In the midst of achieving fame and fortune, a number celebrities made the decision to return to college and obtain degrees. Film stars, music industry professionals, runway models and sports legends are among the many who serve as an inspiration for students of all ages.
America Ferrara
Known for her starring role in the television series “Ugly Betty,” Ferrara initially enrolled in college and was on her way to achieving a bachelor’s degree in 2002. However, she became sidetracked when film and TV opportunities came calling. Deciding to complete her goal, the young actress acquired her B.A. in international relations in 2012.
Ashley Judd
Judd originally attended the University of Kentucky to earn an undergraduate degree in addition to juggling a career in acting. She later enrolled in the Harvard Kennedy School of Government and earned her master’s degree in public administration in 2010 at the age of 45.
David Duchovny
Duchovny gained fame for his starring role in the long running “X-Files” TV series and later went on to appear as a playwright on “Californication.” However, he also made the decision to obtain a master’s degree in English Literature from Yale and is currently working on his Ph.D.
Emma Watson
While yet filming the “Harry Potter” movies, Watson enrolled in Brown University. She also spent a year at Oxford. She graduated with her undergraduate degree in May of 2014.
Keshia Knight Pulliam
Known as the lovable little “Rudy” on the Bill Cosby Show, Pulliam gave up her aspiring career in Hollywood to continue her education. She attended Spelman College and graduated with a B.A. degree in Sociology. In fact, the majority of the kids from the show acquired college degrees.
Kristen Stewart
Though having starred in a number of film roles, Stewart did not achieve fame until she took one of the lead roles in the “Twilight” movies. Though since acquiring a number of other acting roles, she made the decision to enroll at UCLA where she is currently taking courses in English Literature.
James Franco
Some may say Franco is a perpetual student. Receiving numerous awards for his acting roles in “127 Hours,” “Spiderman” and most recently “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes,” the actor also formerly earned a bachelor’s degree in English from UCLA and a master’s degree in Fine Arts from Columbia University in 2010. He is currently working toward a Ph.D. at Yale. The busy thespian also teaches classes at CalArts, NYU, UCLA and USC.
Natalie Portman
Though Portman started her Hollywood career as a child star, the actress made the time to continue educational pursuits. She enrolled in Harvard in 1999 and earned a bachelor’s degree in neuroscience and psychology in 2003. She has also taken a number of graduate level courses from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Her fondness of foreign language also inspired her to study Arabic, French, German and Japanese.
Steven Spielberg
A diagnosis of dyslexia posed a problem for Spielberg as a student. Despite his fame and success, he returned to college 12 years ago and graduated from the film school at California State University at the age of 55.
Originally posted on December 11, 2014 @ 7:22 am