Most famous people either went to college to study acting or entered the arts right out of high school. But, hey, not all of them. Since a degree isn't technically a requirement for the majority of Hollywood jobs (and isn't necessarily a sign of success or intellect), many actors and musicians have enrolled in very extensive training courses/ classes in their respective fields.
You might be shocked to know that a lot of your favorite celebs attended college. Many more famous people than you may imagine having college degrees. Here, we'll examine a few famous people's educational backgrounds and the subjects they chose to study. This list demonstrates that not every college student uses their degree in their line of work. But attending college is essential, and it may change your life because it gives you valuable skills and experience.
From astrophysics to sociology, these stars prove that you should never judge a book by its cover.
#1 Connie Britton got a degree in Asian studies
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Connie Britton was born on March 6, 1967, as Constance Elaine Womack or Constance Elaine Britton. She is a well-known American actress, singer, and producer. After making her feature film debut in 1995 with the independent comedy-drama
"The Brothers McMullen," Britton went on to several movies, most of which merely increased her popularity. Connie Britton earned a degree in Asian Studies with a focus in Chinese from Dartmouth College. She later enrolled in Beijing Normal University, where Kirsten Gillibrand, a U.S. senator from New York, was one of her classmates.
#2 Lisa Kudrow got a degree in biology
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Lisa Kudrow, also known as Lisa Valerie Kudrow, is an American singer, actor, comedian, writer, and producer. She gained prominence by playing Phoebe Buffay in the hit television show
"Friends". Additionally, she enrolled at Vassar College, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Biology. She aspired to become an authority on headaches like her father, a doctor by trade. Sheseveralmber of years working for her father before deciding to follow her passion for acting and singing.
#3 Kerry Washington has a degree in anthropology and sociology
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American actress and producer Kerry Washington is well-known in her country. She appeared in critically and commercially successful movies and television shows, and over time, she earned a reputation as one of the top African-American actresses of this generation. She earned dual degrees in sociology and anthropology from her time in college. She excelled in school and turned down admissions offers from Yale University and Dartmouth Corder to focus on her acting career.
#4 Will Ferrell get a degree in sports information
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Will is the stage name of John William Ferrell, an American actor, comedian, producer, and writer. His major break occurred when the producer of
"Saturday Night Live" (SNL), Lorne Michaels, noticed him. He was a successful host for seven years. He started acting in a lot of well-known movies that went on to become box office and critical successes. He is a generous man who plays baseball well. Will enrolled in the University of Southern California after finishing high school. He received his BA in Sports Broadcasting in 1990.
#5 Cole Sprouse has a degree in archeology
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The role of Codygotrtin in the
Disney sitcom
"The Suite Life of Zack and Cody," in which he co-starred with his twin brother Dylan Sprouse, made Cole Mitchell Sprouse an American actor well recognized worldwide. In the Disney sitcom
"Suite Life on Deck" and its movie,
"The Suite Life Movie," Cole reprised his role as Cody. In addition to being among the highest-paid teen actors in 2011, he and his brother were also listed among the wealthiest children alive in 2007. In 2011, he enrolled at New York University's Gallatin School, where he discovered a passion for humanities and archaeology.
#6 Eva Longoria got a degree in kinesiology and a master's in Chicano studies
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Eva Longoria is an American actress, director, producer, businessperson, and activist. She was recognized for her portrayal of Gabrielle Solis in the hit television series
"Desperate Housewives" by being nominated for the prestigious Golden Globe Award. Despite her career sting out unsuccessfully, this gorgeous actor went on to become one of Hollywood's most popular and hottest stars. She attended Texas A&M University-Kingsville and earned a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology. Her master's degree is in Chicano studies.
#7 Ray Romano got a accounting degree
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Ray Romano, an American actor, is well-known in Hollywood for his range of skills, which include stand-up comedy, screenplay, and voice acting. When Romano became the star is own show,
"Everybody Loves Raymond," he gained notoriety. The audience has praised his work a great deal over the years, and he has received numerous nominations for awards. He received his high school diploma from Hillcrest in 1975. He chose accounting as his major while attending Queens College in Flushing, Newto becomes becoming an accountant.
#8 Rashida Jones has a degree in religion and philosophy
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American actress, producer, writer, and singer Rashida Leah Jones. Her work on the television shows
"Boston Public," "The Office," and "
Angie Tribeca" has made her well known. She is also an accomplished vocalist, documentary producer, writer of comic books, model, and director of music videos. She is also well known for her political and philanthropic activity. She attended Harvard to study philosophy and religion. She was invited back to Harvard in 2016 to give a speech at the yearly "Class Day Celebration."
#9 Freddie Highmore got a degree in Spanish and Arabic
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Alfred Thomas Highmore, better known by his stage name Freddie Highmore, is a well-known screenwriter and actor from England. His portrayal of Norman Bates in the American psychological horror drama television series
"Bates Motel" is his most notable television performance to date. His work in the movie
"Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," in which he co-starred with Johnny Depp, is among his other notable accomplishments. He attended Emmanuel College at Cambridge University and graduated with degrees in Spanish and Arabic.
#10 David Spade has a degree in business
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American actor, comedian, and television personality David Wayne Spade. He received Golden Globe nominations for his work in the series
"Finch." Later, he hosted award ceremonies and provided voices of cartoon characters. After enrolling at Scottsdale Community College, he continued his studies at Arizona State University. In 1986, he earned a business degree.
#11 Dolph Lundgren got a degree in chemical engineering
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Swedish actor, director, screenwriter, and martial artist Dolph Lundgren is well-known. More than 40 movies have featured Lundgren, who is best known for his roles in blockbusters including
"Rocky IV," "Universal Soldier," and
"Expendables." He graduated from the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm with a degree in chemical engineering.
#12 Natalie Portman got a degree in psychology
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Actress Natalie Portman, a Golden Globe and Academy Award winner, has established herself as one of the most accomplished and adaptable actors in the
Entertainment business. She became well-known after appearing in the
"Star Wars" movie franchise. Along with her acting profession, Natalie Portman, a psychology graduate of Harvard, has lectured on terrorism and counterterrorism at Columbia University. She has studied at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem for graduate-level coursework and is fluent in French, Arabic, German, and other languages.
#13 Kenny Chesney got a degree in marketing
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Kenny Chesney is a singer and songwriter who specializes in country music. He had sixteen number-one albums by the year 2014. Twelve of these have received gold certification, while two have received platinum certification. More than 30 million albums have been sold by him globally. In addition, he has created more than forty tracks, ten of which peaked on the US Billboard Hot Country Songs Top Ten Chart. Kenny enrolled at East Tennessee State University to study advertising after graduating from Gibbs High School.
#14 Danai Gurira has a degree in psychology
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Actress and playwright Danai Gurira was born in Zimbabwe but now resides in the United States. She is most recognized for her work on the
Marvel superhero films
"Black Panther" and
"Avengers: Infinity War," as well as the AMC horror drama series
"The Walking Dead." She attended Dominican Convent High School in Harare before moving back to the US to attend Macalester College in Saint Paul, Minnesota, to study psychology. After receiving her diploma, she enrolled at the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University to pursue a Master of Fine Arts in acting.
#15 Weird Al got a degree in architecture
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One of the most known parodists in America, "Weird Al" Yankovic, has more than 150 original songs and parodies to his credit. He is a writer, producer, singer, and musician. As of 2007, Yankovic was the most commercially successful comedy music artist, selling more than 12 million records. He graduated from the California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo with a degree in architecture.
#16 Rooney Mara got a degree in psychology, international social policy, and nonprofits
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An accomplished American actor is Rooney Mara. She was born in the middle of the 1980s in New York. When she played
"Lisbeth Salander," the lead character in
"The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo," she attained the peak of her career and received not only critical praise but also several nominations and awards. She relocated to the Gallatin School of Individualized Study at New York University in 2004 to further her studies in psychology, global social policy, and nonprofit organizations.
#17 Hugh Laurie has a degree in anthropology and archaeology
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James Hugh Calum Laurie is an English actor, comedian, vocal artist, musician, and author. James has won numerous important prizes just for his acting. He gained notoriety for his ground-breaking work in the third and fourth seasons of the television show "
Blackadder." Dr. Gregory House, a character on the Fox TV medical drama series
"House, M.D.," is his most well-known role to date. He attended the University of Cambridge's Selwyn College where he earned a degree in anthropology and archaeology.
#18 Ashley Judd has a graduate degree in public administration
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Ashley Judd, an American actress with more than 20 film credits and a Golden Globe nomination, is renowned for her commitment to humanitarian causes. She appeared in the mystery-thriller series
"Missing," which was nominated for an Emmy. She enrolled at the University of Kentucky, where she majored in women's studies, theatre, anthropology, art history, and French. She moved to France to pursue a French major.
#19 Gerard Butler has a law degree
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An actor and producer from Scotland is named Gerard Butler. Before deciding to pursue acting, he spent seven years of his life studying law. He wasn't sure if he wanted to pursue a profession in law after receiving his law degree. He moved to London to chase his ambition of fame. After playing
"The Phantom" in the Academy Award-nominated movie
"The Phantom of the Opera," he rose to fame.
#20 Lionel Richie has a degree in economics
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Richie, a Grammy Award winner, is regarded as one of the most popular singer-songwriters of the 20th century, with the majority of his songs reaching the top of the music charts. This actor, singer, and producer has sold close to 100 million recordings worldwide. The Tuskegee Institute then extended an offer of a tennis scholarship, which he accepted. He completed his studies at the university with a major in economics.
#21 Reba McEntire has a degree in elementary education
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Due to her outstanding voice and talent, country music artist Reba Nell McEntire has garnered a lot of recognition and awards. Her situation improved when country singer Red Steagall heard her sing the National Anthem at the National Rodeo and helped her secure a record deal with a big record company. She studied elementary education at Southeastern Oklahoma State University.
#22 Miranda Cosgrove has a degree in psychology
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Miranda Cosgrove, who was born in Los Angeles, California, had her television debut at a young age in a TV commercial at the age of three. She is well-known for her role as Megan Parker in the Nickelodeon television series
"Drake and Josh." She attended USC and graduated with a psychology degree.
#23 Gabrielle Union has a degree in sociology
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Popular American actress, activist, and novelist Gabrielle Union is well known for her parts in several movies and television shows. She achieved success thanks to her parts in the 2002 film "
Bring It On" and the acclaimed medical drama series
"City of Angels." Union studied at the University of Nebraska, where she played varsity soccer. She later changed schools and attended Cuesta College before finally settling in at UCLA, where she obtained a sociology degree.
#24 Rowan Atkinson has a degree in electrical engineering
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A renowned comic actor and writer, Rowan Atkinson is best known for playing
"Mr. Bean" in the popular television series and two feature films of the same name. He is frequently praised for his mastery of physical comedy and dark humor. He completed his education at Newcastle University, where he specialized in Electrical Engineering, after attending Durham Choristers School, St. Bees School. He continued his studies in Electrical Engineering at The Queen's College in Oxford in 1975.
#25 Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson got a degree in criminology and physiology
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A former professional wrestler who now works as an actor, Dwayne Johnson is most recognized for his role in the fantasy adventure movie
"The Mummy Returns." Before entering the world of movies, Johnson was a very successful professional wrestler known by the ring name "The Rock." His favorite sport was football, and the University of Miami offered him a full scholarship to play defensive lineman there. But an injury put an end to his aspirations of playing football. He earned a Bachelor of General Studies degree in criminology and physiology from the university in 1995.