In a new interview with Howard Stern actress Kate Beckinsale, 48, has revealed that despite having a super high IQ, it hasn’t been super helpful when it comes to her work.
After being quizzed by the veteran radio host Kate called her mother live on air to find out her IQ score – 152 it turns out. (For reference the average person sits at between 85 and 115, so Kate’s score puts her in the top 1% of the population.)
There is no doubt though that Kate is intellectually switched on; she studied French and Russian at Oxford before dropping out to pursue her acting career and she can speak fluent Russian. But, far from helping her excel, Kate told Howard that being so intelligent has been more of a hindrance than a help.
She said, ‘Every single doctor, every single person I’ve ever come across, has said, ‘You’d be so much happier if you were 30 percent less smart,’ and I’m sure that’s true.’ Kate added, ‘It’s no good to me, though. It’s really not helpful to me in my career. I just think it might have been a handicap actually.’
Some have been quick to joke that life must be difficult for Kate, being as she is an incredibly attractive, intelligent and wealthy Hollywood star. But underneath these comments sits an uncomfortable question; are women better off, happier even, when they’re dumbing themselves down? After all, as far as society has come, women at the top of their game, especially intellectually, are still rarely lauded in the way that men are.
In fact, research has suggested that women are still consistently over-looked when it comes to employers who are looking for people who can complete ‘intellectually demanding,’ tasks, despite the fact that women are more likely to attend university and get higher grades than their male counterparts.
Kate makes another interesting observation during the interview. When asked whether – given her high level of intelligence - she sees everyone she dates as a ‘moron, or an idiot,’ Kate responded, ‘I’ve heard so many women say, ‘Why are men such idiots?’ I think that’s a thing; I don’t know if that’s personal to me. I’ve always found I can forgive an awful lot if somebody’s funny. So, there’s a certain degree of intelligence in somebody being funny that I’m able to mess with.’ Kate’s past relationships include comedian Pete Davidson, Jack Whitehall and ex-husband Michael Sheen.
While the Underworld actress’ comments might have come with a certain amount glibness, they speak to a wider issue when it comes to women dumbing themselves down; not just at work, but in their romantic lives too. Past research by the dating site Match revealed that six in ten women have admitted to dumbing themselves down on dates with ‘less intelligent,’ men, while half said they can’t meet anyone who matches their brain power.
Kate's comments were picked up, with several reports criticising her for referring to her IQ in the interview. In an Instagram post on Friday, Kate responded to the backlash she had received, telling her five million followers, 'I was asked multiple times in a recent interview if knew my IQ.I didn’t answer the question the first few times, but I did tell the truth that my mum had had me tested when I was young,and that it was high. I didn’t remember the number,and after being pressed several times to call my mother and ask her,I did. Here’s the dilemma
Kate’s comments allow us to question why women shouldn’t be allowed more. Why can’t we be intelligent, happy and successful? Why don’t we get to date people who both make us laugh but also stimulate us intellectually? If this interview has taught us anything – other than that she’s probably one of the most intelligent actresses in Hollywood – it’s that women should be striving for more, not hoping to be 30% less intelligent.
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‘I Dumb Myself Down On Dates So I Don't Intimidate Men, And I Hate Myself For It’