The life of a Hollywood star seems to be one of the quickest paced lifestyles to have and is often full of emotion. There must be a connection between the adrenaline rush of being in front of a camera for a production that will be viewed by millions and stepping in a race car and slamming your foot on the accelerator racing round a track at ridiculous speeds. It seems like some actors definitely feel this connection as there are a few actors in Hollywood that, once they step away from the camera, love a bit of motor racing.
Even since the Classical Hollywood period, a range of stars, majority being male, have dedicated their time to race cars. Maybe, when they're not working, they miss the rush and of their day to day job so hop in a car, or they don't get the chance to play such characters on the big screen so they compromise by becoming these types of characters in real life? Regardless, motor racing has become one of the favourite pass times for actors.
Whirlwind of emotions at the wheel
On many occasions, this fondness for speed comes from their good will, as it's not unusual for an actor to participate in a charity race for example. But other times it is simply a personal passion, maybe even with the vision of pursuing a second career after they hang up their boots and step away from the big screens, or even as a career alongside acting.
So, whilst on the topic of speed, we show you 12 actors that have become adrenaline junkies on the race tracks, and in some cases, have even competed against professional drivers themselves!
1 Matt LeBlanc
The actor that brought Joey to life in 'Friends' has a strong passion for motor racing since he was a young kid. Before starting his career firstly as a carpenter, a model and finally actor, LeBlanc wanted to be a motorbike driver since the age of 8 years old when he got his first bike as a present.
The actor has constantly been swapping between two and four wheels, developing his passion for racing cars. LeBlanc has a garage filled of different cars, including the likes of a Mercedes, a Porche and a Ferrari. Furthermore, he is often invited as a guest driver at Formula 1 events, and has also been the presenter on 'Top Gear'.
2 Patrick Dempsey
We know Patrick Dempsey as the man driving a lawn mower in the 80s film 'Can't Buy Me Love' and more recently as one of the most prestigious surgeons in the world, playing Dr. Derek Shepherd from 'Grey's Anatomy'. However, McDreamy has another side to him that not many of us know about. His love for motor racing.
In fact, the actor has taken part in professional endurance races, most notably the 24 Hours of Le Mans, where he finished second in 2015. Dempsey has driven a handful of cars ranging from Aston martins and Ferraris, but his car of choice would be a Porsche. Despite having a natural talent for the sport and considered an excellent driver by many, the actor decided not to participate in racing in 2016 in order to concentrate more on his family and his acting career.
3 Paul Walker
The example of Paul Walker's and his love for cars unfortunately led to him losing his life in a car crash in 2013, although he was not the one in the drivers seat. Instead it was his friend Roger Rodas.
The actor who played the lead role six times in the successful 'Fast and Furious' saga, shared the same passion for cars and tuning as his character, Brian O'Conner. As well as being a talented driver who participated in various competitions, Walker was the co-owner alongside Roger Rodas of a car shop named Always Evolving.
4 Rowan Atkinson
Rowan Atkinson, best known for his role as the brilliant Mr. Bean, is known to enjoy hopping in a car and going for a spin, in a hobby which he takes very seriously.
Atkinson has participated in numerous racing competitions around the world, having the privilege of driving his own Formula 1 McLaren (which he crashed twice) and an Aston Martin. As well as loving the adrenaline rush from motor racing, he also writes articles on motor racing.
5 Tom Cruise
Tom Cruise's passion for cars came from a very young age. His passion for the sport lead to him featuring in the 1990 film 'Days of Thunder'. The man who introduce Cruise to the world of racing was none other than Paul Newman, who he worked with in the film 'The Colour of Money'.
However, despite his love for the road, it has been said the actor isn't the best driver out there, to the point that he has been given the nickname "See Cruise Crash". According to the instructors that worked with Cruise, the problem the actor had was that he was too aggressive at the wheel, whilst he put it down to his dyslexia. He eventually decided to quit racing in order to dedicate his time to acting, but to this day he still has a passion for the sport.
6 Jason Priestly
The Canadian actor became famous after playing Brandon Walsh in 'Beverky Hills 90210' found his love for racing from a very young age. Jason Priestly has always been considered an amateur in the sport, but his participation in competitions indicates that it has always been more than just a hobby for him. In 2003, he had a crash whilst driving as he crashed into a wall whilst travelling at 180 mph. The actor somehow came out alive and since then has not returned to competing. Nevertheless, Priestly is still an avid fan for example he was among the owners of FAZZT Race Team.
7 Paul Newman
Paul Newman was not just a legend of cinema, but also of motor racing. In 2006, the legendary actor became the oldest competitor to take part in the 24 Hours at Dayton, at the age of 81. Before this, he managed to win multiple awards as a driver, such as winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1995 and finishing second at 24 Hours at Dayton in 1979. Newman basically won as many awards on the track as he did in Hollywood.
It is fitting that his last role in a film was in a film about racing cars as he played Doc Hudson in 'Cars', which was a tribute from John Lasseter to the talented driver and actor who unfortunately passed away in 2008.
8 Gene Hackman
Gene Hackman retired in 2004, leaving behind a colourful career in cinema, as well as on the racing track. The two time Oscar winner found his love for racing whilst filming the 1971 film 'The French Connection', where he did numerous car chase scenes. Like a number of his fellow actors on the list, Hackman has taken part in the 24 Hours at Dayton although motor racing was just a hobby for the American.
9 Steve McQueen
Steve McQueen is the synonym for speed. The legendary actor was as natural in a racing car as he was on the big screen. One of his most popular characters, Frank Bullit in 'Bullit', became a legend to both cinema and motor racing fans. After seeing McQueen driving a 1968 Ford Mustang in the film, sales of the car went through the roof. In his free time, the actor loved endurance racing, which he would often perform very well in. He also enjoyed driving motorbikes.
10 Frankie Muniz
The young star Frankie Muniz, known for his leading role as Malcolm in 'Malcolm in the Middle' saw how his fame plummeted once he turned an adult. After Hollywood closed the door on him, he decided to concentrate on his big passion: cars. Muniz has competed in a number of professional races, such as the Formula Atlantic Championship, where he finished in the top 10.
11 Eric Bana
The Australian Eric Bana is another actor that fell in love with racing from when he was young. Although he dedicated his life and sole to acting and his family, Bana always had a place in his heart for cars.
He purchased his first car at the age of 15, a two door 1974 Ford Falcon XB which he named "The Beast". In 1996 he competed with the car in the Targa Tasmania rally, as well as competing in the 2004 Australia Porsche Challenge. In 2009, he directed the documentary 'Loving the Beast', in which he spoke about his love for motor racing and the important role that cars have had in his life.
The actor has also taken part in motorbike races, such as the Motorcycle Riders Association Toy Run, which has been running since 1995 with the aim of raising money for Christmas presents for children in need.
12 James Dean
James Dean's passion for motor racing was known by many. Dean started to race before filming 'Rebel Without a Cause' and spent his free time racing between filming. To start with, it was nothing more than a hobby, but it soon started to become an obsession for the famous actor, to the point where Warner Bros. had to create a contract that prohibited him from taking part in races until he finished filming 'Giant'.
Dean was one of the first actors that decided to take motor racing seriously in his spare time. However, the tragic death of the actor in a car accident on the way to a racing event which cut short his truly promising acting and racing career at the age of 24.