagnetic field between track and ground."