Sometimes I’ll be reading an interview and buried deep in there is a throwaway fact that’s far more surprising than the rest of it combined. Here are ten such factoids, for your bewilderment.

– Scotty from Star Trek (James Doohan) was shot 6 times during the D-Day landings and had one of his fingers amputated.

– Tim Allen went to prison for cocaine trafficking. Matthew Broderick killed someone. Stephen Fry has been in prison for credit card fraud.

– World-renowned cinematographer Roger Deakins always cuts his own hair. [source]

– Michael Jackson tried to buy Marvel in the early 90’s with Stan Lee. Stan Lee strongly suspects Michael planned to play Spider-Man in his own produced movie.

– In 1984, Breakin’ and Purple Rain were bigger hits at the cinema than The Terminator.

– Tragically, Kelsey Grammer’s father was murdered; his little sister was kidnapped, raped, and murdered by Freddie Glen; both his twin half-brothers died in a scuba diving accident; and his best friend was killed in 9/11. [source]

– Terrence Howard was paid more than Robert Downey Jr for Iron Man. Sean William Scott only got $8000 to be Stifler in American Pie.

– John Carpenter had only 1 day to score the entire Assault on Precinct 13. [source]

– In 2005, Kate Winslet joked that acting in a Holocaust movie guarantees an Oscar. Four years later, she won her first and only Oscar for her role in The Reader.

– Jackie Chan is a popstar in Asia. He’s released 20 albums and often sings the theme songs of his movies. [source]