80's acting starlet Elisabeth Shue may never have gone into the profession at all if it hadn't been for her brother Andrew landing a role in 'Melrose Place,' inspiring her in the process. Shue displayed some interest while at school, including commercial work for Burger King and DeBeers, but she never considered it likely to become her career until 'The Karate Kid' happened.
Shue only took the role because she wanted money to pay her way into Harvard. The film wasn't expected to be successful - so much so that Shue thought she'd be able to do it without even being recognized at university. She filmed her scenes and then returned to college, working to complete her studies in spite of the movie becoming an unexpected hit. She kept working too, though, starring in 'Adventures in Babysitting' and various TV shows. Eventually, when she appeared opposite Tom Cruise in 'Cocktail,' she bowed to the forces of inevitability and walked away from Harvard to act full time.
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.