Fast Company: 4 Actors Who Shine at the Poker Table

Hollywood has always been interested in poker and the charming blend of skill, strategy, and luck it requires. For instance, movies like Casino Royale, which featured Daniel Craig as the British Secret Service agent James Bond, used the card game as a narrative device that created drama and tension—while also showcasing the character’s mental prowess and calculated risk-taking.

Meanwhile, the 2017 film Molly’s Game is a look at the thrilling world of underground poker. The crime drama, which has been added to streaming platforms like Netflix, is based on the real-life story of Molly Bloom, a former Olympic skier who ran exclusive high-stakes poker games with Hollywood stars, high-profile athletes, business tycoons, and other members of the elite.

But Hollywood’s fascination with poker doesn’t end there. Beyond the screen and behind the scenes, actors join poker tables for various reasons, be it to build wealth, have fun with their peers, or even raise money for charity. Below, we look at a few actors who prove that their acting skills can be useful in poker’s art of bluffing.

Matt Damon

Matt Damon has established himself as a talented actor who takes on daring and interesting roles, such as in Ford v Ferrari, where he played the former racing driver turned automotive designer Carroll Shelby. However, it was through his performance in the 1998 movie Rounders that he gained popularity in the poker community.

Damon shared that his role as Mike McDermott, a law student and gifted poker player, inspired him to learn the game and start joining tournaments, including the ’98 World Series of Poker. Since then, he’s been regularly playing poker with celebrity friends like Ben Affleck, with whom he organized the All in For America’s Charity poker tournament in 2020.

Jason Bateman

Renowned for his lead role as Michael Bluth in the sitcom Arrested Development, Jason Bateman is also known for playing poker for a cause. In the celebrity game show Celebrity Poker Showdown, where celebrities participate in a no-limit Texas hold ’em tournament for charity, Bateman played in the third tournament with fellow members of the Arrested Development cast, such as David Cross and Will Arnett.

He was also one of the celebrities who joined the aforementioned All in For America’s Charity organized by Damon and Affleck. Run by the online poker platform ACR Poker, which has hosted charity poker tournaments for other organizations like the American Cancer Society, the event raised $1.75 million for Feeding America, a non-profit organization for hunger relief. It had a $10,000 buy-in and was won by Ebony Kenney, a member of ACR Poker’s team of pros.

Tobey Maguire

In addition to his role as Spider-Man in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy, Tobey Maguire is popular for being an avid poker player. He’s considered a semi-pro in the poker world, reportedly earning $218,898 in tournament winnings from high-stakes events like the $2,080 Phil Hellmuth Invitational and the $10,000 WSOP Main Event.

Together with casino executive and producer Houston Curtis, Maguire was also reported to host exclusive high-stakes poker games with other Hollywood A-listers, typically at Los Angeles locales like the Viper Room nightclub. Sources say that the 49-year-old actor’s poker skills have helped him drive a hard bargain and negotiate his reprise in the Spider-Man franchise, where his cameo appearance contributed to making the 2021 movie Spider-Man: No Way Home a blockbuster.

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Jennifer Tilly

Besides gaining a cult following for iconic roles like Tiffany in the Chucky franchise, Jennifer Tilly has also made a name for herself in the poker world. In an interview with Vogue, Tilly shared that her interest in poker was sparked by her father, who introduced her to the computer game World Series of Poker.

Tilly went on to join poker tournaments, one of which was where she met her boyfriend and fellow pro player Phil Lack. In 2005, Tilly won her first World Series of Poker bracelet, which was followed by her win at the third World Poker Tour Ladies Invitational Tournament. In addition to appearing in the shows Celebrity Poker Showdown and Poker After Dark, the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star was inducted into the Women in Poker Hall of Fame in 2022.