Category: Celebrities

Battle royale games have been all the rage for years now, and much of that can be attributed to the success of PUBG and DayZ. However, it was Fortnite that helped to boost the battle royale style into the mainstream, and it has brought out some of the biggest celebrities in the process. 

As a result, Fortnite publisher Epic Games has collaborated with several A-list stars throughout the game’s run. Here are our picks for our favorite crossovers that have allowed players to take the form of their favorite celebs.

Marshmello

While it wasn’t the first collab that Fortnite has had with more mainstream pop culture figures, Marshmello was the first one to really tap into Generation Z. Epic Games teamed up with DJ Marshmello, releasing a skin of his on-stage persona’s likeness in the store for Season 7. Naturally, the skin also came with Marshmello’s music that allowed players to dance along with the beats.

John Wick

While older people on the internet love to hate on Fortnite, one thing that every generation on the internet can agree on is a love for Keanu Reeves. In 2019, Reeves became part of the Fortnite universe when his movie character John Wick became a playable character in the game. Many people flocked to the store to play as the lethal hitman, taking on the challenges that unlocked some of his accessories in the process.

Travis Scott

Chapter 2 of Fortnite marked a big change for the game, including a massive concert event for players to join online. The first concert was put on by rapper Travis Scott, who also became a playable character in the game. The 2020 concert took place during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic with 45 million players in attendance. “Just being able to get some of my ideas off in a game, and for people to play at the crib (has been amazing),” Scott said.

Marvel

Marvel is one of the biggest franchises in entertainment today thanks to the success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe which kicked off with 2008’s “Iron Man”. After three seasons with no collaborations, Fortnite teamed up with Marvel to create the game’s first-ever collab. The Infinity Gauntlet with Thanos made its way to the map, allowing players to take the form of the Mad Titan when finding the gauntlet. Marvel has continued to work with Fortnite ever since, with some of the playable characters including Deadpool, Spider-Man, Doctor Strange, and many more.

LeBron James

Upon the release of the second “Space Jam” film, Warner Bros collaborated with Fortnite to get NBA icon and “Space Jam: Legacy” star LeBron James into the game. James could be played in his signature streetwear or his Tune Squad uniform. While his pickaxe didn’t make much sense as a lion, it was an overall cool look with LeBron having his unique on-court celebration as an emote.

Mr. Beast

Jimmy “MrBeast” Donaldson is one of the biggest names on the internet thanks to his viral YouTube videos that are typically centered around philanthropy. If you haven’t seen one of his videos or heard his name, there’s a good chance that you’ve been living under a rock. In 2022, MrBeast collaborated with Fortnite to give away a $1 million prize while also giving certain players a unique umbrella while his likeness became a playable character in the game. 

Ariana Grande

You might not take Ariana Grande as a big Fortnite player, but that didn’t stop Epic Games from collaborating with the superstar singer for season seven of chapter two. In fact, Grande was in the process of kicking off her massive Rift Tour, and it all started with an in-game show on Fortnite. “Working with Epic and the Fortnite team to bring my music to life inside the game has been so fun and such an honor,” Grande said.

John Cena

World Wrestling Entertainment seems like a perfect candidate to collaborate with Fortnite thanks to all the unique characters in the sport and the opportunity for wackiness. However, it took until the third season of chapter three that there was a WWE-Fornite collaboration. Naturally, the first wrestler to enter the Fortnite universe was John Cena, who went on to say that he was looking for more ways to be involved with the game.

NFL

Sports leagues have wanted to become part of Fortnite since the game became popular in the mainstream. The NFL was one of the first to collaborate, releasing exclusive cosmetic items. Finally, in season three, one of the best players in the league became playable as gamers could use Kansas City Cheifs quarterback Patrick Mahomes in between his Super Bowl wins.

Acting isn’t a profession that comes with a lot of necessary educational experience. As long as you can act in front of a camera and have the charisma that audiences want to see, then you can land an acting job. However, there have been plenty of instances in which actors were overqualified for their on-screen gigs, earning several degrees off the set and exuding an IQ well above the average. Here are five celebrities who you might be surprised to find out actually have genius-level IQs.

Rowan Atkinson

When we think of Rowan Atkinson, the first thing that most of us think about is his Mr. Bean character. The character is almost entirely silent, so most people outside of the United Kingdom have never had the chance to even hear Atkinson talk (unless they’ve seen films including “Johnny English”, “Four Weddings and a Funeral” or “Keeping Mum”).

Atkinson is incredibly well-spoken and highly educated, though. Atkinson was a top student during primary school and was accepted into Newcastle University’s electrical engineering program. He continued his education at Oxford before getting more invested into comedy and acting. Part of being Mr. Bean came from his real-life experience as an engineering student. “He was just the person I naturally became when I was denied words to express myself,” he said.

Dolph Lundgren

Dolph Lundgren is the ultimate imposing figure in an action movie who doesn’t speak very much. However, when Lundgren does speak, he often has something incredibly smart to say. The Swedish actor has starred in films such as “Rocky IV”, “Masters of the Universe”, and “The Expendables” all while continuing his education.

With an estimated IQ of 160, Lundgren has attended some of the most prestigious universities in the world. At the beginning of his career, Lundgren earned his degree in chemical engineering at the Royal Institute of Technology in Sweden. He then went on to earn his master’s in the same field from the University of Sydney, moving to Boston afterward thanks to a full scholarship to MIT. 

Sigourney Weaver

Sigourney Weaver has been a massive star since the late 1970s when she played the lead role in the film “Alien”, launching an entire franchise in the process. Weaver also went on to star in blockbuster films including “Ghostbusters”, “Avatar”, and many more. Weaver has been nominated for multiple Oscars while also winning a Grammy Award in her illustrious career.

Weaver is one of the many actors who you would expect to have a degree in theater or acting, and she got hers in the form of a master’s from the prestigious Yale University. However, that’s not the only degree that Weaver holds. Weaver was originally a student at Stanford University and focused on English, avoiding the “stuffy” theater department. She received her bachelor’s in English and transferred to Yale thereafter.

James Franco

James Franco has been a versatile actor throughout much of his career, with a large focus on comedy. Franco got his start on the television series “Freaks and Geeks”, parlaying that into a film career that includes roles in the “Spider-Man” trilogy, “Pineapple Express” and “The Disaster Artist” among others.

Franco comes from a family that had found success in the academic world. His mother wrote children’s books while his father ran his own business. Franco studied hard and, though he ran into some legal problems that teens often do, he had a focus on wanting to be a marine zoologist. After beginning his education at UCLA, Franco attended Columbia where he obtained a master’s degree. He earned another master’s at New York University and then Warren Wilson College before getting his Ph.D. in English at Yale.

Dexter Holland

When you hear the name Dexter Holland, you might wonder who that is. If we simply said “the lead singer of The Offspring,” you’d know right away. The Offspring enjoyed a bulk of its success throughout the late 1990s and early 2000s thanks to hits like “Pretty Fly For a White Guy”, “The Kids Aren’t Alright”, and “Come Out and Play”. Holland has been the lead singer throughout the group’s history, all while balancing an academic career.

Holland attended the University of Southern California, first earning his bachelor’s degree in biology. He then went on to obtain his master’s degree in molecular biology while adding a Ph.D. to his resume in 2017. He was even able to put his Ph.D. on hold for a while to get back into music, returning to academia to create a doctoral thesis to earn his degree.

It’s estimated that in the United States, two to four percent of people are adopted in some way. With the percentage being that low, you probably don’t expect many celebrities to be adopted, but the number is higher than you might think. Here are some famous celebrities that you didn’t know were adopted, and how they felt about the process.

Jamie Foxx

Jamie Foxx was born Eric Marlon Bishop in Terrell, Texas in 1967. His mother was Louise Annette Talley Dixon and his father was a stockbroker named Darrell Bishop. The two split up shortly after his birth, leaving Bishop in limbo. Thankfully, the couple who adopted his mother years prior also adopted him. Eventually, he changed his name to Jamie Foxx and says that his adoptive grandmother had the biggest impact on his life while also having little-to-no contact with his birth parents.

“You know what’s amazing? I was adopted at seven months and I’m going to tell you what that means,” Foxx said while hosting his hit game show “Beat Shazam”. “My grandmother? That’s not actually my biological grandmother. That’s somebody who said, ‘I see something in that little boy that’s very special.’ And she made sure I had every tool that I needed to grow and expand.” Foxx went on to star in films including “Django Unchained”, “Soul”, and “Ray” just to name a few.

Keegan-Michael Key

A Detroit native, Keegan-Michael Key was born in 1971 to a father named Leroy McDuffie and a mother named Carrie Herr. Key was placed for adoption at a young age, and two social workers made sure he stayed in the Motor City by adopting him. His adoptive parents are Michael Key and Patricia Walsh, which is where he gets his last name rather. Key says that much of his comedy styling comes from being adopted.

“I have a people-pleasing issue,” Key said. “I do think it comes from being adopted. I think people who are adopted have this kind of situation where you go, ‘I’m going to do everything everybody else tells me because I don’t want to get abandoned again.’ I think that happens to people.” Key got his start in sketch comedy, then went on to star in “Key & Peele” as well as “Keanu”, “Don’t Think Twice”, and “The Super Mario Bros. Movie”.

Skrillex

California DJ Skrillex was born Sonny John Moore in Los Angeles and was adopted instantly, but didn’t find out about it until he was a teenager. Moore grew up between LA and San Francisco, attending several different schools in the process. Not too long after finding out he was adopted, Skrillex dropped out of a private Scientology-based school and headed back to LA where he began his music career.

Skrillex would help usher in the dubstep era of music, releasing hit songs including “Bangarang”, “Where Are U Now”, and “Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites”. Skrillex said that his birth parents were still around during his upbringing, but were introduced as family friends. “My entire life is effectively a shallow sham perpetrated upon me by those I loved the most,” Skrillex said, distancing himself from his family after finding fame.

Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi

When we think of Nicole Polizzi, we think of the petite Italian-American nicknamed Snooki causing havoc on the Jersey Shore as part of MTV’s most popular foray into reality television. However, Polizzi was born far, far away from both Italy and New Jersey. Polizzi was born in Santiago, Chile in 1987 and was adopted at six months old by Italian-Americans Helen and Andy Polizzi.

While most people would have the urge to meet their birth parents after finding out that information, Polizzi is happy with where she’s at. “I was so secure with my parents,” she said. So why was she given up for adoption? “I actually found out and I had like 10 other brothers and sisters,” she said. “I guess they couldn’t afford me.”

Nicole Richie

We’re all familiar with Nicole Richie and the fact that she’s the daughter of megastar singer Lionel Richie. However, many don’t realize that she’s actually an adopted daughter and not his birth daughter. She was born Nicole Escovedo in Berkeley, California in 1981 to Karen Moss and Peter Michael Escovedo. Her father was a musician and both parents were friends with Lionel Richie.

They left Nicole with Lionel and Brenda Richie after feeling that she would be in better hands with the couple. “Nicole was actually a godsend,” Lionel Richie said. “She was a little girl who needed a shot…she was used to people coming and going. She looked at me and I’d say, ‘I’m not going anywhere.’”

The world today is filled with many incredible and inspiring people who are doing remarkable things. From celebrities to everyday citizens, these individuals have made it their mission to make a difference in the world. Here are five of the most influential figures who are making huge strides in making the world a better place.

Malala Yousafzai

At just 18 years old, Malala Yousafzai rose to fame after surviving a Taliban attack for her outspoken activism for girls’ education. In recognition of her bravery, she was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize and has since become an ambassador for girls’ education around the world. She’s also written numerous books on the subject of education and even started her own nonprofit organization called the Malala Fund which works to provide access to safe, quality education for every girl in the world.

Bono

Bono is known around the world as an award-winning singer-songwriter and frontman for U2, but he’s also an incredible humanitarian working hard to fight global poverty and inequality. He co-founded DATA (Debt AIDS Trade Africa) which lobbies governments to take action against poverty and disease in Africa, as well as ONE Campaign which focuses on ending extreme poverty through grassroots campaigns across Europe and America. Bono has also traveled extensively around the world speaking out against corruption and injustice while advocating for human rights and economic development initiatives.

Muhammad Yunus

Muhammad Yunus is widely regarded as one of the pioneers of social enterprise with his creation of microcredit loans that allow people living in poverty to start small businesses that can eventually lift them out of poverty. He won a Nobel Peace Prize in 2006 for creating Grameen Bank which provides low-interest loans without collateral requirements or high-interest rates often found with traditional lending institutions like banks. Each microloan borrower receives training from Grameen Bank which helps them become self-reliant entrepreneurs so they can generate sustainable income that allows them to improve their family’s standard of living over time.

Angelina Jolie

Angelina Jolie isn’t just one of America’s most recognizable actresses, she’s also an avid philanthropist who works tirelessly to help those affected by war and conflict throughout Africa, Asia, and Latin America get back on their feet again by providing financial assistance through her Jolie Foundation as well as emotional support through various refugee aid programs such as Global Action For Children (GAC). She uses her international platform not only to bring attention to important issues facing millions around the globe but also actively works towards solutions that will bring real change to these communities once forgotten by governments across developed countries worldwide.

Bill Gates

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates is probably best known for his philanthropic efforts rather than his tech giant empire—from donating millions towards global health initiatives with his foundation The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, supporting educational initiatives across America through his College Ready Education Program or recently funding research into climate change initiatives through Breakthrough Energy Ventures — Bill Gates knows how much power money can wield when used correctly and positively impacting people’s lives around the planet.

Celebrities often use their fame and fortune to support non-profits, charities, and foundations that bring about positive change in the world. Here are some examples of celebrities who have founded or started inspiring projects or charities that make a difference in our lives.

• Oprah Winfrey is one celebrity who has started numerous inspiring organizations and charities that have helped many people around the world. One of her organizations, The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy Foundation, focuses on providing educational opportunities to girls from disadvantaged communities in South Africa. Another organization she founded is Harvard University’s Mind, Brain, and Education program which supports cross-disciplinary research between psychology and education.

• Brad Pitt founded the Make It Right Foundation—a non-profit organization dedicated to building sustainable homes for residents of New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina. The foundation has built nearly 300 homes so far and plans to build more in other U.S. cities affected by natural disasters such as Houston and Los Angeles.

• Taylor Swift established the Taylor Swift Education Center at Nashville’s Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum in 2016 with a $4 million donation from her own charity fund, the Taylor Swift Charitable Fund. The center is designed to provide students with interactive exhibits on music history as well as educational programs designed to “inspire creativity.”

• Leonardo DiCaprio founded the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation (LDF) in 1998, a nonprofit organization “dedicated to protecting Earth’s last wild places.” Through LDF, DiCaprio has made significant contributions towards protecting endangered species such as tigers, rhinos and elephants; promoting initiatives that combat climate change; safeguarding marine life; protecting forests around the world; and supporting indigenous rights among many other initiatives.

• Angelina Jolie co-founded the Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative (PSVI) which works to end sexual violence against women globally through legal reform, advocacy campaigns, and survivor services among other strategies. It also helps victims of sexual violence obtain justice through an International Protocol on Documentation of Evidence related to Sexual Violence Crimes adopted worldwide by over 140 countries so far including Canada and Germany among other nations worldwide

Celebrities have long been renowned for their influence, inspiring people to try new trends and helping fight for causes that matter. Recently, a number of A-list stars have taken it upon themselves to lead the way in fighting climate change and preserving the planet. Here are five celebrities who are doing their part to help protect our environment:

Leonardo DiCaprio

The Academy Award-winning actor is one of the most prominent global environmental activists. He always takes an active role in many environmental issues, whether taking part in protests or delivering speeches on the subject. As an advocate for sustainability, he worked with various organizations including The Oceanic Preservation Society, The World Wildlife Fund, and International Fund For Animal Welfare (IFAW). In 2018 he produced a documentary film “Before The Flood” which won numerous awards.

Ariana Grande

Ariana has always been vocal about environmental issues, even before she became a world-famous pop star. She frequently speaks out against forest destruction and animal cruelty at her concerts and public events. In 2019 she joined forces with her manager Scooter Braun to launch her fragrance line called Thank U Next, through which they donate all profits from sales to Global Green USA – an organization dedicated to protecting the environment by implementing green initiatives all over the world.

Emma Thompson

The award-winning British actress is both an activist for human rights and for a cleaner environment. Emma co-founded “Lights Out London” which eventually grew into a movement of thousands across Great Britain encouraging citizens to turn off their lights after dark as a symbolic act of solidarity against light pollution destroying wildlife habitats and disturbing ecosystems around the world. Apart from being active on social media platforms raising awareness, she has also been seen marching alongside other Extinction Rebellion protestors in London last year advocating government action on climate change.

Georgie Badiel

Georgie is a supermodel from Burkina Faso who founded “GloWater Foundation” – an initiative that helps finance wells in rural areas where drinking water may not be available due to lack of technology or harsh climates affecting normal infrastructure building efforts. Her goal was both to provide clean water for local people but also reduce plastic bottle consumption thus helping cut back on plastic waste production in those areas.

Al Gore

Former Vice President Al Gore has been an advocate for sustainability since 2000 when he founded “The Climate Reality Project”. Through this initiative he successfully worked towards changing policies worldwide supporting sustainable modern energy solutions such as solar panels or wind turbines, resulting in fewer emissions released into the atmosphere. More recently he partnered with Google in creating “ClimateTrends” – a platform designed to inform citizens about how their actions can help combat global warming while empowering them through positive engagement towards joining relevant movements like Earth Hour or reforestation efforts across various countries.