These 8 Celebrities Have a Stellar Academic Background That Goes Beyond Acting
The Degrees These Celebrities Have Are Shocking
The general public may believe that once you're famous, as a popular celebrity, you've made it and don't need to learn anything further. Some superstars, on the other hand, have the exact opposite view and believe that performing is only the beginning of one's career development, per BrightSide. Several celebrities in the showbiz have even gone on to get PhDs in different disciplines, and a few have graduated with honors from popular schools like Harvard University. These eight famous people have had brilliant academic achievements that shock their fans, in addition to having brilliant acting prowess.
1. Natalie Portman
Natalie Portman, most known for her Academy Award-winning performance in Black Swan, graduated from Harvard University in 2003 with a bachelor's degree in psychology, but her education didn't finish there, per MovieWeb. In preparation for her part in the Jewish-American movie Free Zone, Portman attended Hebrew University in Jerusalem, where she claimed to have gained a deeper awareness of her background and a stronger connection to her people's history. Portman is quite a diligent student, notably studying for her examinations rather than going to her Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace premiere.
2. Lisa Kudrow
Lisa Kudrow, most well-known for her part as Phoebe Buffay in the sitcom Friends from the 1990s, received a bachelor's degree in biology from Poughkeepsie, New York's Vassar College, per The Cut. Kudrow was very studious, and loved research, especially focussing on headaches. Kudrow and her father, Lee Kudrow, a neurologist, collaborated on a significant research paper discussing the connection between left-handedness and headaches, both cluster and migraine. It should be noted that both Lisa Kudrow and her father frequently get migraines.
3. Mayim Bialik
Mayim Bialik, who is renowned for playing Amy on The Big Bang Theory, is equally intelligent as her on-screen counterpart. Following her high school graduation, she was accepted to UCLA, where she majored in neuroscience and minored in Hebrew and Jewish studies. She finally went on to get a PhD in neuroscience in 2007. She is also noted for encouraging women's engagement in science. Given that both Bialik and Amy concentrate on neurology, one might argue that Amy was modeled after her own life experiences.
4. Karlie Kloss
Although supermodel Karlie Kloss is well-known for her work in fashion, having walked the runways for high-end designers like Victoria's Secret and featured in major campaigns, few people are aware that she is also an avid coder who attended New York University's Gallatin School of Individualized Study. In addition, she founded the nonprofit group Kode With Klossy, whose mission is to promote diversity in STEM fields. Free coding camps are provided by Kode With Klossy, where young girls develop their creativity and confidence while learning useful programming skills.
5. James Franco
After he portrayed Harry Osborne in the original Spider-Man series, James Franco gained international recognition. Like his personal endeavors, each role he has taken on since then has been incredibly varied. Indeed, he chose to focus on creative writing after deciding to enroll in UCLA's English school in 2006. He relocated to New York, where he attended Columbia University's graduate program in writing and New York University's graduate program in filmmaking. Franco is also a Yale University Ph.D. English holder.
6. Jodie Foster
Jodie Foster's career in movies has been extensive and lengthy. Her most well-known performances are as the lead in the movie Panic Room, in the movie Taxi Driver, and as Maggie in the animated smash show The Simpsons on FOX. Although Foster is well-known for her two Academy Awards, not many people are aware that she received a magna cum laude degree from Yale University in African-American literature. She is so proficient at speaking and communicating in French that she has performed and dubbed in several movies in that language. She is also fluent in Spanish, Italian, and German.
7. Ashton Kutcher
Heartthrob Ashton Kutcher was raised in Iowa and studied genetic engineering at the University of Iowa, where he graduated with a bachelor's degree. His desire to aid in the discovery of a treatment for his brother's cardiac ailment drove him to choose genetic engineering as his major. A modeling scout found him at a conference at the University of Iowa. He entered a modeling competition and won enough money to relocate to the West Coast and seek a career in Hollywood.
8. Gerard Butler
Gerard Butler provided the voice of Stoick the Vast in the How to Train Your Dragon series and acted in a number of well-known films, including Lara Croft: Tomb Raider – The Cradle of Life and The Phantom of the Opera. He attended Paisley's St. Mirin's & St. Margaret's High School, where he excelled academically. Because of this, he was able to enroll at the University of Glasgow's law school. He was hired as a trainee solicitor by an Edinburgh legal company after graduation, but it appears that life had other ideas for him.
