What is James Woods’ IQ and How Smart is The American Actor and Producer?

James Woods has an IQ of 184 and this figure is mostly based on his performance in SAT where he scored 1579 over 1600.

James Wood’s IQ ranks him among world’s geniuses such as Plato and Aristotle who had an IQ score of 180 and 190 respectively. Based on this it won’t be wrong to describe James Wood as a genius..

What is James Woods IQ?

James Woods has an IQ of 184 and such high intellect manifested when he was just a child. As a young boy growing up in Vernal, Utah, he excelled in his classes at the local Pilgrim High School and graduated in the top echelons of his class. He additionally did quite well on his SATs, achieving a perfect score of 800 on the verbal section and 779 on the math section. This made for a total score of 1579 and with such good grades, Woods was able to get into the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology for his bachelor’s degree.

The Actor-Cum-Producer Garnered Two Oscar Nominations and Several Accolades

James Woods
Woods in the 1979 film, Onion Field (image source)

While at MIT, James Woods intended to go into the medical field and pursue a career as an eye surgeon. His intellect meant that he was well equipped for the rigors this would entail but his life story took a drastic turn when he joined the student theater group. Woods found everything they were doing quite interesting and so acted and directed a number of plays. By the time he reached his sophomore year, he had made up his mind to dedicate his life to acting and promptly dropped out of school. This was in 1969 and Woods spent the next decade building up a reputation on the stage in New York, both on and off-Broadway.

He also garnered a string of appearances in front of the cameras but his breakthrough only came in 1979 when he portrayed a cop killer on the crime drama, Onion Field. His performance fetched him good reviews as well as a Golden Globe nomination for best actor. It also announced him to the top echelons of Hollywood and since then, he has never looked back.

To date, Woods has featured in 130 projects across TV, film, and theater. He has received several accolades, including two Oscar award nominations, two Primetime Emmy Awards, and one Golden Globe award. Some of his most notable projects include Promise, My Name is Bill W, Salvador, and Ghosts of Mississippi, etc.

What is IQ and How is it Measured?

Ever since IQ tests were invented, it has remained controversial with criticisms from several angles. It is something that is not going away anytime soon hence the need to understand it. IQ tests are simply a test of intelligence. It refers to a series of tools that are used to measure a person’s intellectual abilities and reflect a wide range of cognitive skills such as reasoning, logic, and problem-solving. IQ tests were first developed by French psychologist Alfred Binet to help identify children who needed extra help.

The U.S. government would later modify the same for use in recruiting personnel during WWI. There are now more than a dozen different tests in the world with each having several subtests. These subtests measure a different aspect of intelligence, such as math, language, reasoning, and memory, etc., and the results are combined into scores and adjusted by age. A score of 116 is above average while that of 130 signals a very high IQ. 70 or below indicates limited intellectual functioning.

James Woods
Woods with his 1987 Golden Globes Award Image Source

Is There Any Correlation Between a High IQ, Being Intelligent and Being Smart?

Having a high IQ means that you are able to manipulate, process, and interpret information at a deeper level and at a higher speed than the average person. To that extent, it is indicative of how intelligent you are in certain areas but it doesn’t show the full picture. According to experts, IQ doesn’t measure your practical intelligence (knowing how to make things work), your creativity (the tests don’t go into areas such as arts or music), or curiosity. It also does not account for your emotional intelligence and ability to deal with the different situations that life may throw at you or to others.

It, therefore, means that someone who has a high IQ is quite intelligent in those subject matters that they were tested on but may not necessarily be intelligent in other areas beyond. When it comes to being smart, it has been defined as a term that evokes the notion of quick reasoning and problem-solving. These two principles are also the cornerstone of IQ tests and we can therefore surmise that having a high IQ means that one is smart also.

James Woods’ IQ Compared to Albert Einstein

James Woods

Even though he is long gone, this German-born theoretical physicist remains one of the smartest individuals to have ever walked the face of the earth. He developed the groundbreaking theory of relativity. He also made important contributions to the development of the theory of quantum mechanics. Einstein never did take an IQ test while alive but some studies have put it at 160. It, therefore, means that Woods has a higher IQ than the great Einstein.

James Woods’ IQ Compared with Stephen Hawking

James Woods

Hailed as the most recognizable scientist of our age, the world-famous Stephen Hawking made unprecedented contributions to fundamental physics. He penned several bestselling books and even went ahead to become a media figure. Hawking would pass away in 2018 but not without leaving a legacy as one of the most brilliant human beings ever. He never took an IQ test and dismissed those who did so as losers who just wanted to show off. Nevertheless, he has an assigned IQ of 160 meaning that Woods’ IQ is also higher than his.

James Woods’ IQ Compared To Fellow Hollywood Stars

With an IQ score of 184, James Wood is widely recognized as the Hollywood celebrity with the highest IQ. He is not alone though as there are others whose IQs come pretty close.

Dolph Lundgren

Dolph Lundgren
Image Source

Lundgren is notably one of the Hollywood stars that have a high IQ. The Swedish actor got straight As as a high school student. He later underwent his bachelor’s degree before obtaining an MSc in chemical engineering. He was subsequently awarded the prestigious Fulbright Scholarship to MIT but later dropped out. Lundgren has an IQ of 160 which means that he ranks 20 points below Woods.

Nolan Gould

Nolan Gould
Image Source

There may be a five-decade age difference between Woods and Gould but what they do have in common is that they both have incredibly high IQs. In Gould’s case, this saw him accelerate about four classes while in school and he was able to finish his high school studies at the age of 13. It also saw him get accepted into the prestigious high IQ society, Mensa. The Modern Family star has an IQ score of 150 which puts him 30 points below woods.

Geena Davis

Geena Davis biography, net worth other facts
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The ladies are not left out and one Hollywood actress who is a card-carrying member of Mensa is Geena Davis. Davis is famous for movies such as Thelma & Louise and has an Academy Award as well as a Golden Globe award to her credit. She is also quite skilled at archery. Davis’ IQ is put at 140 meaning that Woods scores 40 points higher than her.

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