Whilst their perfectly pruned public profiles and posh properties promote the perception that public figures are somehow exceptional, particular, or unusual, the truth is, they’re just like the rest of us. So, with more than half of the world’s adult population enjoying video gaming, we shouldn’t be surprised that many celebrities also love playing their favorite titles.
Just like us Average Joes, Hollywood A-listers, major league sports stars and chart-topping artists love a few hands of popular card games, engaging in battle royales on Fortnite, and kicking back in virtual worlds like Animal Crossing.
But even though we can accept this principle, there’s a good chance you’ll be surprised by these celebrity gamers…
Daniel Craig
Leaving his enemies shaken and stirred, Daniel Craig has been spotted playing games on numerous occasions. He made waves in the early 2000s when he was pictured on the set of Casino Royale (2006) playing on his PSP console. While there was some speculation that this was just a publicity stunt as Sony was a major sponsor of his first outing as 007, he later told reports that he was a massive gamer.
He commented that his favorite titles were ones with big storylines, such as Grand Theft Auto and Halo, and that he used them as a way to blow off some steam for a few hours after being on set.
Michael Jordan
Michael Jordan is one of the greatest basketball players ever to have lived. Competing in the NBA for 15 seasons between 1984 and 2003, he won six NBA Championships whilst wearing a Chicago Bulls jersey.
Not satisfied with success on the court, Jordan leveraged his colossal celebrity status to achieve business success too. After earning the nickname Air Jordan for his talent for slam dunking, he worked with Nike to create the signature Air Jordan shoe line. More than 20 years following his retirement, his shoes continue to command huge amounts of interest from basketball fans and sneakerheads.
Jordan also has a penchant for having a flutter and has been known to frequent casinos, including one notable occasion during the 1993 NBA playoffs when he was spotted out in Atlantic City where he was seen playing blackjack, one of the world’s most popular card games.
Blackjack enjoys this popularity thanks to its easy-to-learn rules and strategic challenge that make it appeal to players of all skill levels. It’s also helped by the wide variety of options that many online casinos offer, including classic, premium, and high roller versions that share the same basic mechanics but have their own unique rules, limits, and features.
It is likely this mix of strategic challenge and variety that saw Jordan use it to give his brain a workout the night before a big game.
Samuel L. Jackson
If you’re a Grand Theft Auto fan, it shouldn’t be too surprising that Samuel L. Jackson is an avid gamer. He famously gave voice to one of the main villains in GTA San Andreas when he played Officer Frank Tenpenny, a corrupt Los Santos cop who took a particular disliking to CJ, the game’s protagonist.
Jackson’s love of gaming began during the golden age of arcades when he spent many hours pushing coins into gaming machines to enjoy classics like Donkey Kong, Space Invaders, and Pac-Man.
Of course, the actor made a name for himself starring in major Hollywood blockbusters like Pulp Fiction (1994), Kill Bill: Volume 2 (2004), and Die Hard with a Vengeance (1995) before going on to star in many of the most successful titles of the 21st century. His career on the big screen has made him the highest-grossing actor of all time, raking in $27 billion for studios.
However, the 75-year-old has also channelled his love of video games into a career, becoming a prominent voice actor for many major releases. This has seen Jackson be featured in AAA titles like Halo 3, NBA 2K13, and Gears of War 3, as well as video games released alongside movies like Iron Man 2 (2010) and The Incredibles (2004).