HOLLYWOOD—So many Hollywood actors attended college, but far fewer actually graduated—not that we blame them for leaving school when they hit it big. There is no doubt that in our culture, the prospect of wealth and celebrity status almost always wins out over the virtue of education. It is certainly not a reflection of their persona if they didn’t graduate.
Not everyone is cut out for college, but in today’s information technology age everything is available to the curiosity seekers. Truth be told, if someone says they graduated from a university their name appears in the commencement, whether they walk or not. Steve Jobs graduated from high school back in 1972 and while attending college at Reed College, he quickly dropped out after a single semester. According to Jobs, “If I had never dropped in on that single course in college, the Mac would have never had multiple typefaces or proportionally spaced fonts.”
Another exception to the rule is Bill Gates, who was accepted to Harvard University, after scoring a 1590 on the SAT exam. He attended Harvard from 1973 until he dropped out in 1975. It was there at Harvard that he met his future Microsoft partner, Steve Ballmer. Gates was given an honorary degree from Harvard back in 1997, but that really doesn’t count, now does it? It’s so amazing that some of the most successful people out there never finished their degree.
Some have such intellectual prowess like Natalie Portman who graduated from Harvard with a BA in psychology and James Franco who has a PhD in English from Yale University and MFA from Columbia. They both pursued their education after already being a star. Let’s take a look at who has gone to the top of the class. Eva Longoria kicked up her heels after receiving her master’s degree in Chicano studies from California State University, Northridge. Before heading to Hollywood, Eva earned her bachelor of science degree in kinesiology at Texas A&M University- Kingsville.
Actress Jennifer Garner began as a chemistry major at Ohio’s Denison University; however. she switched her major to drama, in which she earned a BA. Jennifer, who is estranged from hubby Ben Affleck, are reportedly seeking to sell their family home. According to real estate sources that told Variety, they have put their Pacific Palisades mansion on the market for a whopping $45 million. The couple plan to sell their homes amid rumors Garner is expecting with their fourth child.
Some celebs really have it all. Talent, beauty, fame, money- and of course, brains. When you get accepted to an Ivy league university, you really can’t turn it down. Take actress Julia Stiles, who starred in “Last Dance” and “Bourne Identity,” and is known for her enunciative voice—she has a degree in English literature from Columbia. Maggie Gyllenhaal studied literature and Eastern religions at Columbia. Jake Gyllenhaal, the hunky heartthrob, who’s an ex of Taylor Swift and an Oscar nominee, has an undergrad degree from Columbia. Columbia runs in the family, since his big sis, Maggie is also an alumni.
Oh, “The Devil Wears Prada” star Meryl Streep, not only earned a BA in drama from Vassar College, but she also went to grad school at the Yale School of Drama. Phoebe might be ditzy, but Lisa Kudrow is another alumni who graduated from Vassar College with a major in psychobiology. Anne Hathaway graduated from New York University.
If I had to pinpoint one university to call the “College of the Celebrities,” I would have to say New York University. It’s in the heart of New York City and its oozing with future celebrities. The university practically breeds actors, singers and comedians. Some of the talent that has already graduated from the hallowed halls of NYU include Ashley Olsen, Martin Scorsese, Billy Crystal, Sarah Silverman, Adam Sandler, Kristen Bell, Neil Diamond, Felicity Huffman, Lucy Liu, Woody Allen, Jerry O’Connell and Alec Baldwin just to name a few.
Rose’s Scoop: Meryl Streep who plays women’s right activist Emmeline Pankhurst in the film “Suffragette,” says she finds it “infuriating” that the buzz for a film is often driven by film critics who are overwhelmingly male. She’s absolutely right, there are many more men than female film critics.
