For celebs, it's really difficult to maintain any kind of a private life. Especially when you're a popular musician or actor, all the gossip magazines and websites are trying to get the latest scoop or scandal to drive their traffic numbers and newsstand sales. That's why websites like TMZ are consistently so popular, because people love reading news about their favorite celebs. However, there are a few A-listers out there who are able to lead pretty normal lives even though the paparazzi are constantly hounding and stalking them. It's a tough balance to pull off but these celebs below are excellent at keeping their lives very low-key. Check them out below ...

David Bowie

David Bowie is one of the most influential musicians of all time. Rolling Stone ranked him at number 39 of the Greatest Artists of All Time, and throughout his entire career, he has sold over 140 million albums. The majority of his music was released during the 70’s and 80’s, and in the last two decades he has become an extremely scarce commodity.  He is married to the iconic model Iman, and she makes way more public appearances and television interviews than her reclusive husband. Perhaps all the excessive partying and experimentation he did in the 70’s was enough for a lifetime. Now he’s just chilling out.

 Matt Damon

Hollywood leading man Matt Damon is another actor who really loves to keep his private life very low-key. It’s a tough balance to pull off, since most of his friends (Ben Affleck, George Clooney etc) are also huge names in Hollywood. In past interviews, Damon has stated that he’s lucky to have a married a wife who is not a famous actor or celeb. Together they have three daughters, and he constantly credits his beautiful spouse as the one who keeps him grounded, stable and out of the glaring Los Angeles spotlight.

Cate Blanchett

In the top tier of actresses today, one of the elite names is certainly the Australian beauty Cate Blanchett. She has starred in so many great movies Lord of the Rings, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Blue Jasmine and Notes On A Scandal. She’s also very active in the world of theater. Actually that’s the reason why we don’t see her all over the place in Hollywood. Her husband is Australian playwright Andrew Upton and together they oversee the Sydney Theater Company. She has also has three sons, so she definitely has a very busy life.

Sandra Bullock

Even though she is one of the highest paid actresses in Hollywood, Sandra Bullock is not your typical Hollywood star. She owns a house in Austin, Texas in which she loves to spend time along with her adopted son Louis. She also owns another home in New Orleans as well that keeps her far away from the Hollywood spotlight. And also, after the scary intruder incident she had this year with her Beverly Hills home, it’s likely that Ms. Bullock will shy away from unwanted publicity even more.

Prince

Prince is a music genius – there is no other way to describe it. Over his long and extremely prolific career, he has won 7 Grammy awards, produced ten platinum albums and written, produced and performed hundreds of exceptional songs. But he’s also extremely reclusive – choosing to spend most of his time either on the road or in his Minneapolis estate. He might do the high-profile SNL or Super Bowl performance every now and then, but apart from that, he loves to create new music and keep to himself.

Penelope Cruz

Spanish actress Penelope Cruz is one of the most stunning actresses alive. One would think that with gorgeous looks like hers, she would constantly be clamoring to be on every red carpet to get her picture taken. But it seems she prefers a quieter life. She also has two young kids with her actor beau Javier Bardem, so we’re guessing the little kiddies are keeping her plenty busy as well. However, it’s been rumored that she’ll have a major role in the upcoming sequel to the hilarious comedy Zoolander - we’re definitely looking forward to that.

Josh Hartnett

Josh Hartnett broke out on the scene in the early 2000’s with movies like Black Hawk Down and Pearl Harbor. Everyone tipped him to be the new lead male actor on the scene, but he never really seemed to grow into that space. Instead he kept a very low profile for several years. He even took on odd projects like directing a video for alternative rapper Kid Cudi. It looks like he was intentionally trying to stay under the radar and it worked. He’s finally surfaced again with his new show on Showtime called Penny Dreadful – but something tells us that he’s still going to shy away from the limelight.

Jennifer Connelly

The 43-yr-old Connelly has a natural and classic beauty that shines through all her movies. Her most talked about role was in the 2000 movie, Requiem For A Dream, and she followed that up with other remarkable performances in House of Sand And Fog & A Beautiful Mind. Even though she still scores really good roles, she is one actress who respects her privacy and spends the majority of her time with her husband Paul Bettany and their three kids. She obviously knows what’s important to her and being on every red carpet and being snapped by paparazzi are not on the top of her list.

 Daniel Day-Lewis

Often hailed as one of the best actors on the planet, Daniel Day-Lewis is also known for being extremely low-key. He owns a country estate in the remote area of County Wicklow in Ireland, and he also has a holiday home in Connecticut with his wife Rebecca Miller – she’s the daughter of the great American playwright Arthur Miller. Whenever he chooses to emerge from his self-imposed seclusion, he always delivers brilliant movies and extraordinary acting performances like There Will Be Blood and Lincoln. He is truly a rare acting genius.

 Denzel Washington

The 59-yr-old Denzel Washington is one of the most recognizable faces in Hollywood. He has been starring in movies since the late 70’s and his won three Oscar awards for his roles in the movies: Glory, Philadelphia and Training Day. He gets around $20 million per movie, but when it comes down to it, the most important things in his life are his wife and four kids. It seems he has his priorities in place, because you hardly hear any scandalous news related to his career. Sometimes the less you’re seen, the more people want to see and hear from you. Perhaps that’s why his movies do so well.

 Jeffrey Wright

He’s perhaps one of the most underrated acting talents in Hollywood, but those in the know all concede that he’s a truly special actor. From brilliant performances in indie movies like Basquiat to standout showings in mainstream movies like James Bond (Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace) and The Hunger Games, he keeps on elevating his craft. It’s also quite impressive that with all his amazing talent, he’s still able to keep a low-key and private life. He does a good job of not getting caught up in the bright lights and fast life of Hollywood.

 Michelle Williams

Actress Michelle Williams has acted in some really great roles over the years. She was excellent in Brokeback Mountain and she was also extremely believable in the heart-wrenching Blue Valentine. But even with her great acting talent, she still manages to keep herself out of the gossip news and tabloids. Perhaps it’s because of all the unwanted attention she got after the drug-related death in 2008 of her daughter’s father, Heath Ledger. She was involved in a 3-year relationship with the deceased Aussie actor, and they had a daughter together in 2005. Nowadays, her life revolves around her career and daughter and it’s a balance that really works for her.