Stars who stand out for their passion for wood

We talked at one point about Brad Pitt's passion for wood, furniture, design and architecture. This passion has been translated into a collection with furniture maker Frank Pollaro. I thought I'd see if there were any other stars with similar passions. What I found delighted me. Not only are they passionate about wood, but they really love working with it. Here are a few examples.

Harrison Ford, the fearless Indiana Jones

Harrison Ford, the actor who at 73 had the courage to reprise his role as Han Solo in Star Wars, the man who broke our hearts in Hanover Street, the fearless adventurer in Indiana Jones, had a tougher time before he became a big star. In order to pay the bills, he had to return to his old hobby of making furniture. And it was just as well because The Doors hired him to set the stage for them on tour. Around the same time, he also made some furniture for George Lucas, the director he would later collaborate with on Star Wars.

William H Macy

Another wood enthusiast is William H Macy. The actor from Fargo, Jurassic Park III, Sahara and many other hit movies discovered his passion for woodturning after becoming a star. And the passion was so great that Macy "graced" the cover of Woodturning Basics Magazine, even having filmed presentations. He says he discovered his passion while filming Fargo.

Daniel Day-Lewis as Lincoln

As a young man, Daniel Day-Lewis wanted to be a furniture maker. The Oscar winner for his roles in My Left Foot (1989), There Will Be Blood (2007) and Lincoln (2012), he studied the craft in school and even applied for a five-year apprenticeship, but was rejected. The passion has remained and manifested itself throughout his life, even working with the crew to make a canoe during filming of The Last Mohican.

Mark Harmon, Special Agent Jethro Gibbs from NCIS

Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs from the NCIS cop show, played by actor Mark Harmon, is passionate about making wooden boats. Anyone who watches the show knows that the workshop where Gibbs works is well equipped with all sorts of woodworking tools. The passion with which Harmon works on the boat makes you think it's not just a role. And it really is.

Harmon discovered his passion during a summer job in high school. He happened to tell the show's producers that he helped a neighbor make a biplane out of wood in a garage, and immediately his character picked up these skills. Hammon says he doesn't know boats and there's a big difference between making planes and making furniture, but in the end it's all about the passion for wood. The actor's two boys share the same passion, having been introduced to woodworking tools from a young age.

Tom Selleck, the famous Magnum private detective

Tom Selleck, the private detective from the Magnum series, P.I., also known from the Three Man and a Baby movie series and the cop show Jesse Stone, admitted in an interview with Jon Steward, also a woodworking enthusiast. Selleck says that working in the studio reduces daily stress and that at the end of his artistic work he will retire to the studio to pursue his passion.

Clearly, we are in a very select entourage 😊. And I only mentioned movie stars. But there are also presidents among the enthusiasts. Jimmy Carter's passion for building wooden houses is well known. But that's a topic for another time.