Celebrities Spotted Riding On The Subway Like The Rest Of Us
Considering how much privacy celebrities often seek while being hounded by fans and paparazzi alike, it's easy to picture the ways they're most likely to travel. When they're not flying in private jets, they're among a convoy of bulky vehicles to ensure their security teams can keep anyone from getting near them.
And indeed, it's true that this perception can definitely apply to some of the world's biggest stars. However, that's not quite true for all of them. As it turns out, some of them are comfortable enough in public to take a surprisingly visible form of transportation: The humble subway train.
Jake Gyllenhaal
As some commuters have learned the lucky way, actor Jake Gyllenhaal is a frequent subway rider when he's out and about. And while multiple photos have confirmed how easy to spot he is when he's on a train, he nonetheless seems to blend in fairly well with most passengers.
From the looks of things, his secret is always to look busy. If he's not buried in his phone when someone is surreptitiously taking a photo of him, he's reading something. Of course, it helps in cases like these when his fellow passengers are too tired to notice him.
Marilyn Monroe
Although her life as a movie star seemed glamorous enough to make her unapproachable, Marilyn Monroe wasn't given the pretensions that made her think she was better than everyone else. And that was clearest to those who knew her and saw her in her humbler moments.
The Hollywood legend took the New York City subway just like any other visitor. And from the looks of this photo, she was also prone to that little impatient lean so many folks do when they're wondering where their train is.
Cynthia Nixon
Although she's best known for playing Miranda Hobbes alongside Sarah Jessica Parker and Kim Cattrall, actress Cynthia Nixon didn't find herself making friends on this New York subway on the way to a day of filming. But that doesn't mean she was off-duty, either.
Instead, this photo finds Nixon in the middle of her ill-fated 2018 campaign for governor of New York. As it appears, part of her campaign involved meeting and greeting what she hoped would be her future constituents in the Big Apple.
Emma Watson
Although there are likely many reasons why Emma Watson might find herself riding one of New York City's many subway lines, one whimsical trip in 2016 saw her hatch a sneaky but wholesome plan. She came bearing gifts for her more sharp-eyed fellow passengers.
As this picture shows, the Harry Potter star had an unusual idea to hide books throughout her underground travels. Although it's hard to imagine her finding a place on this pillar that it will stay put in, her other hiding places (like the center of an escalator) were a little easier to work with.
Sebastian Stan
Captain America: Winter Soldier star Sebastian Stan was just minding his own business on the subway when one starstruck fan snapped a photo of him. And from the looks of things, he was wishing his fellow riders would do the same.
At least, it's hard not to get that impression from the other person's captions. Because while they seem excited to see him at first, that giant "help" seems to imply that excitement turned to embarrassment once Stan spotted them.
Katie Holmes
As various celebrity watches over the years have noticed, Katie Holmes is a surprisingly big fan of the New York City subway. It's not unusual to catch her riding it and she once made minor headlines by falling asleep on it.
But the most telling photos that show her comfort on the train are the ones she posted herself. While some have adorably shown her celebrating both her daughter and her beloved subway, this one shows she's not afraid to stand out when she's there.
Jessica Chastain
One would expect a movie star as high-profile, distinct, and elegant as Jessica Chastain to instantly get recognized on the subway. Indeed, that's likely what happened when this picture was taken, as she's surrounded by riders who look excited to see her.
However, it's surprisingly hard to tell that there's even a celebrity in the picture at first. She blends in so comfortably among these people that one could be forgiven for glancing at this photo and thinking it just showed an average American family. Meanwhile, this might be the first time any of these people had met.
Karlie Kloss
While a fashion model with Karlie Kloss's level of renown can typically find themselves anywhere in the world before they know it, it's clear that she makes New York City her home base. After all, it's hard to keep getting spotted on its subways without doing that.
Although some of these subway photos Kloss is featured in were taken by other people, it appears she has her own to contribute as well. In this case, there are a few levels to it, as she's getting her picture taken while she's getting her picture taken. Only the one inside the booth is going to end up on her passport, though.
Anne Hathaway
Although it's practically the job of so many celebrities to look stunning, it's hard not to feel like this subway shot of Anne Hathaway has her looking a little too photogenic. And there's a pretty illuminating explanation for why that is.
This wasn't just your average commute for Hathaway. Instead, this photo caught her in a candid moment while she was filming a scene for Ocean's 8. Although shooting a movie can often be a grueling process, this seemed to be a pretty fun day on set.
Fergie
Although many celebrities who ride the subway try to do so inconspicuously, it seems that Fergie's public transportation odyssey wasn't exactly planned. From the looks of things, it was a means to get out of sudden rainfall in New York City.
After all, there's no faster way to stand out as a celebrity than to bring your team with you. And since the guy on the right of this picture is looking a little nervous to be there, he's probably a bodyguard who felt very exposed when this was taken.
Andrew Garfield
Although his position and the framing of the shot make it look like Andrew Garfield is filming a dramatic, contemplative scene that takes place on a subway, that's not what's happening. Instead, someone happened to catch him looking genuinely lost in thought during a real trip.
While it's true that one of the many times a celebrity gets noticed in public would be sufficient reason to look this overwhelmed, he appeared to look that way before he noticed the camera. So many people can attest that they get the most unwanted attention when they're having a bad day.
Helena Bonham Carter
Although a lot of things can happen on the subway, it's not so often that the person making a scene on the train is a celebrity. And for those wondering how Helena Bonham Carter brandishing a knife on the New York subway didn't make the news, the answer is that's not what's happening.
Instead, this photo captured her while she was in the middle of filming a scene for Ocean's 8 while sitting next to Anne Hathaway. Although it looks like the photograph was taken in between takes, the knife is supposed to be there.
Keanu Reeves
In recent years, Keanu Reeves has become one of the world's most beloved celebrities. This is partially because of his legacy of starring in some highly enjoyable movies, but it's more influenced by the gentlemanly way he carries himself off-screen.
And while it's unclear exactly when this moment on the New York subway occurred, it shows that he was living up to this reputation before the world at large credited him for it. That's because he wordlessly gave up his seat for this woman when he saw her standing with a heavy bag. That's sweet!
Kelly Clarkson
American Idol's first big winner and successful music and TV star, Kelly Clarkson, looked resplendent as she walked through the gates of this subway station. Indeed, she was rocking a look that she'd made her signature on the show in more recent years.
However, this isn't a case of a paparazzo happening to catch her on a particularly good day. That's because Clarkson wasn't just entering this subway while running errands, but rather as the setting for one of her music videos.
Helen Mirren
In case there was any doubt that Helen Mirren had a valid Metro Card as she stood on a platform at one of New York City's many subway stations, she instantly dispelled it in this photo. But those wondering why she's showing it off might want to know something.
Namely, that this isn't just a candid moment for the legendary actress. Instead, she found herself in the subway to film a scene from the movie Collateral Beauty. That's easy to miss because it's not as though it was the biggest movie of the year when it came out.
Tom Hiddleston
When somebody spotted the Loki actor on an unspecified subway, it's clear they were caught unaware. After all, a surprising amount of surreptitious shots of celebrities on subways turn out as crisp and high-quality as one taken with a professional-grade camera.
However, this photo of Hiddleston isn't one of them. Whether that has to do with the quality of the camera, the harsh lighting, or the photographer's inability to stop shaking while they took it, their work makes it hard to tell that this is really him. However, it is, and it's hard not to be curious about what he's reading.
Rihanna
For the most part, even celebrities who feel secure enough to take the subway do so with at least some effort taken to look inconspicuous. Whether they're wearing hoodies, buried in their phones or both, it's easy for people to mistake them for just another passenger at first glance.
However, this didn't seem to be Rihanna's M.O. during one subway ride. Not only was she easily spotted but she was nice enough to stop for a picture with a couple of her fans. It obviously made the young woman's day to meet her!
Katy Perry
On New Year's Eve, it's surprisingly common for people to form seemingly close connections with others despite never seeing them again after that night. It happens to everyone and it's hard not to think of these would-be friends after the fact.
Of course, it makes it significantly easier to jog memories of the night when one of those fleeting friends is a world-famous pop star. Nonetheless, that's the kind of story everyone in this photo can tell with proof after they came across Katy Perry on the subway during one festive New Year's Eve. It's certainly the right city for the occasion.
Mayim Bialik
Although Blossom, The Big Bang Theory, and Jeopardy! have all made the actress and neuroscientist a prominent person, that hasn't seemed to affect her travel arrangements all that much. Not only does Bialik apparently still take the subway while she's in New York City, but she's pretty casual about it.
Being photographed alongside one's child is usually something that makes celebrities understandably nervous, but it must hit differently when it isn't the paparazzi doing it. Because while her embrace effectively keeps her child's face private, she seems fairly unbothered by the camera's presence.
Allison Janney
For Oscar-winning I, Tonya star Allison Janney, life clearly gets busy quickly. And anyone can recall that their busiest days were characterized by the struggle to find a moment to rest or even to slow the hectic pace of everything down for a second.
And on those days, so many people have found that the only peace to be found came while they were in transit. Since their journey is in someone else's hands, there's no way to make the trip go more efficiently, so there's no better time for a quick nap. Indeed, that looks like the exact kind of day Janney was having here.
Geri Halliwell
With her days of global stardom far enough in her rear view that she doesn't have to worry about getting mobbed as often, the former Ginger Spice did something for the first time in a while back in 2013. According to The Daily Mail, she hadn't ridden the London Underground in 17 years.
Nonetheless, it appeared her days as a household name made Halliwell a little nervous about doing this. Considering that her copy of The Financial Times has a big hole in it, it seems more like she's using it for privacy than for reading material.
Will Smith
Although recent years have given Will Smith a lot to feel stressed about, this photo that finds him looking perturbed on the subway is from a little further back in time. And rather than catching him during a genuinely perturbed moment, it shows him acting.
That's because this subway sighting has him standing on a platform while filming a scene from the movie Collateral Beauty. In real life, Smith would probably have a lot more people paying attention to him in this setting than just his co-star Helen Mirren.
Neil Patrick Harris
It's amazing how sharp-eyed some people can be. After all, if 100 people were asked who they think is in this reasonably inconspicuous photo, it would be interesting to see how many of them could get it right. That said, there are markers.
Although actor Neil Patrick Harris almost fades into the background in this shot taken right outside of a New York subway train, he is known for sporting this signature hairstyle. No matter how much he covers his face, somebody is apparently bound to recognize him as long as he wears it that way.
Hugh Jackman
It's hard to tell whether the X-Men star knew just how cool and photogenic this chance subway shot made him look, but his expression was perfect for someone who did. While other celebrities try their best to look inconspicuous while traveling like this, it seems hard for Jackman to turn off his charisma.
It's hard to tell how he's feeling about being spotted on this train, but that smirk and those sunglasses give the impression that it was part of his master plan all along. After spending so long in the spotlight, he's probably used to it.
Jennifer Lopez
It seems like the height of casual confidence to wear a bathrobe while walking through a subway station. However, it would be misleading to say that this is a spontaneous decision that Jennifer Lopez happened to make one day.
After all, just out of frame, here are two security guards with eyes like they're ready to tackle anybody who gets near her. When she visited this station in 2017, she wasn't just here to ride a train. She was shooting a music video at the time.
Benedict Cumberbatch
Although it's not unheard of for the paparazzi to catch a glimpse of a star while they're both riding the subway, it's a lot more likely for a fan to get a lucky shot like this. After all, almost everyone is walking around with a camera phone in their pocket.
However, it's clear that some of the cameras on those phones are a little more sophisticated than others. Of course, it's easy to forget how long ago Sherlock started airing. Maybe this was as good as a smartphone's camera got when it captured this image of Benedict Cumberbatch.
Kit Harington
Although it can be hard for high-profile actors to blend in with more mundane surroundings at the best of times, that's especially true if they have a signature feature. And in this case, there was a side effect to always showing Kit Harington with long, messy hair on Game Of Thrones.
Although it's possible that whoever took this photo may have recognized him anyway, that recognizable coif may as well have been the bat signal during this ride. If he thought he could get through the trip without the person next to him snapping a picture, he had another thing coming.
Bradley Cooper
Megasuccessful actor and director Bradley Cooper has long made a habit of riding the New York subway, and as he told Dax Shepard on The Armchair Expert podcast, he got a little too comfortable in that habit by 2019.
As The Hollywood Reporter relayed, that's because one incident saw him held at knifepoint without realizing it for a time. In particular, he blamed that oblivious comfort on his noise-cancelling headphones. And while he's not quite on any train yet in this photo, he was about to descend into a station for one of his many trips. Hopefully, that one went a lot smoother.
Damian Lewis
Apparently, it's not an unusual sight to catch Homeland and Billions star Damian Lewis taking the subway. He's always just minding his own business, but it seems to be how he prefers to travel when his lifestyle takes him to one of the world's major metropolises.
After all, this isn't the only picture fans have taken of him on a train. And if getting recognized and photographed on the subway so much isn't enough to turn him off on the idea, he must really like being there. He certainly seems comfortable enough.
Jerry Seinfeld
As even casual viewers of his famous sitcom could likely figure out, New York City is a meaningful place for Jerry Seinfeld. It was home for the legendary comedian when he was just starting out, and he's kept one foot on its streets long after he became a household name.
So naturally, he's about as comfortable on its subway as it gets. According to his wife Jessica's Instagram caption, that's exactly where the couple found themselves after eating dinner with TV personality Kelly Ripa and her husband, Mark Consuelos.
Ed Begley Jr.
Although many celebrities try not to look at the cameras snapping at them in public when they reveal themselves, it seemed to be a nice surprise for Ed Begley Jr. while he was riding the L.A. Metro near two people who didn't recognize him, somebody who did took this photo.
That seemed to vaguely amuse him, as if he wasn't sure whether it was a fan or a professional photographer who got him in frame. Maybe the idea of finding his presence on the subway so interesting was funny in and of itself. After all, it's not exactly breaking news.
Tom Hanks
Although some celebrities try to be more incognito than others when they're out in public, it's hard to find someone who put more effort into looking nondescript than beloved actor Tom Hanks in this photo. Sadly, it doesn't appear to have worked very well.
Although he put himself in enough layers and accessories to look like the most average New Yorker going, it only took one glance at his face to get a sense of who he was. When a man's been in the spotlight for all of many people's lives, it's hard for him not to be recognized.
Drew Barrymore
Although most celebrities who ride the subway are simply doing so to get from Point A to Point B, some also pick their spots to ride it as a promotion tactic. This can be in the service of everything from new movies to political campaigns, but Drew Barrymore had a different goal in mind for this subway shot.
As Barrymore explained in the caption of her Instagram post, she was applying the roller ball concealer made by her Flower Beauty brand. Presumably, she picked the subway to show how practical her products are in people's real lives.
John F. Kennedy Jr.
Before his tragic and sudden passing, John F. Kennedy Jr. was the Assistant District Attorney for New York City's Manhattan borough. And while he was essentially a scion of American royalty, that's not quite how he carried himself when he had just got the job.
As this photo shows, he rode the subway just like his other fellow New Yorkers. And considering what a tight squeeze it was when he boarded this train, it seems like everyone around him was happy to treat him like a regular guy as well.
Tom Cruise
For some celebrities, being noticed and greeted as they go places is half the fun of being in a prominent position. So, while some may try to blend in with the crowd while they're on the subway, others make that all but impossible.
While he was on his way to the New York premiere of Mission Impossible 3 in 2006, Tom Cruise made quite an entrance. He passed through the city's subways while being escorted by his team and shook hands with well-wishers along the way. That's one way to stand out.
Matt Dillon
Just from a cursory glance at this photo, it's easy to tell it was taken at a very different time. For one thing, Matt Dillon was a fresh-faced young actor rather than the Hollywood veteran with decades of acting experience he is now.
Perhaps he wanted to capture his youthful energy as a rising star with this gritty photo shoot in the subways of a bygone New York City. No matter what bizarre scenes unfold on these trains nowadays, they're nowhere near as dirty, dimly lit, and graffiti-laden as they used to be a few decades ago.
Mariah Carey
For someone with the diva-like reputation that Mariah Carey has, a grubby subway station seems like the last place she'd want to be. However, it's not unusual for people to prove that their reputations have a way of oversimplifying who they really are.
Although it's true that Carey may look a little fancier than others when she buys a Metro Card through this order box and rides the subway, that doesn't mean she doesn't do those things. Really, who's going to tell her where she can and can't go?
Matthew Broderick
Whether it's just how their resting face looks or a sign of their genuine body language, some people can really look like they're going through a rough patch when they're on the subway. And while he certainly looks stylish here, Ferris Bueller's Day Off star Matthew Broderick also looks a bit sad.
Although the film and Broadway star didn't go unnoticed here, it seems that the photographer also recognized that he probably wanted to be left alone. Even if his thoughts aren't as heavy as they may seem, at least nobody's interrupting him as he works through them.
Andy Cohen
The talk show host and Bravo star made New York City his home base a long time ago and he's got the comfort to match. That's abundantly clear in this cheeky selfie that he took on the way to his then-new job hosting his own show on SiriusXM's radio platform.
In a way, this is kind of a reversal of what often tends to happen when celebrities ride the subway. They often appear guarded while surrounded by prying eyes, but Cohen seemed to be the one people watching that day.
Christy Turlington
She may be a glamorous fashion model, but Christy Turlington isn't so used to the trappings of high society that she'll turn up her nose at the humble subway. Indeed, there are so many busy people in New York City who were probably in her exact position that day.
That's not to say they all passed through that gate because the non-busy people probably did too. It's just that they're the most likely to know how it feels to try and gate through the gate while having their hands full with other stuff.