ARTISTIC CELEBRITIES - THE ACTORS

Do you know what Rocky, Herman Munster, and Lieutenant Columbo have in common? Aside from the fact that they're all men with a unique way of presenting themselves. Go on, have a guess, and then once you’ve done that, afterwards, you can find out the answer by having a look at the following list of artistic actors. Please enjoy.

Sylvester Stallone

Date of birth: July 6, 1946
Place of birth: New York City, U.S.
Best known for: Playing tough guys and mumbling his words
Career highlights: Rocky (1976), First Blood (1982), and The Expendables (2010)
Years active in the film industry: From 1968 to the present day
Association with art: At face value, Sylvester Stallone comes across as a rather 'bullish' actor who would only use the word 'art' in relation to the word 'fart'. But upon closer inspection, no, he’s more than that, an awful lot more, because apart from being a pretty good actor, he’s also a pretty good artist who’s managed to develop a unique style of his own. A style that is bold, vivid, and avant-garde by design, as seen on his website, www.stalloneart.com.

Style of art: Vibrant, but with an avant-garde edge.

Fred Gwynne

Date of birth: July 10, 1926 
Place of birth: New York City, U.S.
Best known for: Playing a funny Frankenstein or a comical cop
Career highlights: Car 54, Where Are You? (Sitcom), The Munsters (Sitcom), and My Cousin Vinny (1992)

Years active in the film industry: From 1951 to 1992
Association with art: Even though he was generally known for playing Herman Munster in the popular sixties TV show, 'The Munsters', Fred Gwynne was also a well-respected artist who managed to write and illustrate a series of children’s books (starting from 1958 until his untimely demise in the early nineties). Some of his books include, 'Easy to See Why' (1993), 'A Little Pigeon Toad' (1988), and 'Pondlarker' (1990).

Style of art: Character-based work, such as cute animals and portraitures. 

Viggo Mortensen

Date of birth: October 20, 1958
Place of birth: Watertown, U.S.
Best known for: Playing reluctant heroes or a stoic king
Career highlights: The Lord of the Rings (2001), A History of Violence (2005), and Green Book (2018)
Years active in the film industry: From 1984 to the present day
Association with art: Whenever he’s not working on a major Hollywood movie, Viggo Mortensen spends a great deal of his time writing poetry, painting pictures, or taking photographs with his camera. In fact, he’s so passionate about all forms of art, that in 2002 he founded the publishing house, 'Perceval Press', in order to help his fellow artists promote their work to a larger audience. 

Style of art: Abstract, and often includes words from his poetry.

Peter Falk

Date of birth: September 16, 1927

Place of birth: New York City, U.S.

Best known for:  Playing authority figures or jovial hoods

Career highlights: Murder, Inc. (1960), Pocketful of Miracles (1961), and Columbo (TV Crime Drama)

Years active in the film industry: From 1956 to 2009

Association with art: Peter Falk was first introduced to 'life drawing' in 1971 while he was acting on Broadway in the Neil Simon play, 'The Prisoner of Second Avenue'. Fortunately, he had some free time each and every morning, so on a whim, he decided to attend an art class held nearby (at 'The Art Students League of New York'), and eventually became a rather prolific artist in his own right.

Style of art: Caricatures, still-life, and portraitures. 

Johnny Depp

Date of birth: June 9, 1963
Place of birth: Kentucky, U.S.
Best known for: Playing a weirdo or a hunk
Career highlights: Pirates of the Caribbean (2003), Sleepy Hollow (1999), and Edward Scissorhands (1990)
Years active in the film industry: From 1984 to the present day
Association with art:  Along with being a notable actor and a fairly fine musician, Johnny Depp is also an ardent collector who collects dolls, memorabilia, and a variety of different styles of art, both visual and textual, some of which he creates himself by painting portraits of people who inspire him, such as Marlon Brando and Vanessa Paradis.

Style of art:  Both abstract and portraiture.

Now if you would like to see a similar article that lists celebrities who are passionate about art, then please click here to see one focused on five 'Hollywood Legends'. Otherwise, stay tuned for even more I have planned in the foreseeable future.