It turns out that being smart won’t get you far in Hollywood, at least according to actor Kate Beckinsale. In an interview with Howard Stern, the “Pearl Harbor” star shared that her high IQ, which is apparently 152, served as more of a burden than a benefit in her career.
“It was very high. I think she had me tested because very bright children are nearly unbearable. I’m sure that’s why she had it done,” she shared of her mother wanting to know more about her IQ. “That’s like almost Einstein level,” Stern replied. “Oh, I wish I had an IQ of 152.” But Beckinsale assured him that he wouldn’t want to be as smart as her. “You don’t,” she rebuked. “Every single doctor, every single person I’ve ever come across has said, ‘You’d be so much happier if you were 30% less smart,′ and I’m sure that’s true.” She added, “It’s no good to me, though. It’s really not helpful in my career. I just think it might have been a handicap actually.”
While she didn’t explain how her smartness can be a “handicap,” she did say how it impacts her love life. “I’ve always found I can forgive an awful lot if somebody’s funny,” she revealed. “So, there’s a certain degree of intelligence in somebody being funny that I’m able to mess with.”
