Gaming isn't just for geeks. Most people play video games nowadays, whether it's a casual game on a cellphone or the latest triple-A FPS on their PC. However, there are some celebrities whose favorite hobby is playing video games when they're not in the spotlight. Believe it or not, celebrities can get just as addicted to games as regular folks. Here's a list of fifteen well-known celebrities who are diehard gamers.
Wil Wheaton
Infamous for playing Ensign Wesley Crusher on Star Trek: The Next Generation, Wil Wheaton is now even more well known for promoting board games and he's considered to be the ultimate in geeky coolness. Not surprisingly, Wil is also a big video game fan, and he has played everything from the original Metroid to NHL 94, Journey, and God of War.
I'm sure there are dozens, if not hundreds, of other games Wil has played, but his video gaming has definitely taken a backseat to board games. In my opinion, Mr. Wheaton is partly responsible for the current resurgence in board game popularity through his Tabletop series.
Felicia Day
Felicia Day is good friends with Wil Wheaton, and they regularly appear with each other on shows like Geek & Sundry and Tabletop. In addition to being ravishing in a geeky kind of way (what can I say, I'm into gingers), she has helped propel video game geekdom to new heights of popularity. If you can name a video game, chances are she's played it. She also started and starred in the comedy web series, The Guild, which focused on the lives of six online gamers.
Vin Diesel
Vin Diesel, aka Mark Vincent, has been playing D&D board games for over twenty years. In 2002 he founded the development company Tigon Studios because he was tired of the poor quality of most movie-based video games. Their first release, titled The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay, is still considered one of best games based on a movie ever made and it's one of my all-time favorite stealth games. In his off time, Vin enjoys playing MMOs and RTS on PC, and he also plays Call of Duty console games. Someone actually plays both PC and console games? Scandalous!
Mila Kunis
I have followed Mila Kunis ever since she played Jackie on That '70s Show, but I never expected her to become such a huge celebrity. Sure she's beautiful, but she's also kind of geeky, which makes her even more attractive. She's known for playing World of Warcraft quite heavily, but rumor has it that she hasn't played for a couple of years. I'm confident that she'll return though, as I'm a recovering WoW addict who's fallen off the wagon a half dozen times. She now plays less time-consuming games like Call of Duty.
Rosario Dawson
I'm not surprised that Rosario Dawson loves video games. This lovely lady is well-known for her love of Pokémon, and she also admits to regularly playing The Legend of Zelda and Super Mario Bros. She's even been a voice actor for video games, including the reboot of The Syndicate. I think it's great that she's so well-rounded and I look forward to seeing what other gaming projects she joins.
Samuel Jackson
Samuel Jackson is one of the most prolific actors in Hollywood, but he's also done a lot of voice acting for numerous games including GTA San Andreas, Afro Samurai, Iron Man 2, and LEGO Star Wars 3. In his youth he played popular games like Pong and Space Invaders, but now he's all about playing shooters. That's not surprising given his affinity for playing violent characters in films. In addition to the GTA series, Mr. Jackson loves playing the Fallout and CoD series. Actually, he admits to liking all kinds of shooters and wants to get in to more FPS games.
Jack Black
Love him or hate him, Jack Black has starred in some hilarious movies (Tenacious D in the Pick of Destiny, Shallow Hal) and he's made some major contributions to the video game industry. He's best known in the gaming world for starring in Brutal Legend, a fun action game set in a heavy metal-themed universe. When not playing in his band, acting, voice-acting, or generally annoying others, Jack likes to play Scramble and Marble Madness. He's also told journalists that he's very proud of beating Project Gotham Racing.
Donald Faison
While not a world-renowned actor, Donald Faison was a hilarious sidekick in the hilarious TV show, Scrubs. He admits to that he's “always played video games,” and he even introduced them to his kids. Rather than being a fan of MMOs like some celebrity gamers, Donald prefers realistic racers like Forza Motorsport and loves competing online. He likes racers so much that he has to take them on-the-go with Real Racers 3 on the iPad. He's also a big fan of CoD: Ghosts.
Henry Cavill
Best known for his role as Superman in Man of Steel and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Henry Cavill is also a big-time World of Warcraft player. In fact, he almost lost the role in Man of Steel because he was so into playing WoW when he received the call from Zack Snyer offering him the part that he ignored it. Henry also loves to play The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim in his leisure time, and due to the immensity of the game, I'm sure there isn't much time for anything else.
Michelle Rodriguez
Simply put, this lady is a badass! She always plays tough-girl roles, and even though she's best known for co-starring in The Fast and The Furious franchise, I prefer her role as a SWAT member in the first Resident Evil movie. Michelle grew up playing DOOM, and like many other celebrities, she now plays Call of Duty. Seems to me that she would be the perfect star in a video game that requires a female hero to beat the crap out of everyone.
Zachary Levi
Best known for his squeamish, geeky lead character in the humorous TV show, Chuck, Zachary Levi is also a big fan of console gaming. He's loves playing FPS franchises like Destiny, CoD, and Battlefield, and he prefers finishing the single-player campaigns before venturing online. Zach rarely played PC games online, but says that “Xbox Live was really the first (online) outlet for me.” Zachary also admits to being addicted to Gears of War 3 for quite a while.
Olivia Munn
Anyone who was into gaming ten years ago will remember Olivia Munn as the co-host of the G4 show called Attack of the Show!, so it's no surprise that she loves playing video games. She has come a long way since then, most recently playing Psylocke in X-Men: Apocalypse. In addition to playing CoD: Modern Warfare 3 until the wee hours of the morning, Olivia is a big fan of Rock Band and Guitar Hero. In fact, she claims her ideal night is having “a case of Pabst Blue Ribbon and playing Guitar Hero until three in the morning."
Ice-T
Most youngsters know Ice-T as the co-star of the popular TV show, Law & Order: SVU, but he achieved fame in the '80s and '90s as a hardcore rapper. He also made a controversial punk album that pissed off policemen across the nation with the song, Cop Killer. Thankfully, he's mellowed out a lot since then and now enjoys playing Call of Duty with Snoop Dog and other rappers. Ice-T grew up playing old-school games on early Atari and SEGA consoles, so it's no surprise that he has a passion for gaming. He's lent his voice to both GTA: San Andreas and Gears of War 3.
Know any other celebrities who are bonafide gamers? Let us know in the comments!
