It’s funny how we might think of movie stars as these rare people who just stepped off a bus in Hollywood, looked beautiful, had some timely talent, and had a connection - or something about like that. No doubt, some of this is fact; however, it isn’t surprising to find out that many Oscar winners see their education and hard work as a key to success. Some even returned to school to start or finish their education after they became household names.
Check it out.
The "Before They Were Famous" Crowd
For Oscar winners, college was the place where they actually learned the craft that eventually won them those gold statues.
Meryl Streep (Sophie’s Choice, The Devil Wears Prada):
Meryl is basically the "gold standard" of acting education. She went to Vassar College for her BA and then headed to the Yale School of Drama for her MFA. She was already famous on campus for her talent, but she didn’t become a movie star until after she finished that master's in 1975.
Denzel Washington (Training Day, Glory):
Denzel was a bit of a late bloomer with acting. He went to Fordham University, where he actually played collegiate basketball. He started out as a journalism major before catching the acting bug and switching to Drama. He graduated in 1977, long before he became the icon he is today.
Frances McDormand (Fargo, Nomadland):
Like Meryl, Frances is a Yale alum. She got her BA at Bethany College and her MFA at Yale. She actually shared an apartment with Holly Hunter - another famous and very successful actor - in New York right after graduating, working as a waitress while auditioning for the roles that would eventually make her an Oscar legend.
Matthew McConaughey (Dallas Buyers Club, Interstellar):
Matthew went to the University of Texas at Austin. He started out as a pre-law student. He switched to Film Production and graduated in 1993—the same year his breakout movie, Dazed and Confused, hit theaters. Alright alright.
Emma Thompson (Howards End, Sense and Sensibility):
She attended Cambridge University to study English Literature. While she was there, she joined the famous "Footlights" comedy troupe alongside Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie. She was a scholar first and a star second.
The "Famous First" Crowd
This is the rarer group—the ones who were already being followed by paparazzi but decided to sit in a lecture hall anyway.
Natalie Portman (Black Swan, Leon: The Professional):
Natalie is probably the most famous example. She was already a star from Star Wars when she enrolled at Harvard University. She famously said she’d rather be smart than a movie star. She graduated in 2003 with a degree in Psychology while her career was at its peak.
Steven Spielberg (Schindler's List, Saving Private Ryan):
This one is my favorites. Spielberg actually dropped out of California State University, Long Beach in the 60s because he got a directing contract. He went back 33 years later—after winning multiple Oscars—to finish his degree in Film and Electronic Arts. He even turned in Schindler's List as his student film project. Imagine being the professor grading that. No pressure.
Emma Watson (Harry Potter, Beauty and the Beast):
While she hasn't won an Oscar herself yet, she's definitely in that "best known" tier. She headed to Brown University for English Literature right in the middle of her Harry Potter fame, graduating in 2014.
Pretty interesting, right? We thought so.
A pretty face, some talent, and connections may matter in Hollywood but it seems for the best of the lot, education and hard work were as much a part of their success, or more. Keep learning and teaching folks!
