9 Celebrities You Wouldn’t Guess Were INFJ

Some of our favorite celebrities seem to be loving every second in the spotlight, but what we see can be misleading. There are some big names in the music, movie and publishing industries that are “loud and proud” on the outside, but peeking into their personal lives reveals a different story. Read on for nine celebrities who might surprise you with their INFJ traits! 

1. Cillian Murphy

Cillian Murphy is not your typical Hollywood actor. Fans love him for his intense and enigmatic performances and his ability to get under the skin of any character he plays. Christopher Nolan, his director on the Oppenheimer movie which won Murphy an Oscar, told Rolling Stone: “Cillian is one of the few talents able to explore those different layers, and to project that level of complexity in a way that allows you to understand the character.” This is his Introverted Intuition (Ni) at work, the dominant cognitive function of the INFJ. 

While Murphy hasn’t outright said he’s an INFJ, or an introvert for that matter, he’s hinted at it. On Ireland’s Late, Late Show, Murphy explained his hack for avoiding conversation: “The more boring you are in real life, the less people are interested in you, so I tell people I have an extraordinarily boring life, but it’s actually incredibly exciting.” 

Murphy is sometimes considered an INTJ, another Ni dominant type, and there is support for that typing. But there is something self-actualization-seeking about him, in a way that many INFJs identify with—the need to be true to himself rather than the need to improve himself that is more typical of an INTJ: “I suppose I’ve always been attracted to this sort of outsider in general... to the person that is able to be relentlessly themselves.” 

2. Lady Gaga

The Bad Romance singer leads from the heart. Images of her giving fellow singer Selena Gomez a hug at the 2016 American Music Awards did the rounds after Gomez gave a powerful speech about putting her health before her career. Gaga has also been highly vocal about supporting fellow singer Kesha during her struggles with a record producer, even putting pressure on Sony to stop working with him. It’s common for INFJs to speak out about what’s right and advocate for change. 

Gaga also connects empathetically with her fans, her “little monsters.” She reaches out to them on a deeper level than the usual social media shout-outs, such as by championing their creative work.  She told Vogue, “I feel like my fans always have kind of had a secret handshake with me of, like, you know, ‘We’ve got you … we know who you are … you don’t have to apologize for who you are.’ I still feel that way.” INFJs are supportive and compassionate, and Gaga embodies these qualities through her music and personal interactions. 

3. Margaret Atwood

Margaret Atwood, bestselling author and Booker Prize winner, is known for her exceptional storytelling and ambition. Growing up in the woods without resources like electricity and running water, Atwood says hardship has fueled her, which we put down to her INFJ resilience and determination. 

Forward-looking INFJs are often viewed as visionaries. Atwood ’s novel The Handmaid’s Tale, set in an oppressive religious dystopia, started conversations about important issues like women’s rights and autonomy long before the Me Too movement. She has long-been involved with environmental issues, too, using her platform to raise awareness and advocate for action. 

INFJs tend to jump into niche interests; it's part of their quirk. Atwood’s obsession with horror comics is an example of this.  On the subject of devouring Edgar Allen Poe stories, she told CBC, “Other people are addicted to coffee, cigarettes, booze, dope—I'm addicted to words.”

4. Adam Sandler 

When you watch Adam Sandler’s movies like Happy Gilmore or The Wedding Singer, it’s easy to assume that he’s as fun-loving and silly as the characters he plays—but the actor is actually quite introverted: "I'm not comfortable being around too many people. I don't like being out in public too much. I don't like going to bars. I don't like doing celebrity stuff. So most of the characters I play are people who don't always feel comfortable beyond their small circle of friends." 

INFJs at work are extremely dedicated to their craft, and people around Sandler have seen how diligent he is. David Dorfman, a screenwriter who’s worked with Sandler, told The Ledger, “I was in his office 12 hours a day, and he was either working with me, or working on editing something else, or working on one of his other projects.” Other types may struggle with the organization needed to juggle so many tasks, but INFJs have a knack for it.

Work aside, Sandler is highly empathetic. He sends flowers to fellow actress and friend Jennifer Aniston every Mother’s Day, which is especially significant since Aniston has spoken about her failed attempts to conceive. Sandler’s also kind to his fans, which can be seen on a TikTok video (via Sky News) in which he stops to chat to strangers on the street, just to say hi.

5. Marilyn Manson 

Outwardly, industrial metal singer Marilyn Manson seems about as far from an INFJ personality as it is possible to get, but you just have to listen to his music to hear that he’s not afraid to confront the world. Manson’s deep symbolism and themes of identity, society and religion reflect his INFJ search for meaning and truth. "There is a trick to get out of your skin / you're only as sick as the secrets within / But the beast is calling for us and slowly assuming control," he sings in As Sick as the Secrets Within, which is thought to be about one’s identity being trapped in their reputation. 

Manson is a prime example of how INFJs nurture a rich inner world. “I created a fake world, maybe because I didn’t like the one I was living in,” he told the Guardian. This duality of self is something that INFJs often experience, feeling like they have two distinct personas—a public one and a private one—which makes it challenging for them to connect with others. Manson has expressed this by saying, “Johnny [Depp’s] one of the only people I can talk to. I can’t explain it other than we don’t ever have to say anything, but we can’t say it to anyone else, either.” 

6. Benedict Cumberbatch 

British award-winning actor Benedict Cumberbatch sometimes seems like a lighthearted and outgoing person, like when he photobombed U2 frontman Bono at the 2014 Oscars. But there's plenty of evidence of his sensitive side, which shows up in some typical INFJ ways. On playing Alan Turing in the Imitation Game, Cumberbatch says, "I couldn’t stop crying, just thinking, my God, he went through this. And to get near that understanding – because I’d played him for a while by then… God, it was just really upsetting. And I couldn’t quite get myself back, which isn’t good for acting.”

With a tendency to lapse into perfectionism, INFJs can be hard on themselves. Cumberbatch deals with this often. He’s spoken out about how he’s his own worst critic,  saying "Trust me, the internet's full of hate but it's nothing compared to the self-critic in your head for brutality. I've said it all before they have."

7. Agatha Christie 

Outsold only by the Bible and Shakespeare, Agatha Christie published 66 detective novels in her lifetime but remained super-private. She famously avoided social gatherings like the plague out of fear of being seen as an “imbecile with shyness.” And although she studied to become a classical musician, she left that career path behind because she was too scared to perform. Struggles with self-criticism and fear of judgment are common for INFJs.

How do INFJs plot a murder? Well, you only have to read Christie’s novels to find out. Her stories are greatly inspired by her deep insights into people. She loved to observe people and societal norms, which enabled her to produce character and plots of depth and complexity that still intrigue millions of readers today. As she wrote in The Man in the Mist, “Very few of us are what we seem."

8. Simone de Beauvoir

French philosopher and writer Simone de Beauvoir was a true visionary. Her seminal work The Second Sex foresaw great changes in society and displayed her deep analytical thinking skills in exploring the depths of existence, gender and freedom. She is credited with being responsible for the second wave of feminism. 

INFJs have a strong independent streak, and de Beauvoir displayed this by rebelling against social norms. She chose a non-traditional lifestyle, such as by never getting married, having children or sharing a house with her partner, fellow philosopher Jean Satre, with whom she had an open relationship. This lady was ahead of her time in every way.

9. Kendrick Lamar 

Rapper and musician Kendrick Lamar produces music that deals with social issues like inequality, racism and politics: Average Joe, for example, highlights the ever-present risk of police brutality and gang violence for those growing up in Lamar's home town of Compton, California. These are not unusual themes for rappers. What is unusual, is sending out empowering body confidence messages in tracks like Humble. “I’m so f–king sick and tired of the Photoshop / Show me something natural like afro on Richard Pryor / Show me something natural like a–s with some stretch marks" he raps. A strong need for social justice and authenticity?  That's an INFJ move. 

Lamar also displays an introspective and complex perspective in his music. When asked by Harper’s Bazaar what he wants most of all, he said, “Information. I want it all. I want the resources. I wanna meet people smarter than me. I wanna talk to them. I want them to show me things.” As an INFJ, Lamar has an insatiable curiosity about the world and the people in it, and he uses his platform to share these insights with the world.