Celebrities with Surprising Degrees
Celebrities can achieve their fame and notoriety in any number of ways, from acting to music to politics. But in many cases, it's assumed — often correctly — that their quest for fame didn't include much education.
Still, this doesn't mean that all celebrities are uneducated. A surprising number of celebs have sought out higher learning, ranging from interesting undergrad degrees all the way to PhD dissertations. Let's have a look at some learned celebrities.
Michael Crichton: Anthropology
The late Michael Crichton was one of the most successful authors of the 1980s and '90s, with his books selling well over 200 million copies around the globe and many of them being adapted into movies.
Before Crichton was a bestselling novelist, he was a student at Harvard. He completed an undergrad degree, in which he switched his concentration from literature to biological anthropology. He later enrolled at Harvard Medical School but dropped out shortly after.
Steve Young: Law
Steve Young's success on the football field took him from quarterbacking the BYU Cougars college football team to NFL superstardom with the San Francisco 49ers.
In the midst of his playing career, Young returned to BYU to complete a Juris Doctor (J.D.) law degree from the university's J. Reuben Clark Law School. He did this in 1994, the same year in which he led the 49ers to a Super Bowl victory.
Mayim Bialik: Neuroscience
Bialik has been in the public eye since childhood, playing the lead on the NBC sitcom Blossom from 1991 to 1995 and then playing a supporting role on the hit sitcom The Big Bang Theory for nearly a decade.
In the early 2000s, she took a break from acting to pursue a doctorate in neuroscience. In 2007, while Big Bang was in the middle of its run, Bialik earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree in neuroscience from UCLA.
Ken Jeong: Medicine
Moviegoers first became acquainted with comedian Ken Jeong and his manic, off-kilter persona in The Hangover back in 2009. Jeong was about 40 years old at the time of his breakout, which is quite old by Hollywood standards.
The reason Jeong didn't reach prominence earlier in life is because he was too busy working as a licensed physician. He completed his medical residency in 1998, then did double duty as a physician and comedian for a few more years before getting his big break.
Greg Graffin: Zoology
Greg Graffin might not be a household name to some, but for fans of punk rock, the Bad Religion frontman is a legend. Graffin co-founded the band more than 40 years ago, and it's still going strong.
Off the stage, Graffin is academically accomplished: He holds a master's in Geology from UCLA as well as a PhD in Zoology from Cornell. He's since spent time teaching classes at both institutions.
Natalie Portman: Psychology
1999 was a busy year for Natalie Portman. The then-18-year-old had a starring role in Star Wars: Episode 1 — The Phantom Menace, one of the most hyped movies of all time, and she was also set to attend Harvard in the fall.
While Portman went on to become a familiar face in Hollywood, she didn't let her educational aspirations fall by the wayside. She graduated from Harvard with a bachelor's degree in psychology and has also served as a guest lecturer.
Dexter Holland: Molecular Biology
Most folks know Dexter Holland as the blond-haired frontman of the Offspring, singing songs that include lots of yeah-yeah-yeahs and woah-ohs. Holland isn't just a musician, though, as he's also a virologist.
Holland attended the University of Southern California to study biology, later earning a master's in molecular biology. He took a break from his studies as the Offspring found mainstream success but came back to USC to finish what he started. He earned a PhD in molecular biology in 2017.
David Duchovny: Literature
David Duchovny is a veteran actor in Hollywood, and whether he's playing an FBI agent who wants to believe or a struggling novelist, he's still mostly in character as David Duchovny.
Duchovny knows a thing or two about storytelling, though, as he's a published author of five novels. He earned his literary bonafides from his education. He holds a B.A. in English literature from Princeton, along with an M.A. in the same subject from Yale.
Dolph Lundgren: Chemical Engineering
Swedish-born Dolph Lundgren has worn many hats in his adult life. He first reached prominence as a black belt karate master, then became a different kind of master after earning a master's degree in chemical engineering.
While his chemical engineering background is impressive enough, most people know Lundgren from his iconic roles in various films over the past few decades. He's probably best remembered for playing the villainous Ivan Drago in Rocky IV.
Brian May: Astrophysics
Sir Brian May co-founded Queen with Freddie Mercury in 1970, and the band went on to become one of the most successful and well-known acts of the 20th century.
While his music career took precedence for decades, May always had higher education on his mind. In 2007, at the age of 60, he earned a PhD in astrophysics from Imperial College London. He's since worked with NASA and has an asteroid named after him.
Christopher Nowinski: Behavioral Neuroscience
Christopher Nowinski was a skilled athlete and gifted scholar coming out of high school, and he earned a scholarship to play football at Harvard. He graduated cum laude and went on to pursue an unorthodox career: Performing as a WWE wrestler under the ring name of Chris Harvard.
Nowinski chose to walk away from wrestling after suffering concussions, which informed his next move: Pursuing a PhD in behavioral neuroscience. He graduated from Boston University in 2017.t
Ashley Judd: Public policy
Ashley Judd grew up in a family of performers, as both her mom and sister were country music artists. Ashley went in a slightly different direction, pursuing acting instead of music.
In 2007, she completed a bachelor's degree at the University of Kentucky. Two years later, she took things to the next level and earned a master's in public policy from Harvard Kennedy School. In 2016, she began studying for a PhD at the Goldman School of Public Policy.
Art Garfunkel: Mathematics
One half of the iconic '60s folk duo Simon & Garfunkel, Art Garfunkel, also had a successful solo career — even if it was often eclipsed by the success of his former bandmate Paul Simon, with whom he often feuded.
Garfunkel has always had a laid-back, bookish persona, so it makes sense that he was academically minded. He first majored in architecture at Columbia University, then switched to art history. He later earned an M.A. in mathematics from Teachers College, Columbia University.
Shaquille O'Neal: Education
The Big Aristotle might be a self-conferred nickname, but Shaq is a legitimately educated man. While he focused mostly on basketball during his undergrad days at LSU, he later went back to school after his Hall of Fame basketball career came to an end in 2011.
Shaq's focus has been on teaching and education, and he earned an educational doctorate from Barry University in 2012. His capstone topic was "The Duality of Humor and Aggression in Leadership Styles."
Sigourney Weaver: Fine Arts
Sigourney Weaver's career in film, television and stage is well documented, and she's a sci-fi icon for her iconic role as Ellen Ripley in 1979's Alien.
Long before her entertainment career took off, Weaver was an undergrad English major, starting at Sarah Lawrence College and transferring to Stanford University. It was at Stanford that she was bitten by the acting bug. After earning her bachelor's degree at Stanford, she enrolled at Yale, earning a Master of Fine Arts in 1974.
Christy Turlington: Religion, Philosophy
Christy Turlington was one of the most well-known and highest-earning supermodels of the late '80s and early '90s and has remained a fashion icon ever since.
In the midst of her modeling heyday, Turlington enrolled at New York University in 1994. Five years later, she graduated cum laude from the Gallatin School of Individualized Study with a degree in comparative religion and Eastern philosophy. She then began studying for a master's in public health at Columbia University.
Rowan Atkinson: Electrical Engineering
It's hard to imagine Mr. Bean as a highly educated person, but the man who played him, Rowan Atkinson, is a revered figure in English entertainment. Atkinson was a top student growing up and carried this momentum to Newcastle University, where he earned a BSc in Electrical and Electronic Engineering.
Atkinson later went on to attend The Queen's College, Oxford, where he earned an MSc degree in Electrical Engineering. He began studying for his PhD before dropping out to pursue acting.
Sophie Ward: Literature
Sophie Ward is less known to North American audiences, but the actress has appeared in dozens of films and TV shows in her native England.
Ward isn't just an actress — she's also a published author. Her literary gene also extends to her education, as she earned a PhD in English and Comparative Literature from Goldsmiths, University of London, in 2019. These days, she focuses on writing more than acting.
Angela Bassett: Fine Arts
Actress Angela Bassett has been a mainstay in Hollywood since the 1980s, appearing in mostly supporting roles across a variety of successful movies and television shows.
Before her star turn, Bassett was a member of the National Honor Society in high school. She later attended Yale University, where she earned a bachelor's degree in African American Studies in 1980. Three years later, she earned a Master of Fine Arts degree from the same institution. It was at Yale that she met her future husband, Courtney B. Vance.
Leonard Nimoy: Education
The late Leonard Nimoy was a pop culture figure for decades, owing almost entirely to his landmark portrayal of Spock in the Star Trek franchise. Before Star Trek, Nimoy was a staff sergeant in the U.S. Army.
After his success as Spock in the original Star Trek run, Nimoy went to school. He earned an MA in education from Antioch College in 1977 and was later awarded an honorary doctorate from the same institution.
Peter Weller: Art History
Peter Weller has appeared in dozens of films and TV series, but he's best known for playing the title role in the blockbuster Robocop franchise of the late '80s.
In the early 2000s, Weller stepped away from acting somewhat to pursue higher education. He earned a Master of Arts degree in Roman and Renaissance Art from Syracuse University in 2004, later adding a PhD in Italian Renaissance Art History from UCLA in 2014.
Lupita Nyong'o: Acting
Nyong'o made the unlikely jump from Hollywood production assistant to Hollywood star, going on to win an Academy Award and a Daytime Emmy Award. Before her acting career took off, she earned a bachelor's degree in film and theatre studies from Hampshire College in Massachusetts.
Later, she enrolled at Yale to pursue a master's degree in acting from the Yale School of Drama. Soon after graduating with her master's, she appeared in 12 Years a Slave, marking her rise to mainstream prominence.
Britt Baker: Dentistry
It's not often that someone's resume can boast both pro wrestling and dentistry, but Britt Baker is not your average wrestler (or dentist). While she's best known for her work with the AEW wrestling promotion, she also has a private dentistry practice in Winter Park, Florida.
While Baker is undoubtedly a skilled wrestler, she's noted that dentistry is her "forever dream job." She foresees her wrestling career coming to an end someday, at which point she'll focus on dentistry full-time.
Paul Giamatti: Fine Arts
Some actors are raw talents who are discovered by casting directors, and others are thespians who attend Ivy League schools to study the craft. Paul Giamatti is an example of the latter category.
Giamatti earned a bachelor's degree in English at Yale in 1989, and followed up with a master of fine arts degree from Yale's School of Drama. It was during his years at Yale that he found his first small roles in Hollywood.
Graham Chapman: Medicine
Graham Chapman was one of the six members of the legendary British comedy troupe Monty Python. He was a skilled humorist, but also had a knack for science. In 1959, he attended Emmanuel College, Cambridge to study medicine.
Chapman's comedy career took off almost immediately after he graduated, and as a result, he never practiced medicine professionally. Sadly, he passed away at the age of 48 from cancer in 1989.
Moses Ingram: Fine Arts
Moses Ingram saw her breakout role in Netflix's miniseries The Queen's Gambit, in which she played the supporting role of Jolene and was nominated for an Emmy.
Ingram was interested in drama from an early age, and her strong performance as a young actress earned her a scholarship to the Yale School of Drama. She graduated from Yale with a Master of Fine Arts in 2019, the year before The Queen's Gambit was released.
George Miller: Medicine
Australian filmmaker George Miller will forever be synonymous with the Mad Max franchise, which he created in the 1970s. Miller was a relatively late bloomer in the film industry, not finding his Mad Max success until he was well into his 30s.
Prior to this, Miller studied medicine at the University of New South Wales and worked as a licensed physician for a few years. In his final year of studies, he and his twin brother John made their first short film.
Jim Parsons: Fine Arts
The man who played Sheldon Cooper on The Big Bang Theory isn't quite the egghead that Sheldon is, but he's still quite highly educated. He earned a BA in Theatre from the University of Houston, where he performed in 17 plays over a three-year period.
Parsons says he enjoyed school, which explains why he pursued another degree following his undergrad. He attended the University of San Diego, where he took part in a special joint program with the Old Globe Theatre in London. He graduated with a fine arts degree in 2001.
Hill Harper: Law
Hill Harper is a veteran TV actor who's likely best known for his role as Dr. Sheldon Hawkes on CSI: NY. He also played Dr. Marcus Andrews in The Good Doctor.
While both characters are fictitious, both are also doctors — and there's a theme here, as Harper has degrees from Brown University and Harvard Law School, where he earned a J.D. degree, graduating cum laude, in 1992.
Meryl Streep: Fine Arts
Meryl Streep may be the most accomplished active actor in Hollywood today, earning innumerable accolades throughout her illustrious career. Unsurprisingly, she's also racked up a slew of honorary degrees for her work.
Streep has some legitimate academic achievements as well. She graduated cum laude with a BA in drama from Vassar College before enrolling at the Yale School of Drama, where she graduated with an MFA in 1975.
Benedict Cumberbatch: Classical Acting
Cumberbatch, like many English actors, studied the craft in university before making it big. He actually delayed his university enrolment to take a gap year and volunteer as an English teacher at a Tibetan monestary.
When Cumberbatch resumed his studies, he attended Victoria University of Manchester for drama, and then the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA), where he graduated with an MA in classical actor. He's now the president of LAMDA.
William Sanderson: Law
A veteran character actor who's best remembered for his roles in Blade Runner, Newhart, and the HBO series Deadwood, William Sanderson has appeared in dozens of movies and TV shows dating back to the mid '70s.
Before his acting career, Sanderson was a soldier in the U.S. Army. He parlayed this into a college education using the G.I. Bill, attending Southern Methodist University and then Memphis State University. He earned a Juris Doctor degree, but did not take the bar exam.
"Weird Al" Yankovic: Architecture
The world's foremost artist specializing in musical parody, and likely the world's most famous accordionist, is undoubtedly Alfred Matthew "Weird Al" Yankovic.
Yankovic understandably never expected to make a living as a parody artist, so his initial plan was to get an education. He was valedictorian of his graduating class in high school, and went on to attend Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo to study architecture. While he graduated with an architecture degree, he never put it to use.
Lionel Richie: Economics
Lionel Richie has found success time and time again in the music industry, first with the Commodores, then as a solo artist and hitmaker for other artists. But before the Grammys and other musical accolades, Richie was a student at Tuskegee Institute in Alabama.
Richie attended the Tuskegee Institute on a tennis scholarship, and during his time there he participated in not just tennis, but also marching band. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in economics, minoring in accounting. He considered studying divinity as well.
Ashton Kutcher: Biochemical Engineering
Kutcher made his name playing a lovable but dim-witted simpleton on That '70s Show, but the man behind the character has a good deal of complexity. His twin brother's heart ailment led Kutcher to pursue a degree in biochemical engineering, in the hopes that he could someday cure it.
He enrolled at the University of Iowa in 1996 to study biochemical engineering, but it was just a couple of short years later that he made his star turn on That '70s Show.
Gerard Butler: Law
Scottish actor Gerard Butler slowly built his career from supporting roles in big productions to starring roles in movies like 300. While he dabbled in theatre as a teenager, he went to school for law, not drama.
Butler won a place at University of Glasgow School of Law, taking his time to finish his degree. He finished his final year of law school, but admitted that his heart wasn't truly in it.
Ellie Kemper: English
Before Ellie Kemper's star turn on The Office, she was a noteworthy student at Princeton University. It was at Princeton that she got involved in improv comedy and was also a member of Princeton's venerable Ivy Club. She added a national championship in field hockey to her impressive undergrad resume.
Kemper graduated from Princeton with a Bachelor of Arts in English in 2002. She worked towards a master's in English literature at Worcestor College, Oxford, but halted her studies after a year.
Eva Longoria: Chicano And Chicana Studies
Longoria got her start on The Young and the Restless, but became a mainstream star after portraying Gabrielle Solis on Desperate Housewives, beginning in 2004.
She was born into a Tejano family, meaning she's a descendent of the Texas Creoles who settled in the region before it was formally a U.S. state. Longoria was interested in exploring her heritage, which led to her pursuing and obtaining a master's degree in Chicano and Chicana studies from California State University, Northridge.
Spike Lee: Fine Arts
Spike Lee is one of the most prolific directors currently working in Hollywood. He was inspired by his parents, who imbued him with a knowledge of Black arts, music, and literature early on in life.
He graduated from Atlanta's Morehouse College with a degree in mass communication, then pursued graduate work at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. He obtained a Master of Fine Arts degree in film and television from NYU.
Danai Gurira: Fine Arts
In addition to her acting work as Michonne on The Walking Dead and Okoye in Black Panther, Gurira is also an accomplished playwright with a Tony nomination for best play.
Gurira graduated from Macalester College in Minnesota with a B.A. in psychology. She later attended Tisch School of the Arts at New York University, where she graduated with a Master of Fine Arts in acting degree.
