Gaming. Today, this is a powerhouse entertainment industry. It’s even become a viable career path (for some of us, anyway), with the growth of esports meaning that some people can turn pro! This hasn’t always been the case – we still remember a time when gaming was categorized as a niche hobby for nerds…
But wow, how times have changed! And now, playing digital games is as much a part of mainstream entertainment as watching TV or streaming music. There are an awful lot of gamers about now too – approximately 3.32 billion gamers in the world, according to the Exploding Topics website. Little wonder, then, that some of our favorite celebrities have gotten in on the act.
Many celebrities, just like the rest of us, have become avid gamers, and they’re proud to shout about it too! It makes sense; there are now so many different types of gaming genres and ways to play: you can get into complex RPGs on gaming consoles, check out digital upgrades of classic card games such as blackjack, or just enjoy some online Scrabble on your phone, so there are games out there that appeal to everyone…even the starriest of celebrities!
Read on to find out more about those individuals who are die-hard gamers.
Why Do Celebs Love Gaming?
Before we start checking out the gaming habits of celebs like Rosario Dawson, Megan Fox, and Michael Jordan, let’s figure out why they love gaming so much.
Well, who doesn’t like gaming in the 21st century? As mentioned above, there’s now a huge number of games that are available to play — if you can think of a subject, you can be pretty sure there’s a digital game that’s been developed about it! The industry itself is expanding all the time; just in the past few years alone, we’ve seen the arrival of cloud gaming, cross-platform play, cryptocurrency games, and even the Metaverse. And did we mention that you can now play video games on things like Netflix? Pretty cool!
So there’s the ease and accessibility of playing games that will certainly appeal to celebrity gamers, but there’s another important aspect: anonymity. Think about it: if you’re a globally famous movie star, it would be pretty hard to walk into a gaming arcade or hang out at a neighbor’s house for a home game of blackjack or two without attracting the paparazzi. In the digital realm, though, even the most recognized person in the world can enjoy the total freedom of engaging with others as an anonymous player.
Celebrity Gamers
Maybe you think that gaming’s just a hobby for us “normal folk,” but as it turns out, there are tons of celebrity gamers and gaming enthusiasts out there. Of course, we can only look at those who are public about their gaming love, but there are plenty of those!
Megan Fox
Let’s kick things off with Megan Fox. Very few people would peg her for a gamer, but she’s long been a super fan of the iconic Mortal Kombat franchise. Her skills in the game are so impressive that they even caught her former partner, Machine Gun Kelly, off guard. The musician found out the hard way when the Jennifer’s Body star challenged him to a round of some classic Mortal Kombat action and absolutely schooled him.
Mortal Kombat fans will already be aware of this, but Fox went on to have a cameo in 2023’s Mortal Kombat 1. She lent her highly recognizable voice to the role of Nitara, a bloodthirsty vampire character.
Vin Diesel
Vin Diesel has long admitted to being a “celebrity nerd” and he’s never shied away from talking publicly about his passions. And one of his strongest passions is gaming. The actor and producer simply adores Dungeons & Dragons and is a devout player of numerous video games, like Call of Duty.
So dedicated to gaming is Vin Diesel that he went one step further and launched a development company, Tigon Studios. And we can thank him for doing so, as the company would go on to develop The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay, easily one of the best games ever released for the original Microsoft Xbox console.
Rosario Dawson
Rosario Dawson is an accomplished actor and producer, with a true passion for gaming. Her interest in the industry even goes beyond just casual play; she’s used her considerable platform over the years to rally for increased representation of women in gaming. She even helped to promote Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 upon its release, which remains one of the few AAA games to feature a female character who actually appeals to women.
As a professional actor, Dawson drew upon her skills to provide voice work for the 2015 Techland title Dying Light. She voiced the character Lawson, a key NPC who appeared in promotional materials and game trailers from its inception.
Michael Jordan
It’s not just movie stars who are covert die-hard gamers: even sports stars aren’t immune from some friendly competitive play in the digital realm. Michael Jordan, the highly decorated NBA star, is a bit of a blackjack devotee.
Jordan has developed a reputation for enjoying, and acing, high-stakes games like blackjack and he’s often spotted in prestigious casinos around the world. While the high-stakes games he prefers to play in are anything but easy, MJ sees them as a great way to unwind physically but challenge himself mentally.
