35. Jai Courtney and Phillip Phillips

35. Jai Courtney and Phillip Phillips

Phillip Phillips - so good they named him twice- is best known to audiences as a winner of TV talent show 'American Idol'. His winning song 'Home' is actually still the biggest selling 'American Idol' song of all time. He did not, however, appear as the son of Bruce Willis' character John McClane in the forgettable fifth 'Die Hard' movie, 'A Good Day to Die Hard'. That was Jai Courtney.

Courtney's entry into the 'Die Hard' franchise was intended to position him as a successor to Willis, allowing the films to continue with a new central character after Willis becomes too old to play the part. It didn't exactly go to plan. The film had poor reviews, bombed in the United States, and only turned a profit because it did well abroad. If they want to try again, they could recast the part to Phillips now he's moved into acting and see if he has better luck.

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Did You Know...

I

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.

II

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.

III

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.

IV

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.

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