Iowa is in Ashton Kutcher's blood, and no matter where his career has taken him, he's never forgotten his roots. He's particularly interested in supporting the arts in his home state, and opening up the same path he's followed for those who want to come after him. He's often seen as a face in the crowd at college sports games in the state, and has offered acting classes in many schools and colleges. Iowa has also benefited from Kutcher's charitable side: he was the man who launched the Native Fund, which offers financial support for people affected by disasters.
Professionally, Kutcher's media profile was helped immeasurably by his marriage to Demi Moore, which elevated him above the level of fame he'd achieved as the star of the prank television show 'Punk'd.' He then went on to replace the troubled Charlie Sheen in 'Two and A Half Men,' before making his mark in the more 'serious' realm of acting by playing Apple founder Steve Jobs in the 2013 biopic movie 'Jobs.'
When we think of inventors, the image that comes to mind is usually that of a frazzled scientist toiling away in a lab, not celebrities pulled from the pages of Us Weekly. However, a number of well-known public figures hold patents for various innovations. Some are related to the work that made them famous, while others are offshoots of hobbies or just a single great idea.
Part of guitar wizard Eddie Van Halen's signature sound was his two-handed tapping technique, but letting all ten fingers fly while simultaneously holding up the guitar's neck could get a bit tricky. Van Halen came up with a novel way to get around this problem, though; he invented a support (top) that could flip out of the back of his axe's body to raise and stabilize the fretboard so he could tap out searing songs like "Eruption." While Van Halen was obviously interested in improving his guitar work, the patent application he filed in 1985 notes that the device would work with any stringed instrument. Want to tap out a scorching mandolin solo? Find someone selling Eddie's device.
It’s probably not surprising that James Cameron—who designed a submersible to take him to the deepest known part of the ocean—will often invent technology to make his films if what he needs doesn’t exist. He holds a number of patents, including US Patent No. 4996938, “apparatus for propelling a user in an underwater environment,” that he and his brother, Michael, created to film The Abyss and patented in 1989. The device is basically an underwater dolly equipped with propellers that makes it easy for a camera operator to maneuver in the water—and allowed Cameron to capture the shots he wanted for the 1989 film, part of which was filmed in an abandoned nuclear reactor.
In 1987 Jamie Lee Curtis designed and patented a disposable diaper that included a waterproof pocket that held baby wipes. She hasn't profited from her idea yet, though, since she refuses to license the patent until diaper companies make biodegradable products.
You know him as a rock legend, but Neil Young also loves trains—so much that he owns a stake in a model train manufacturing company and has an extensive collection. He also holds seven patents related to model trains, including Patent No. US5441223, "Model train controller using electromagnetic field between track and ground."