I honestly don’t think being a super duper famous celebrity is as great as it’s cracked up to be. Sure, you get showered in lots of money and attention from complete strangers, but say goodbye to your privacy and any hopes of keeping your bad hair day out of the tabloids. The good news is, a lot of celebs have wisened up to the sneaky ways of the paparazzi and come up with some pretty clever ways to prank with them. Here are some of the best:
Benedict Cumberbatch
In 2013, actor Benedict Cumberatch made a pretty bold statement to paparazzi who camped outside the Sherlock set in Wales. The celeb wore a dark hoodie and covered his face with a handwritten note that read: “Go photograph Egypt and show the world something important.” You tell ‘em, Bene!
Emma Stone & Andrew Garfield
On multiple occasions, this celeb power couple has taken their encounters with the paparazzi as an opportunity to spread an important message. In 2014, while they were photographed walking down the street, Stone held up a piece of paper which read: “Good morning! We were eating and saw a group of guys with cameras outside. And so we thought, let’s try this again. We don’t need the attention, but these wonderful organisations do.” By her side, was Garfield, also holding a note which referenced the websites for Youth Mentoring, Autism Speaks and Worldwide Orphans. Bless these two.
Heath Ledger & Michelle Williams
Actress Michelle Williams and the late great Heath Ledger went for a far more straightforward prank when they were papped poolside. Williams flipped the bird and Ledger followed suit, hammering home the message with a little sign that simply read: “F*CK OFF!”
Speaking of celeb spotting, listen to how Michael Buble found love with a humble Brissy Hungry Jack’s on It’s Been A Big Day For… below:
Daniel Radcliffe
Like his character Harry Potter, Daniel Radcliffe has a way of casting a spell on the paps with this clever trick. In 2007, Radcliffe told Jay Leno he’d prank the paparazzi who camped outside the stage door of his play Equs by wearing the same outfit every night. “I would wear the same jacket and zip it up so they couldn’t see what I was wearing underneath, and the same hat,” he said. “They became un-publishable, which was hilarious because there’s nothing better than seeing the paparazzi get really frustrated.”
Dustin Hoffman
Dustin Hoffman played a little game of hide and seek when he crossed paths with the paparazzi in 2015, but it’s not the first time he’s pranked the hell out of snappers trying to nab his pic.
Shoutout to all these celebrities for their expert pranks and giving the paps a taste of their own medicine.
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