Ben Affleck may be his stage name, but to his parents and childhood friends, he's known as Benjamin Geza Affleck-Boldt. Nobody would blame him for trading a full name like that for a quicker moniker to write down during auditions! Ben Affleck began his acting career as a child in the mid-1980s. It wasn't until the 1990s, however, that he hit his stride as an up-and-coming professional actor. 1993's "Dazed and Confused", 1999's "Dogma", and 1997's classic hit "Good Will Hunting" thrust Affleck into the spotlight, where he's remained ever since.
Not only is he an accomplished actor having appeared in more than 50 films, Ben Affleck also has credits as a director, writer or co-writer, and producer throughout his career. Affleck also won the 2004 California State Poker Championship, which earned him prize money of over $350,000 and a qualifying spot on the 2004 World Poker Tour final tournament.
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.