Comedian and comic performer Tim Allen is a Colorado native, and may never have left the state if tragedy hadn't stuck. His father was killed in a car accident when Allen was young. When his mother remarried, she and her new husband moved to Michigan, taking Allen with them. It was in Michigan that the young Allen discovered classical piano, and also found out he had the knack of making people laugh on his Western Michigan University student radio show. He graduated as a Bachelor of Science in communications, but there was only one form of communication Allen was interested in by then; laughter.
For the younger generation of movie-goers, Allen's voice might be more recognizable than his face. That's because he's been the voice of Buzz Lightyear in all of the 'Toy Story' movies. The parents of the children going to the films probably remember growing up watching him play Tim Taylor in 'Home Improvement,' and you can see him now as the star of 'Last Man Standing' on ABC.
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.