Top 10 Stars Who Constantly Surprise Us
These celebs never truly leave the spotlight, because they're always doing something new and unexpected. From Rihanna, to Jordan Peele to Miley Cyrus, these stars are constantly surprising us with their creativity and talent. WatchMojo is counting down the celebs who keep us on our toes with their big revelations and their ability to perpetually reinvent themselves.
Top 10 Stars Who Constantly Surprise Us
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These celebs never truly leave the spotlight, because they’re always doing something new and unexpected. Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we’ll be counting down our picks for the Top 10 Stars Who Constantly Surprise Us. For this list, we’ll be looking at celebrities from all walks of life who keep us on our toes with their big revelations and their ability to perpetually reinvent themselves. We’re primarily focusing on stars who are surprising in a good (or at least neutral) way, which means that, surprising though he might be, Kanye West is out of the running, as many of his surprises have been less than positive.
#10: Charlize Theron
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This South Africa-born a-lister is often cited as one of the most beautiful women in Hollywood, but her looks aren’t what she’s built her career on. After a few years playing more conventional roles, Theron shocked cinemagoers and critics alike as serial killer Aileen Wuornos in the 2003 film “Monster” - a role in which she is almost unrecognizable. Called “"one of the greatest performances in the history of the cinema" by Roger Ebert, the role earned her an Oscar. And Theron has been surprising us ever since. From action hero to intentionally unlikeable alcoholic divorcée, and everything in between, Theron can play it all. She simply refuses to be put in a box.
#9: Snoop Dogg
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Snoop Dogg, we never know what you’re going to do next and we wouldn’t have it any other way, because everything you do… you do with a smile and an infectiously perma-chill attitude. A living rap legend, Snoop Dogg has made a habit of doing the unexpected in his middle age, as if guided by a life philosophy of “why not”? In 2012, he declared that he was changing his name to Snoop Lion and claimed to be Bob Marley reincarnated. Over the years he’s directed porn, made a gospel album, and starred in multiple tv series, including, most recently, one with Martha Stewart called Martha & Snoop's Potluck Dinner Party.
#8: Rihanna
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When Rihanna first appeared on the scene with Pon de Replay, she made a big impression, but no one could’ve predicted just how collossal of a force she would become in the music industry and beyond. Every year or two, she seems to reinvent both her music and fashion sense, and yet she never comes across as anything but 100% authentic and honest. Of course, she’s kept us on our toes in more ways than one over the years. Where so many musicians have failed, she’s managed to add acting to her resume with relative success. Then there’s her cosmetic line, Fenty Beauty, which seriously shook up the industry.
#7: John Krasinski
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Television audiences fell in love with John Krasinski as the adorable Jim Halpert on NBC’s The Office. Given how iconic the role was, he very easily could’ve been typecast or found himself trapped by it, but Krasinski fought to show that he’s a diverse actor and he succeeded. Jim Halpert is pretty hard to imagine in a war film like 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi, or as the new Jack Ryan, but the John Krasinski we’ve come to know after The Office actually fits the bill. Then, of course, there’s his work as a director. His refreshingly inventive horror film, “A Quiet Place”, was one of the most surprising hit movies in recent years.
#6: Jordan Peele
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Be honest… could you have ever imagined this Mad TV cast member doing anything other than the over-the-top, zany brand of humor that he and creative partner Keegan-Michael Key mastered in their years of sketch comedy? Probably not. But with the release of Jordan Peele’s directorial debut film, “Get Out”, the laughter stopped. He gave us arguably one of the most inspired, fresh and relevant horror films in recent memory. He could’ve stopped there and still made our list, but rather than sit back on his heels, he collaborated with Spike Lee to produce the filmmaker’s black comedy “BlacKkKlansman”. Suffice it to say, we can't wait to see what Peele does next.
#5: Miley Cyrus
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Love her or hate her, there’s no denying the fact that this ex-Disney Channel has mastered the art of reinventing herself. From her teeny bopper roots as Hannah Montana she has grown and evolved at a shocking pace, frequently changing up her image and musical style. At every turn, she has divided critics and fans alike, and yet, she has more often been embraced than shunned. She shocks listeners, but they eventually digest it and become both converts and champions of the new sound. From conventional teen popstar, to hip hop devotee, to hippie, and back to her country roots, Miley has brought us on a truly wild ride.
#4: Kendrick Lamar
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Is he, as many have suggested, the GOAT? As in… the Greatest of All Time? That’s for you to decide, not us, but what we can say with absolute certainty is that Kendrick Lamar is among the most dynamic and exciting rappers in the game - challenging listeners at every turn with his lyrics, dynamic flow and deep appreciation for the music that came before him. We’ve come to expect nothing but the best from Kendrick Lamar, and he not only manages to deliver time and time again, but do so while switching up his sound in often dramatic ways. Kendrick Lamar keeps evolving in leaps and bounds, and we’re all just trying to keep up.
#3: Hugh Jackman
Is there an actor more diverse in talents, currently living, than this Australian? Like Charlize Theron, Jackman refuses to be tied down to a certain type of role. For years, he was pulling out the claws and abs of adamantium as Wolverine, showing us that he can hold his own in an action movie. But in between X-films, he’s also played more subdued, contemplative roles. Of course, his abilities aren’t limited to acting. He’s also a phenomenal singer, a skillset that he has used to wow crowds when performing musical theater. Hugh Jackman, you never fail to impress... but always manage to surprise. The only question we have for you is… what can’t you do?
#2: Beyoncé
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We’ve got one word for you… “Lemonade”. For starters, this album defied convention by dropping without any sort of buildup. It wasn’t the first “secret” album in history, but rarely has it ever been done by a star of this magnitude. That being said, the novelty of the surprise would’ve quickly worn off had the contents of said album not been equally surprising. Lemonade wasn’t concerned with cookie cutter hooks or traditional pop songwriting; this was gritty, honest, fierce, brilliant and unlike anything the Queen Bey had ever released before. It felt like a rebirth for Beyoncé, and she’s been keeping us on the edge of our seats ever since.
#1: Donald Glover
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This man is a creative force to be reckoned with. Everything Donald Glover does is unexpected (if not downright ill-advised from a management standpoint), and yet, despite the odds, he always comes out on top. Who in their right mind leaves a writing job on 30 Rock to focus on acting? Donald Glover does, and it paid off. How many comedy actors get into music and actually succeed in a serious way? Not many, but Childish Gambino does. From Atlanta, to “Awaken My Love!” and then “This Is America”, Glover is constantly forcing us to re-evaluate him as an artist, and we look forward to a career full of such surprising deviations.
