“Wait, they like Slayer?!”
Metalheads come in all shapes, sizes, and shockingly… careers. From wizarding world icons to Hollywood A-listers and even a royal or two (seriously), here are 12 famous faces who secretly (or not-so-secretly) bang their heads to blast beats and breakdowns.
🥇 1. Jason Momoa – King of Atlantis, Lord of the Pit
Metal Credentials: Massive Metallica, Slayer, and Pantera fan. Has jammed onstage with Primus.
Highlight: Named one of his kids after Kratos. He’s basically a riff in human form.
Vibe: If Conan the Barbarian joined Lamb of God.
🥈 2. Jack Black – High Priest of the D
Metal Credentials: Frontman of Tenacious D, worshipper of Dio, and full-blown shred disciple.
Highlight: “The Metal” is basically our national anthem.
Vibe: Chaos goblin with a Les Paul and a falsetto that could summon Odin.
🥉 3. Post Malone – From mumble rap to Metallica tap
Metal Credentials: Covered Metallica, rocked with Ozzy, and lives for Megadeth.
Highlight: Wore a Cannibal Corpse T-shirt on stage. Respect.
Vibe: If your tattooed cousin DJ’d your BBQ… and played Cowboys From Hell mid-set.
🎤 4. Kristen Stewart – Twilight? More like Deathklok at Midnight
Metal Credentials: Big Tool and Mastodon fan.
Highlight: Named Baroness and Gojira among her favourites.
Vibe: Brooding stoner metal queen with eyeliner sharper than her cheekbones.
👑 5. Prince Harry – The Royal Riffer
Metal Credentials: Confessed to loving Metallica, Iron Maiden, and Megadeth.
Highlight: Once said he used metal to drown out the press. Tidy move.
Vibe: If Bruce Dickinson crashed a polo match.
🎧 6. Keanu Reeves – Matrix? Try Morbid Angel
Metal Credentials: Bassist in his own alt-rock band, Dogstar, and longtime fan of metal.
Highlight: Loves Meshuggah. Let that sink in.
Vibe: Neo, but with a studded belt and a love for odd time signatures.
📚 7. Stephen King – Master of Horror… and Sabbath
Metal Credentials: Massive AC/DC and Metallica fan. Referenced Slayer in books.
Highlight: Uses metal to soundtrack his writing sessions. No wonder Pennywise’s a freak.
Vibe: What if your spooky uncle was into Sepultura?
🧙♂️ 8. Daniel Radcliffe – Harry Potter and the Chamber of SLAAAYEEEERRR
Metal Credentials: Total metal nerd. Loves Napalm Death, System of a Down, and Motorhead.
Highlight: Once said he’d love to be in a grindcore band. YES MUN.
Vibe: Wizard by day, pit warrior by night.
🎮 9. Finn Wolfhard – Stranger Strings
Metal Credentials: Grew up on Metallica and Sabbath. Plays in his own band.
Highlight: Absolute scene-stealer in Stranger Things 4’s Eddie Munson tribute.
Vibe: Teenage dirtbag with killer taste.
🪓 10. Margot Robbie – Harley Quinn, Slayer Stan
Metal Credentials: Grew up listening to heavy metal in Australia, cited Slipknot and heavy punk bands.
Highlight: Played air guitar to Korn on chat shows.
Vibe: Barbie, but she screams along to Wait and Bleed in the car.
🎤 11. Lady Gaga – Mother Monster Goes Metal
Metal Credentials: Loves Iron Maiden, went to their gigs, and calls Bruce Dickinson one of her heroes.
Highlight: Said the Maiden crowd made her feel more accepted than pop fans ever did.
Vibe: Madonna meets Motörhead.
🤯 12. Nicolas Cage – The Unhinged Doom Enthusiast
Metal Credentials: Total recluse metal fan. Said he finds metal “relaxing.”
Highlight: “Mandy” soundtrack slaps, and he’s admitted to zoning out to black metal.
Vibe: That guy in the corner of the pub drinking Guinness and whispering “Emperor’s early stuff was better.”
🏁 Honourable Mentions:
- Ryan Gosling – big Deftones and Gojira fan
- Anthony Hopkins – has composed classical music but digs heavy sounds 🤯
- Demi Lovato – formerly pop, now full-blown metal scream queen
- Andrew Garfield – digs Bring Me The Horizon
🎬 Closing Riff:
Whether it’s royalty, witchcraft and wizardry, or the Hollywood elite, metal has no borders, mun. These celebs might walk red carpets, but in their hearts, they’re stomping through circle pits.
🖤 Got more unexpected metalhead celebs? Drop ‘em in the comments or yell at us from a rooftop with a megaphone.
Michael is the founder, editor, and chief riff wrangler behind The Riff Report, an independent Welsh rock and metal publication built by fans, for fans. With a lifelong passion for loud guitars, unforgettable live shows, and the incredible community that surrounds rock and metal, he created The Riff Report to celebrate everything that makes the scene special—from legendary headline acts and grassroots venues to rising bands that deserve to be heard.
A familiar face at festivals across the UK, Michael spends much of the year covering events including Download Festival, Bloodstock Open Air, Steelhouse Festival, Firevolt, Plumpton Revival, and many more. Whether he’s battling the Welsh weather on a mountainside, surviving a weekend in a muddy campsite, or squeezed against the front barrier with thousands of fellow fans, he’s always searching for the next great story to share.
As editor of The Riff Report, Michael writes festival guides, breaking news, album reviews, gig reviews, interviews, opinion pieces, nostalgia features, and behind-the-scenes stories from across the rock and metal world. His writing combines honest opinions, humour, and a genuine love for live music, bringing readers closer to the bands, festivals, venues, and people that keep the scene alive.
Michael is particularly passionate about supporting independent artists, local venues, charities, and the wider UK rock and metal community. He believes every band deserves a chance to be discovered and every festival has a story worth telling. Through The Riff Report, he aims to shine a spotlight on both the biggest names in rock and the future stars waiting to break through.
When he’s not writing or interviewing artists, you’ll probably find him exploring festival campsites, photographing live shows, chatting with fellow fans over a pint, or planning the next road trip in search of more riffs, bigger crowds, and unforgettable moments.
Above all, Michael believes rock and metal are about more than music—they’re about community, friendship, and creating memories that last a lifetime. That’s exactly what The Riff Report exists to celebrate.
Proudly Welsh. Proudly Loud. Always chasing the next great riff. 🤘
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