Well I wouldn't have described him that way but his lifestyle fits in pretty much exactly the method I was describing above. (The only difference is instead of enjoying each activity for its own sake, he tries to profit off them somehow, e.g. trying to set a world record in salsa dancing.)
I don't know how applicable this is, but I always had an admiration for Paul Newman's diversity of interests and skills. World-class actor, started a food company based on the success of his homemade salad dressing, accomplished racing career. None of those things are related to each other, which particularly impresses me.
Sorry to resurrect a dying thread, and hope this isn't too off topic: I like James Franco well enough. He's made me laugh, he works hard studying for or working creatively on a lot of topics that relate to my interests and he takes on a hell of a workload to do it. I think that's commendable. That being said, this last bit of news made me shudder. http://insidemovies.ew.com/2011/01/03/james-franco-william-faulkner-acormac-mccarthy/ I really, really hope this is not true. Blood Meridian is right at the top of my list of favorite books (rivaled only by my username)...and As I Lay Dying is not far behind. There is only going to be one opportunity to get this film right and show what a masterpiece it really is. Two big-name successful directors and a few actors have been attached and subsequently abandoned it, claiming that it was "unfilmable." And now it appears the job is going to Franco. I don't know about this. He better not fuck it up.
A man who I wanted to mention but forgot to: Rory Stewart Perhaps not a full renaissance man, but that's an impressive resume for a guy less than 40.