STARS like Natalie Portman, James Woods and Jodie Foster are famous for their academic prowess but there are other celebs whose genius is less well-known.

Shakira

Pop star Shakira has been ridiculed for her song lyrics, which didn't translate so well to English and made her sound like a five-year-old, but she is anything but dumb. The new mother has an IQ of 140 and speaks five languages.

Mayim Bialik

Big Bang Theory star Mayim Bialik has a PhD in neuroscience and is also a controversial author.

media_camera Mayim Bialik has announce she is divorcing her husband of nine years, Michael Stone.

Dolph Lundgren

He certainly has the brawn but Dolph Lundgren also has the brains - lots of them. Lundgren earned a chemical engineering degree from Sydney University before being awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Mensa lists him as having an IQ of 160.

media_camera Dolph Lundgren is a Fulbright Scholar with a masters in chemical engineering.

Mira Sorvino

She is nearly always cast as an airhead but Oscar-winning actress Mira Sorvino graduated magna cum laude from Harvard with a degree in Chinese and speaks fluent Mandarin.

media_camera Mira Sorvino graduated from Harvard at the top of her class with a degree in Chinese.

Sly Stallone

Not the first person you would associate with the word genius, Sylvester Stallone is considered one of the smartest guys in Hollywood and, like his equally brawny mate Dolph, has a Mensa IQ score of 160.

media_camera Sylvester Stallone has an IQ of 160 according to Mensa.

Cindy Crawford

Cindy was the valedictorian of her high school and won a scholarship to Northwestern University to study chemical engineering before pursuing modeling.

media_camera Supermodel Cindy Crawford won a scholarship to Northwestern University to study chemical engineering.

Adam Sandler

He has made a career out of playing weird, dumb guys but Adam Sandler has a smart and sensitive side, holding a fine arts degree from New York University.

media_camera Adam Sandler, in a scene from That's My Boy, has a fine arts degree from NYU. Picture: Sony

Pauley Perrett

Pauley Perrette was studying for her masters degree in criminology before landing a role – as a forensic scientist - in cult TV show NCIS.

media_camera Actor Pauley Perrette was studying for a masters in criminology before winning a role as a forensic scientist on NCIS. Picture: Channel 10

Lisa Kudrow

She played the ditzy Phoebe in Friends but doctor's daughter Lisa Kudrow has a science degree from the prestigious Vassar university.

media_camera Ditzy Friends star Lisa Kudrow hasa science degree from the prestigious Vassar university.

Sharon Stone

Sharon Stone has brains as well as beauty (not to mention the secret to eternal youth. Stone has an IQ of 160 and was admitted to Edinboro University in Pennsylvania at the age of 15.

media_camera Sharon Stone was accepted into university at the age of 15.

Kate Beckinsale

Sexy British actress Kate Beckinsale read Russian and French literature at Oxford University before pursuing a career in front of the camera.

media_camera Kate Beckinsale studied Russian and French literature at Oxford University.

Originally published as Unlikely stars with really high IQs