Gaming was once considered the pastime of nerds, looked down upon by the rest of society. In recent years, being considered nerdy has become more of a point of pride than something to be ashamed of. This is well evidenced by the sheer number of wildly popular celebrities that happily share their love of games of all types.
Gaming can be a great way to relax and unwind, so it’s no wonder that celebrities with their demanding schedules would love games and gaming. It also goes a long way to proving that celebrities, despite their luxury lifestyles and wild successes, are not that different from the rest of us. If you’ve always wondered which games your favourite stars love to play, then you’re in the right place.
Henry Cavill
Henry Cavill has starred in a wide range of hit shows and films, from Man of Steel as Superman to playing Geralt in the wildly successful Witcher TV series. He’s also a huge gaming fan who has enjoyed playing the Witcher series as well as other popular games like Red Dead Redemption, Half-Life and Warhammer. Cavill has even built his own gaming PC, making him a bonafide gaming nerd and proud of it.
Mila Kunis
Mila Kunis is a Hollywood superstar, featuring in films like Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Jupiter Ascending and the Book of Eli. In addition, she’s been a fan favourite in TV shows like That 70s Show and Family Guy. She’s also a self-professed gaming nerd, having been so obsessed with the online multiplayer role-playing game World of Warcraft that, at one point, her agent had to contact her via the game’s in-game communications.
Robert Pattinson
Robert Pattinson first found fame with a small part as Cedric Diggory in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. He then went on to star in the cult favourite Twilight Saga before moving on to more niche and indie roles. Recently he’s been back on our screens as the critically acclaimed iteration of Batman opposite Zoe Kravitz. When he’s not working on his next big role, he can be found playing Final Fantasy VII, a game he loves so much he cried when one of the key characters died.
Jack Black
Jack Black is a well-known comedic actor and one half of the world-famous band Tenacious D. He has also been a voice actor in a range of popular games, as well as starring in his own game, Brütal Legend. He also has his own gaming YouTube channel, where he can be seen playing some of his favourite games, including classic retro arcade games and Minecraft.
Paris Hilton
Paris Hilton was a cultural icon of the late 90s through to the aughts. She was known for hitting tabloid headlines with her often outrageous behaviour and starred in her own hit reality TV show, The Simple Life, spawning the iconic catchphrase, “that’s hot”.
She’s one of the last people most might think to be a keen gamer, but Paris is known for her love of casinos and casino games. She doesn’t limit that love to physical casinos but is also an avid online casino visitor. If you want to test your skills like Paris, look into these online promotions from the industry-leading casino, PlayLive.
David Harbour
This star is a relatively new fixture on TV and film, having found success in theatre and supporting roles before becoming a household name after landing a lead role in Netflix’s Stranger Things. He, like Mila Kunis, is another big fan of World of Warcraft but had to quit playing when he realised the game was taking over his life. After giving up his WoW account, he shifted to playing less intense games like The Sims.
Zac Efron
Zac Efron got catapulted to stardom after playing a lead role in Disney’s High School Musical. He’s starred in films covering a huge range of genres, from playing Ted Bundy in Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile to Phillip Carlyle in the musical The Greatest Showman. Back in his earlier career, he discussed his love of the video game series Halo and even starred in the launch event for Halo 3.
Michael Phelps
Michael Phelps is an American Olympic gold medallist and one of the most recognised swimmers in the world. He is also a keen gamer, unsurprisingly enjoying sports-centred games like FIFA and NCAA Football. In addition, Phelps has even launched his own game on Xbox 360 Kinect, where players simulate some of his signature swim styles.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Joseph Gordon-Levitt has been appearing on screen since he was a teenager in classic coming-of-age films like 10 Things I Hate About You and 500 Days Of Summer. As a more mature actor, he’s played critically acclaimed roles in films like Inception and The Dark Knight Rises. Gordon-Levitt enjoys a cult classic game when he’s not acting – Dungeons & Dragons.
Long considered one of the nerdiest games out there and one that helped inspire the American Satanic Panic during the 1980s, Dungeons & Dragons has seen a new lease on life. This is thanks in part to featuring in the runaway hit series Stranger Things.
Elon Musk
Elon Musk, one of the world’s wealthiest men thanks to his investment and leadership in companies like Tesla and SpaceX, is another huge gaming fan. His busy work schedule doesn’t leave much time for him to enjoy games – he stated in an interview that he spends as much as 120 hours per week working! Despite this gruelling schedule, he is still able to fit in some gaming time during his rare downtime, citing Deus Ex, The Last Of Us, and Fallout 3 and 4 as some of his favourite games.
Justin Bieber
Justin Bieber is one of those love them or hate them celebrities. He shot to stardom as a teenager after being talent spotted on YouTube by Scooter Braun and has been a household name ever since. When he’s not touring or launching new music, Bieber has expressed a love of classic games like Halo, Call of Duty and Mario Kart. He was even late to a gig in 2013 because he was busy playing video games.