I’m amassing a list of celebrity gamers—that is, famous people who play tabletop games. Games Quarterly Magazine has asked me to interview such personages for their pages, and I’d like to know just how large my potential pool of interview targets happens to be.
See after the break for a full list of what I’ve come up with so far. Names with asterisks after them are ones I’m pretty sure I can confirm. If you know of any others or can give better details about the ones I have, I’d appreciate it.
The next question, of course, is who on the list would you most like to see interviewed?
Celebrity Gamers
• Adam Copeland (WWE’s Edge)
• Antonio Rivera
• Armin Shimmermann
• Asia Carrera
• Bare Naked Ladies (band)*
• Ben Sargent
• Bill Amend
• Bill Campbell*
• Bill Gates
• Billy Crystal*
• BillyZeKick (band)
• Biohazard (band)
• Brian Warner
• Bruce Campbell
• Bruce Sterling
• Carrot Top
• Catherine Zeta-Jones (her kids play)
• Chaz Chamberlain
• Claudia Christensen*
• Conchata Ferrell
• Craig McCracken
• Curt Schilling*
• Daryl Hannah*
• Dave Chappelle
• David Brin
• Dean Haglund
• Devin Grayson
• Dream Warriors (band)
• Dwight Schultz
• Elijah Wood
• Emilio Estevez
• Eric Raymond
• Ewan MacGregor
• Fairuza Balk
• Freddie Prinze Jr.
• George Lucas
• George R. R. Martin*
• GWAR (band)*
• Harrison Ford
• Iain M. Banks (author)
• Jack Black
• Jacques Villeneuve (F1 champion)
• James Franco
• Jason Alexander
• Jason Mewes
• Jason Statham
• Jeff Bezos
• Jennifer Lopez
• Jim Lee*
• Joel and Ethan Coen
• John Dolmayan
• John M. Ford
• Johnny Knoxville
• Jon Spencer (Blues Explosion and Boss Hogg bands)
• Joss Whedon
• Judy Dench
• Katherine Kerr
• Katherine Kurtz
• Kevin Smith
• Kobe Bryant
• Leslie Coulton (WWE)
• Lexa Doig
• Lionel Jospin (former French Prime Minister)
• Lou Ferrigno
• Marcy Playground (band)
• Marilyn Manson*
• Mary Gentle
• Massimo D’Alema (Italy’s ex-Prime Minister)
• Matt Groenig
• Matthew Lillard
• Metallica (band)
• Michael Sheard
• Mike Meyers
• My Chemical Romance (band)
• Nathan Fillion*
• Nelly
• Paget Brewster
• Parker Posey
• Peter DeLuise
• Quentin Tarantino
• Raymond E. Feist
• River Cuomo
• RJ Dio
• Robert Lynn Asprin
• Robin Williams*
• Rush (band)
• Sam Raimi
• Sarah Michelle Gellar
• Sean Astin
• Stephen Colbert*
• Stephen Lea Sheppard
• Steven Brust
• Steven Spielberg
• Terry Pratchett
• Todd Pratt
• Tom Morello
• Vin Diesel*
• Walter Jon Williams*
• Wil Wheaton*
One Ping to “Celebrity Gamers”
59 Responses to “Celebrity Gamers”
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1. Christian Johnson Says:
June 9th, 2006 at 1:15 pmDaunting list, and I have some thoughts.
Mike Myers admitted that Lothar of the Hill people was based on a D&D character he played.
I don’t know about Stephen Colbert, I know he did the short and is a “professional geek,” but I don’t know how much is real and how much is show.
In fact, I wonder how many of the people on this list are “hopeful thinking” based on professional geek status. The asterisk by the ones who you think you can confirm is pretty cool.
Speaking of professional Geeks…I wonder if Ricky Gervais plays?
Bruce Campbell writes about what he thinks about gaming in the Deadlands (revised) Foreward. Memory serves, he understands but doesn’t game.
Oh and Weezer…I got Dungeon Master’s Guide…I got a Twelve Sided Die…
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2. Jeremy Jones Says:
June 9th, 2006 at 1:22 pmI am pretty sure that Trey Anastasio formerly of Phish used to play D & D…
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3. Jason L Blair Says:
June 9th, 2006 at 1:30 pmIf you mean, the Dame, her name is spelled Judi Dench.
Great list! Personally, I’d love to read about Matt Groening’s and Nathan Fillion’s experiences with tabletop gaming.
Asia Carrera? Seriously? Man, MENSA and hardcore adult films OWE THEIR EXISTENCE TO GAMERS.
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4. Jeremy Jones Says:
June 9th, 2006 at 1:37 pmMatt Damon and Ben Affleck…
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5. Adam Jury Says:
June 9th, 2006 at 2:33 pm“Leslie Coulton (WWE)” — The tome of wrestling knowledge in my head has no information about this person, and the ony references I can find online are the ones from the Hero board that say she’s a gamer.
If Adam Copeland is a gamer, I’d also suspect that his buddy Christian Cage [real name: Jay Reso] is. Christian works for the badly-named TNA [that's Total Nonstop Action, honest] wrestling now. Shane Helms [real name: Gregory Helms] is a comic book fan, and I seem to recall that he’s done some gaming.
Also, I would have suspected that TNA wrestler Raven, who has written a couple comic books, would be a gamer. But he once described a WWE writer as “a D&D geek who couldn’t get laid and had never been in a real fight” so I have my doubts.
The rest of the people on your list … aren’t movies fake?
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6. John Kovalic Says:
June 9th, 2006 at 3:10 pmThe 1980s band “The Human League” got their name from the old SPI “Starforce: Alpha Centuri” series of games (which had a Human League faction).
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7. John Kovalic Says:
June 9th, 2006 at 3:11 pmJohn M. Ford posts over on the Pyramis Online site all the time, so I’d put a HUGE asterix by his name.
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8. John Kovalic Says:
June 9th, 2006 at 3:12 pmOh, yeah…Ben Sargent’s a pal (and a hero of mine). He mostly plays Train Games, I believe.
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9. John Kovalic Says:
June 9th, 2006 at 3:16 pmPlus Kurt Schilling, the ball player.
Squad Leader geek, I believe…
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10. Ian Cunningham Says:
June 9th, 2006 at 3:26 pmStephen Lea Sheppard is a moderator at http://www.RPG.net , compiles huge and awesome Exalted maps, and is the resident expert on White Wolf canon over at RPG.net
Is that enough confirmation of geekhood?
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11. Andrew Hackard Says:
June 9th, 2006 at 3:28 pmStephen Lynch, a singing comedian from Comedy Central, has a song called D&D that is specific enough I think he must have played it.
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12. Michelle Lyons Says:
June 9th, 2006 at 3:29 pmStephen Lea Sheppard is. In fact, he’s a mod at RPG.net. Stephenls is his handle.
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13. Andrew Hackard Says:
June 9th, 2006 at 3:29 pmIIRC, I heard Matthew Lillard on Loveline talk about his gaming group a few years back.
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14. WJWalton Says:
June 9th, 2006 at 3:31 pmRivers Cuomo of Weezer came right out about playing D&D in an interview in Rolling Stone back in 2001.
If you need a citation: http://www.theescapist.com/advocacy01.htm (Look for “Weezer Leader Goes Multi-Class”)
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15. Shawn Says:
June 9th, 2006 at 3:33 pmThe first Slipknot album was largely about Werewolf the Apocalypse. The first song began with “Pentex sucks! Pentex sucks!” (not quite Shakespearean poetry, but we are talking Slipknot here.)
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16. Christian Johnson Says:
June 9th, 2006 at 3:33 pmCurt Schilling loves Squad Leader so much…he bought the rights to sell it.
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17. Eben Brooks Says:
June 9th, 2006 at 3:37 pmGeorge R.R. Martin is definitely a gamer. He says so in one of the essays at the end of the first volume of the “Wild Cards” series–and that essay is also a handy list of other people in his gaming circle upon which the entire series was originally based. (In fact, Walter Jon Williams was a member of this group.)
Steven Brust is also definitely a gamer–he says in essays and I believe on his website that Vlad Taltos and the Dragaera world are based on a long-running D&D game he was in.
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18. Doug Burke Says:
June 9th, 2006 at 3:39 pmI believe Aron Eisenberg (Nog, from Deep Space Nine), has been quoted as being a gamer…
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19. Doug Burke Says:
June 9th, 2006 at 3:40 pmRe: John M. Ford
Didn’t he help develop the Klingons supplement for the old FASA game while writing “The Final Reflection”?
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20. Swiftblade Says:
June 9th, 2006 at 3:42 pmJames Barclay and Mary Gentle (both british fantasy authors with published books) are both gamers.
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21. Justin Mohareb Says:
June 9th, 2006 at 3:51 pmI know that Chris Jericho, another WWE wrestler, played D&D when he was younger.
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22. Jenni Klumpp Says:
June 9th, 2006 at 3:52 pmI believe that Hal Sparks (comedian, American “Queer as Folk” actor) has mentioned on “Best Week Ever” and the various VH1 commentary shows that he is/was a gamer. That might just be wishful thinking though.
Also Patton Oswalt and Brian Posehn are, from what I remember from “comedians of comedy” both gamers /and/ comic book fans. -
23. Jason Burnett Says:
June 9th, 2006 at 4:17 pmI remember hearing somewhere that Robin Williams is a gamer - Wawrhammer and WH40K.
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24. chibent Says:
June 9th, 2006 at 4:19 pmBill Amend confirms he plays World of Warcraft:
http://homepage.mac.com/billamend/ - his homepage (scroll down a couple of screens)
He links to this interview: http://wow.allakhazam.com/news/sdetail5190.html?story=5190
(He mentions a couple of other games too, but only WoW is important. ^_^)
I’ve also heard that Drew Carey games - supposedly he used his own miniatures in one episode of his show.
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25. Adam Jury Says:
June 9th, 2006 at 4:26 pmOh, and I also saw ex-WCW and WWE manager Terri Runnels buy a Ral Partha figure from the FASA booth at FASA at GenCon one year, but I got the impression that it just caught her eye as she walked by the booth, not that she was seeking out that one specific mini to perfectly represent her D&D character.
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26. Carmela Says:
June 9th, 2006 at 5:09 pmChristina Hendricks who played Saffron or YoSaffBridge in “Firefly” is also a big gamer.
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27. Alan De Smet Says:
June 9th, 2006 at 5:19 pmClaudia Christensen? Are you referring to Claudia Christian, or someone else?
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28. Slev Says:
June 9th, 2006 at 5:25 pmBrian May, guitarist of Queen fame, is a known gamer, as are several of Bolt Thrower, the originators of the Thrash/Death metal movement.
Similarly British metal luminary Martin Walyker (Sabbat/Skyclad/Return To The Sabbat/The Clan Destined) is presumed by many to be a gamer.
Given several of the gags, I believe Seth McFarlen (sp?) of Family Guy/American Dad fame to be a gamer too.
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29. Kaj Sotala Says:
June 9th, 2006 at 5:38 pmDunno if he’s famous enough, but Timothy Zahn wrote stuff for West End Games when WEG still had the Star Wars license, at least - he’s done work in the Thrawn Trilogy Sourcebook (d’oh) and at least one Adventure Journal.
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30. Joey McGuire Says:
June 9th, 2006 at 5:50 pmJason Mewes is a miniatures guy. There was an episode of the Conan O’Brian show where he was harrassed about being into miniatures. He brought up this cool new model he was working on, which was the Vampire Count’s Black Coach for Warhammer Fantasy Battles.
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31. Glen Barnett Says:
June 9th, 2006 at 7:33 pmGarth Nix (author, e.g. Old Kingdom Trilogy)
Tripod (Australian comedy music trio)Nix was involved in roleplaying in Australia for many years, and even wrote for magazines including White Dwarf. Tripod openly discuss their geekiness and have featured roleplaying in some skits and songs they’ve done on TV.
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32. Lampbane Says:
June 9th, 2006 at 9:16 pmOn one of the Futurama episode commentaries they stated that there was a in-office D&D game, which not only included Matt Groening but a lot of the writers and I think Billy West too. Everyone in the recording booth was in on it except for John DiMaggio (Bender).
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33. Marcus Rowland Says:
June 10th, 2006 at 1:55 amA definite yest to Terry Pratchett. The first time we met was shortly after The Light Fantastic was published. He knew who I was, because of the White Dwarf articles I’d been writing, and I had only the vaguest idea who he was, because I’m crap at names. The Luggage started out as a D&D magic item / monster.
Definite yes to Mary Gentle - she’s played in games I’ve run at SF cons (her version of Leela, one of Dr. Who’s companions, was positively scary), and is involved in The Fight School, a martial arts training school aimed at re-enactment, film work, etc.
I’ve met Banks several times and I’ve no reason to believe he’s into gaming.
Two British names I’ve heard from multiple sources; Jonathan Ross, chat show presenter, and Lenny Henry, comedian. Allegedly Ross likes CoC, not sure what interests Henry. I’ve never met either and can’t confirm this.
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34. Marcus Rowland Says:
June 10th, 2006 at 1:59 amForgot to add that nearly all of the core writers involved in Wild Cards were allegedly gamers, not just Martin - it started out as a Superworld campaign.
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35. Beverly Ryng Says:
June 10th, 2006 at 1:49 pmJon Faverau of Swingers and The Break Up let it slip on The Late Late show with Craig Ferguson that he played D&D in High School.
Not sure if he still plays. -
36. cynick Says:
June 11th, 2006 at 6:26 pmMichael Sheard was a regular fixture of British gaming/sci-fi Cons, and he was always interested in what you were doing - but I don’t recall ever seeing him game.
Might be difficult to interview him, sadly he died last year.
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37. Siobharek Says:
June 12th, 2006 at 2:42 amAccording to Vin Diesel, Dame Judi Dench and Karl Urban have tried playing D&D:
http://www.ugo.com/channels/filmtv/features/thechroniclesofriddick/vindiesel.asp
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38. Patrish Dehler Says:
June 12th, 2006 at 8:38 amEither Nathan Fillion or Joss Whedon, but if you can interview them together, it would be more fun.
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39. Nick Eden Says:
June 12th, 2006 at 3:12 pmI asked Iain Banks if he was a gamer at a signing once and he denied it.
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40. Nick Eden Says:
June 12th, 2006 at 3:20 pmAlso Raymond Feist started out writing games supplements for Mikedemia Press, and some of them turn up as places on the maps in his books.
If you look at his early novels it’s fairly clear that they’re campaign concept of Empire of the Petal Throne invading a D&D campaign. I don’t know if they’re a game writeup, but at the very least they show a detailed knowledge of the EPT setting.
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41. Myrthynn Says:
June 12th, 2006 at 7:14 pmJohn M. Ford would be a yes. He wrote the (in)famous Yellow Clearance Black Box Blues module for the Paranoia game. He’s also listed in the credits for the 2nd Edition of the Game under “Testing and Advice”.
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42. Jim Meggenhofen Says:
June 13th, 2006 at 8:06 amLexa Doig is a yes, check out her biography on IMDB. Best selling author David Weber (Honor Harrington) was a wargame designer, he did work on the Starfire wargame and his series with Steve White is set in that universe.
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43. Stephen Miller Says:
June 13th, 2006 at 8:50 amI know that Asia Carrera is a huge computer gamer. She likes first person shooters, among other things. She has talked about it extensively on her website (just add a .com to her name).
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44. Stephen Miller Says:
June 13th, 2006 at 8:52 amI don’t know if Steve Brust plays anymore, but he used to play in a couple of groups in Minneapolis. Several of his books are even based on the games he used to run.
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45. WildCard9 Says:
June 13th, 2006 at 3:52 pmTwo names can be confirmed:
1. Raymond E. Feist. The Rift War Saga is the back-story of the gaming world he used to play in. REF is filling in the actual details of the Rift Wars that took place before the gaming campaign began (which was the fifth Rift War if I remember right).
2. Adam Copeland talked about being a gamer in his blog on WWE.com during the year he was healing from neck surgery. I am not sure if that blog is still online, but I personally remember reading multiple entries about gaming in it.
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46. Brian L. BIrd Says:
June 14th, 2006 at 9:19 amYou need to definately interview Robin Williams.
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47. Christian Johnson Says:
June 16th, 2006 at 12:06 pmJim Butcher who wrote the “Dresden Files” books is a Live Action Gamer according to his website and his series is developing an RPG based on the FATE system.
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48. Christopher Says:
June 18th, 2006 at 5:28 amCoul you buplish evben wich games should they be suposed to play? it would even help to search info to confirm the ones that are not sure.
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49. Drew Peacock Says:
June 22nd, 2006 at 10:26 amVin Diesel is the biggest D & D fan alive
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50. Katz Says:
June 23rd, 2006 at 11:09 pmWhen I first started working for Pegasus games in madison wisconsin, Robin Williams came into the store (then on gorham street) and purchased Gev and another micro game before he did his show that night.
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51. SB Says:
July 13th, 2006 at 1:46 amI just saw a Conan O’Brien interview with Stephen Colbert in which he clearly states that he played a lot of D&D in his youth. That asterisk is confirmed.
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52. Flora Says:
July 31st, 2006 at 12:42 amNathan Fillion is supposed to be a Halo addict.
Agree with Patrish that a joint interview with
Whedon would be — interesting, though you might
need a whip and a chair.
Christina Hendricks? Hadn’t heard that one.
Also check out Alan Tudyk (since this comment seems to be turning into one about things Firefly-ish). -
53. quantumcat Says:
September 10th, 2006 at 9:27 pmDo we know what well known gamers live in or visit the South ?
(Especially the Nashville area)It’d be nice for the more considerate fen to see their favorites at a con or other gaming hang-out.
But it’d be nice if these respected celebrities just made it a little more obvious to the Mundanes that bright,appealing people indulge in this ‘fringe’ activity.
Let’s see a 4×8 game table and terrain storage in a shelter mag.
Let’s see the GOOD guys at CSI playing D&D.
Let’s have Billy Graham describe all five colors of the mana God sent Moses.
(O.k. That might be pushing it a bit too far.)
Until the public associates gamers with sane,savvy and scintillating folks as much as they do misfits,our hobby will
be at a disadvantage.If famous people can proselytize for bland or harmful things,
why not endorse some positive things they actually do enjoy? -
54. Dale C T Says:
June 28th, 2007 at 11:03 pmI understand that Samual L Jackson is quite a geek and is more than likely a gamer.
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55. Adam Edwards Says:
August 14th, 2007 at 10:37 amChris Bonnington, British Everest climber and explorer is an avid wargamer - cited in a Radio times Interview about ten years ago.
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56. Matt Forbeck Says:
August 14th, 2007 at 10:48 amThanks, Adam!
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57. ChuckJustice Says:
September 4th, 2007 at 10:35 pmI saw Trent Reznor at Gen Con, walking around with a players badge, doing regular con stuff. It was a few years back, I think it was the first Gen Con in Indy.
He wasn’t a “Media Guest of Honor” so I can only assume he was there as a gamer.
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58. Dave Vasquez Says:
May 30th, 2008 at 2:38 pmSlipknot’s first album has a ton of references to Werewolf: The Apocalypse.
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59. Matt Forbeck Says:
May 30th, 2008 at 2:51 pmVery cool, Dave. Thanks!
December 30th, 2007 at 1:43 pm
[...] got me thinking a bit about Celebrity Gamers and this list of suspected and confirmed Celeb Gamers at on Matt Forbeck’s Blog. It turns out a lot of celebrities and famous people are gamers. Besides Vin Diesel; Wil Wheaton, [...]