Sunday, April 15, 2007

Celebrities Who Play Board and Card Games

Think celebrities do nothing but party all night at discos, binge drink, and get divorced? Think again. Celebrities more often prefer to stay at home for a quiet evening of board and card games with their friends, just like regular folks.

Notes:

1. There are vast indices of information about celebrities who play certain games, such as Famous Chess Players (also here). A little of this information is incorporated below.

Update: I think half the celebrities in the world must play Poker, as can be seen on various TV shows specially devoted to this, so I may ignore many of these. Here are celebrity Scrabble players. Here's a list of alleged celebrity Dungeons and Dragon players.

2. Where I write board games or card games below, specific games were not mentioned. Contact the celebrity's agent or PR team for further information.

3. I believe that the number of celebrities who actually play board games is vastly more than I have listed.

4. I believe that the number of celebrities who play video or computer games is vastly less than the number who play board games; prove me wrong and I'll send you a beer (but if you try and fail, you owe me a root beer).

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Aaron Staten: Mr President (source)

Alyssa MilanoAdam Sandler: board games (source)

Adele: Jenga, Monopoly, Scrabble (source)

Al Gore: Cranium (source)

Alan Alda: Spite and Malice, Chess (source, source)

Alyssa Milano: Taboo, Scrabble (source)

Alyson Michalka: board games (source)

Amy Winehouse: Scrabble, Boggle, Pictionary (source, source)

Angelina Jolie: board games (source)

Angie Harmon: Worst Case Scenario Survival Game (source)

Anne Hathaway: Scrabble (source)

Ashlee Simpson: Monopoly (source)

Ashley Judd: Go Goddess, Pictionary, ... (source, source)

Ashton Kutcher: Dominoes (source)
Barack Obama: Taboo, Scrabble, Twister (source, source, source)

Barenaked Ladies: Cranium (source)

Beastie Boys: Scrabble, Mahjongg (source)

Ben Affleck: Poker, Chess, Dungeons and Dragons, Scrabble (source, source, source, source)

Beyonce Knowles: Guess Who, Connect Four (source, source)

Bill Clinton: Hearts, Oh Hell, card and board games (source, source)

Bill Gates: Bridge, Chess (source, source)

Billy Bob Thornton: board games (source)

Blur: Scrabble (source)

Bobby Brown: Life (source)

Bono: Checkers, Chess, Dominoes (source, source, source)

Brad Pitt: Poker, board games (source, source)

Brooke Shields: Charades (source)

Bruce Willis: Mexican Train Dominoes (source)

Camilla Belle: Dominoes (source)

Camryn Manheim: Cribbage, Poker (source, source)

Cast of That '70s Show: Monopoly (source)

Catherine Zeta Jones: Scrabble, Trivial Pursuit, Yahtzee (source)

Charlize Theron: Dominoes (source)

Cheryl Hines: Poker (source)

Chevy Chase: Poker (source)

Chris Martin: Scrabble (source)

Chris Rock: Chess (source)

Christina Aguilera: Scrabble, board games (source, source)

Chuck Palahniuk: Uno, Trivial Pursuit (source)

Claire Danes: Boggle, Scrabble (source)

Consequence: Connect Four (source)

Craig David: Monopoly (source)

Daniel Radcliffe: Monopoly, Scrabble (source, source)

Darryl Hannah: board games, Liebrary (source)

David Arquette: Pictionary (source)

David Cross: Poker (source)

David Hasselhoff: board games (source)

David Schwimmer: board games, Poker (source, source)

David Walliams: dominoes (source)

Dax Shepard: Settlers of Catan (source)

Deepika Padukone: Mendicot (source)

Demi Moore: Mexican Train Dominoes (source)

Dido: Scrabble (source)

Don Cheadle: Poker (source)

Donna Karan: dominoes (source)

Drew Barrymore: board games (source)

Dulé Hill: Poker (source)

Elizabeth Banks: Settlers of Catan (source)

Ellen DeGeneres: games, Pictionary (source)

Emmy Rossum: Liar's Dice, Settlers of Catan (source)

Erin O'connor: Dominoes (source)

Eva Herzigova: Dominoes (source)

Eva Longoria Parker: Clue, dominoes, Pictionary (source, source, source)

Felicia Day: Is a true gamer (source)

Foo Fighters: Gin Rummy (source)

Gabrielle Union: Scrabble (source)

Garcelle Nilon: Dominoes (source)

Gary Powell: Scrabble (source)

George W. Bush: Risk, Dominoes, Scrabble (source, source, source)

George Clooney: poker (source)

Glenn Close: Backgammon (source)

Guy Ritchie: Chess (source)

Gwen Stefani: dominoes (source)

Hank Azaria: Charades, Poker (source, source)

Helen Hunt: Charades (source)

Hilary Duff: board games (source)

Hillary Clinton: Pinochle, card and board games (source, source)

Howard Stern: Chess (source)

Hugh Dancy: Boggle, Scrabble (source)

Jack Nicholson: card games (source)

Jackie Chan: UNO (source)

James Franco: Dominoes (source)

James Van Der Beek: dominoes (source)

James Woods: Poker (source)

Jamie Foxx: Dominoes (source)

Jamie Lee Curtis: Scrabble, board games (source)

Jacqueline McKenzie: collects board games (source)

Jason Alexander: Poker, Backgammon (source)

Javier Bardem: Dominoes (source)

Jemima Khan: Dominoes (source)

Jenna Fischer: Carcassonne, Lost Cities, Bohnanza (source)

Jennifer Aniston: Dominoes, Scrabble, Charades, Poker (source)

Jennifer Connelly: Scrabble (source)

Jennifer Garner: Scrabble (source)

Jennifer Lopez: Dungeons and Dragons, Scrabble (source, source)

Jennifer Tilly: poker (source)

Jeremy Piven: Dominoes (source)

Jerry Hall: Monopoly (source)

Jessica Alba: Charades, Pictionary, Monopoly, Jenga, Apples to Apples (source, source, source)

Jessica Biel: Scrabble, Apples to Apples (source)

Jessica Simpson: Chess (source)

Joe Manganiello: Dungeons and Dragons (source)

John Allen Nelson: Scrabble (source)

John Cusack: board games (source)

John Dolmayan: Dungeons and Dragons (source)

John McCain: Poker (source)

Johnny Depp: Poker (source)

Johnny Knoxville: Dungeons and Dragons (source)

Jon Favreau: Poker (source)

Jon Hamm: Trivial Pursuit (source)

Jorge Garcia: Is a true gamer (source)

Josh Hartnett: Dominoes (source)

Joshua Malina: Poker (source)

Julia Roberts: Cranium, Mahjong (source, source)

Julia Stiles: Poker, Monopoly (with real money) (source)

Justin Beiber: Chess (source)

Justin Timberlake: Cranium, Scrabble (source, source)

Kate Hudson: board games, Monopoly, Trivial Pursuit, Dominoes (she hosts game night) (source, source, source)

Katie Holmes: dominoes, Yahtzee, Scrabble, board games (source, source)

Katie Price: Balderdash, Articulate (source)

Kayne West: Connect Four (source)

Keira Knightley: backgammon (source)

Kellan Lutz: board games (source)

Kelly Brook: Dominoes (source)

Kelly Clarkson: Candyland, Farkle, Sorry (source)

Ken Marino: Scrabble (source)

Kenny Loggins: board games (source)

Kevin Nealson: Poker (source)

Kim Kardashian: board games (source)

Kirsten Dunst: board games (source)

Kris Allen: Settlers of Catan (source)

Kristen Bell: Scrabble, Settlers of Catan, board and card games (source, source, source)

Kristen Johnson: Charades (source)

Kristen Stewart:  Board games, including Chess, Monopoly, and Scrabble (source)

Kylie Minogue: Scrabble (source)

Laura Bell Bundy: card games, including gin, poker, rummy, and phase 10 (source)

Laura Prepon: Poker (source)

Lauren Graham: board games (source)

Leonardo DiCaprio: board games (source)

Lily Allen: Scrabble (source)

Lindsay Lohan: Scrabble (source)

Louis Sachar: Bridge (source)

Lucy Liu: Mexican Train Dominoes (source)

Ludacris: Scrabble (source)

Madonna: Scrabble, Trivial Pursuit, Chess (source, source)

Mandy Moore: Scattergories (source)

Maria Carey: Taboo, Catch Phrase (source)

Mario Lopez: Pictionary (source)

Martha Stewart: Scrabble (source)

Martin Short: Poker (source)

Matt Damon: poker (source)

Matthew Perry: poker (source)

Mekhi Phifer: Poker (source)

Michael Bolton: Scrabble (source)

Michael Gladis:  Hive (source)

Michael Ian Black: Poker (source)

Michelle Trachtenberg: Dominoes (source)

Mick Jagger: Monopoly (source)

Mickey Rooney: Poker (source)

Mike Myers: D&D (source)

Mila Kunis:  Settlers of Catan, Seafarers of Catan, Axis and Allies (source)

Milla Jovovich: dominoes (source)

Mimi Rogers: Poker, Go Goddess (source)

Miranda Raison: Trivial Pursuit (source)

Mischa Barton: board games (source)

Moby: Scrabble (source)

Molly Sims: Dominoes (source)

Morgan Fairchild: Poker (source)

Natalie Dormer: Poker, Perudo (source)

Natalie Imbruglia: Dominoes (source)

Natalie Portman: Pictionary (source)

Neil Patrick Harris: Taboo (source)

Nelly: Chess (source)

Nick Lachey:  Trivial Pursuit (source)

Nicky Hilton:  Dominoes (source)

Nicolas Cage: Chess (source)

Nicole Scherzinger: Cranium, Spades, card and board games (source)

Nicole Sullivan: Hosts game nights (source)

Nicollette Sheridan: Scrabble (source)

Nora Ephron: Scrabble (source)

Olivier Martinez: Dominoes (source)

One Direction: Monopoly (source)

Orlando Bloom: Dice and card games (source)

Paris Hilton: Poker, Monopoly (source, source)

Penelope Cruz: Dominoes (source)

Pete Wentz: Monopoly, Guess Who (source, source)

Peter Andre: Backgammon (source)

Peter Jackson: board games (source)

Peter Krause: board games (source)

Phish: Chess (source)

Poppy Montgomery: board games (source)

Quentin Tarantino: collects '70s board games (source)

R.E.M.: Cranium (source)

Raven-Symoné Pearman: Scrabble (source)

Reggie Bush: board games (source)

Renee Zellweger: board games (source)

Rich Sommer: Is a true gamer (source, source)

Richard Branson: Chess (source)

Ricki Lake: Poker (source)

Ridley Scott: Dominoes (source)

Robert Patterson: Board games, including Chess, Monopoly, and Scrabble (source)

Robbie Williams: Checkers, Scrabble, Backgammon (source, source, source)

Robin Williams: Warhammer, Warhammer 40k, D&D (source, source)

Rosario Dawson: Dominoes (source)

Rumer Willis: Dominoes (source)

Sharon StoneRussel Crowe: Master and Commander (source)

Ryan Adams: Chess, Texas Hold'em (source)

Salma Hayek: board games, Mexican Train Dominoes (source, source)

Samuel West: collects board games (source)

Sandra Oh: Settlers of Catan (source)

Sarah Silverman: Scrabble (source)

Serena Williams: UNO (source)

Shailene Woodley:  Scrabble Slam (source)

Shanna Moakler: Poker (source)

Sharon Stone: Scrabble, dominoes (source, source)

Shirley Manson: Scrabble (source)

Sienna Miller: backgammon, dominoes (source, source)

Simon Helberg: Is a true gamer (source)

Snoop Dogg: Dominoes (source)

Steven Colbert: D&D (source)

Steve Martin: Poker (source)

Sting: Chess, Scrabble (source, source)

Stuart Townsend: Dominoes (source)

Tamara Beckwith: Dominoes (source)

Terrell Owens: card games, dominoes (source)

Tobey Maguire: Backgammon, Poker (source, source)

Tom Cruise: Dominoes, Yahtzee, Scrabble, board games (source, source)

Tom Felton: Scrabble (source)

Tony Parker: Clue (source)

Vanessa Minnillo:  Trivial Pursuit (source)

Victoria Beckham: Dominoes (source)

Vin Diesel: Dungeons and Dragons (source)

Vincent Kartheiser:  Hearts, Poker (source)

Vince Vaughn: Poker, board games (source, source)

Weezer: Dungeons and Dragons (source)

Wentworth Miller: Scrabble (source)

Wil Wheaton: is a true gamer (source)

Will Smith: Chess, other games (source, source)

William H. Macy: Charades (source)

Willie Nelson: Dominoes (source)

Woody Allen: Chess (source)

Woody Harrelson: Settlers of Catan, dominoes (source)

Zooey Deschanel: board games (source)

Do you have any corrections or additions? Email or comment!

Note: I will update this post as more information comes in.

Yehuda

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

Jenna Fischer of The Office plays Carcassonne, Lost Cities and Bohnanza.

source: http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=27753303&blogID=197380832&Mytoken=DB038AEB-1246-48E6-B2E433D3EA3E6AB036224523

Yehuda Berlinger said...

Thanks, Anon.

Yehuda

Melissa said...

Yehuda, I don't read the George Clooney source as saying he plays boardgames - just that he sometimes hangs out with Salma Hayek.

Great list, though :)

Yehuda Berlinger said...

Melissa: Oh, you're right. How did I misread that?

Yehuda

Coldfoot said...

http://wilwheaton.typepad.com/wwdnbackup/2007/04/ziggaurat_con_s.html#comments

Wil Wheaton (the Star Trek Next Generation kid)

Anonymous said...

http://www.skyseastone.net/nuadha/hand/002785.html

Vin Diesel loves Dungeons and Dragons (though not strictly a boardgame) and supposedly also enjoys playing Warhammer 40K.

Anonymous said...

Curt Schilling (Major League Baseball pitcher) is a big fan of Advanced Squad Leader.

Anonymous said...

Hi!

LOVE your blog.

I'm a Sandra Oh fan from waaaaaay back. She recently told some talk show host that she plays Settlers of Catan.

-tommynomad on BGG

Yehuda Berlinger said...

Thanks, tommynomad.

Yehuda

Anonymous said...

for Bridge players, check out http://www.acbl.org/join/testimonials.html

Alfredo TarancĂłn said...

In an interview published in the book The Mind of The Modern Moviemaker Jon Favreau explained that he used to play D&D when he was a teenager, and that in fact this helped him later in his acting and directing career a little bit...

http://www.amazon.com/Mind-Modern-Moviemaker-Conversations-Generation/dp/0452286816/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1268240221&sr=1-1

Eric Schiffer Fanatic said...

Wow! Would love to play Taboo with Alyssa Milano... LOL!

Anonymous said...

GLENN CLOSE is a backgammon fanatic. If you google her name and the word backgammon, you'll find lots of mentions. Also, you can see her playing on the set of "The Shield" in this youtube video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-3v8Ncsk3o).

Edward J Grug III said...

Emmy Rossum just tweeted:

'It's been a big gaming weekend. Liars dice, settlers of cattan and now mind trip. Holy moly.'

http://twitter.com/#!/emmyrossum/status/57318184440696832

Yehuda Berlinger said...

Thanks Anon, Edward.

Yehuda