We always hear stories about the 15 year olds who made it big in Hollywood, and every path to stardom seems to start with waiting tables. Instead of glorifying the people who skipped school, why don't we take a moment to admire those who weren't one in a million? Some actors actually studied, taking time to hone their craft. Find out who went to college before becoming a celebrity with our list of 25 Actors Who Went to Art School.
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Hugh Jackman
Hugh Jackman
Art school: Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts
Studied: Drama
Jackman mostly focused on communications while in college but was very involved in music and drama during his undergrad as well. He realized his innate talent at age 22 and even turned down a role in a popular Australian soap opera in order to study drama.
America Ferrera
America Ferrera
Art school: University of Southern California School of Dramatic Arts
Studied: Theater and International Relations
Ferrera graduated from high school as her class valedictorian and won the USC presidential scholarship. Her rigorous double major balanced her intellect and passion perfectly.
Kelly Preston
Kelly Preston
Art school: University of Southern California School of Dramatic Arts
Studied: Drama and Theater
Preston was raised in Hawaii and Australia, and she moved to California to study drama and theater at USC. Her move to the mainland launched her successful acting career.
Orlando Bloom
Orlando Bloom
Art school: Guildhall School of Music and Drama
Studied: Drama
Who knew that one of Hollywood's heartthrobs had a very educated start. Bloom attended this prestigious school in London. He coped with dyslexia and became a wildly successful actor.
Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey
Art school: Tennessee State University
Studied: Communications, Speech, and Drama
Oprah won an oratory contest in high school to secure a full ride to Tennessee State. She took full advantage of college, graduating with three majors. It's no surprise that her passion and drive led her to where she is now.
Robin Williams
Robin Williams
Art school: Julliard
Studied: Drama
Williams spent three years at Julliard from 1973 - 1976. He was one of only 20 people to be accepted into the freshman class that year. Along with Christopher Reeve, Williams was one of two students chosen for the advanced program. Like many alumni, after he became successful, Williams created a scholarship for future students.
Jessica Chastain
Jessica Chastain
Art school: Julliard School
Studied: Fine Arts
If it's not impressive enough that she went to Julliard, Chastain entered a program with Michael Urie and Jess Weixler. She was also one of the students to benefit from Robin Williams' scholarship program.
Zach Braff
Zach Braff
Art school: Northwestern University
Studied: Film
When Zach Braff was asked about what his dream profession was as a child, he said he always wanted to be a filmmaker. He got a lot closer than most kids do.
Sandra Bullock
Sandra Bullock
Art school: East Carolina University
Studied: Drama
Bullock did work as a bartender, cocktail waitress, and coat checker before she got her big break. But before working in the service industry in New York, she attended school in the town of Greenville, North Carolina as a drama student.
Ben Stiller
Ben Stiller
Art school: University of California Los Angeles
Studied: Film
Stiller got his start as the opening act for Jadin Wong, a cabaret performer. His three semesters at UCLA and cabaret experience seem to have given him the experience he needed to make it big. After college, he moved to New York and started auditioning for various roles.
Daniel Craig
Daniel Craig
Art school: Guildhall School of Music and Drama
Studied: Drama
Going to school is totally worth it if you end up as James Bond after college. Craig attended the same school in London as Orlando Bloom and completed his full degree there.
Kyra Sedgwick
Kyra Sedgwick
Art school: University of Southern California School of Dramatic Arts
Studied: Theater
Sedgwick started her undergraduate career at Sarah Lawrence College but closed it at USC. Her schooling ranged from coast to coast, and she definitely received a broad theater education.
Tom Hanks
Tom Hanks
Art school: California State University in Sacramento
Studied: Theater
Hanks began his undergraduate career studying theater at Chabot College in Hayward, California. Then he transferred to Sac State with all intentions of completing his program. But an awesome internship with Vincent Dowling (head of the Great Lakes Theater Festival in Cleveland) got him off track. From college dropout to household name, Tom Hanks is king.
Madonna
Madonna
Art school: University of Michigan
Studied: Modern Dance
In high school, Madonna was a straight-A student and a cheerleader. This got her a dance scholarship to college and convinced her father to let her get ballet lessons. And after that, there was no stopping her.
John Krasinski
John Krasinski
Art school: Brown University
Studied: Theatre Arts and English Literature
Not only did he go to Brown and double major, he also graduated with honors. All that hard work just makes John Krasinski more awesome.
Miranda Cosgrove
Miranda Cosgrove
Art school: University of Southern California School of Dramatic Arts
Studied: Film
This child star took a break from celebrity life and decided to study film at USC after Drake and Josh, iCarly, School of Rock, various commercials, and her music career. We can't wait for her next move.
Forest Whitaker
Forest Whitaker
Art school: California State Polytechnic University and University of Southern California
Studied: Music (voice) and Drama
Whitaker actually paid for school with his football scholarship. After a bad injury, he decided to switch his major to drama. Talk about a blessing in disguise.
Angelina Jolie
Angelina Jolie
Art school: New York University's Tisch School of the Arts
Studied: Drama
Although Angelina's stunning looks often overshadow her career, it's impossible to deny that the actress has talent. She trained at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute, which is run by NYU.
Zac Efron
Zac Efron
Art school: Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts
Studied: Acting
Efron's early success led him to defer from the University of Southern California. His continued on-screen roles kept him away from this prestigious school, but it couldn't keep him from taking classes and improving his craft.
Debra Messing
Debra Messing
Art school: Brandeis University and New York University's Tisch School of the Arts
Studied: Theater Arts and Fine Arts
Messing completed her undergrad at Brandeis and graduated summa cum laude. Then she got into a graduate program at NYU that only accepts 15 students per year and completed the program in three years.
Adam Sandler
Adam Sandler
Art school: New York University's Tisch School of the Arts
Studied: Fine Arts
Brooklyn-born Sandler stayed in the city for college and graduated from NYU in 1988. He was well known on campus for his extra-curricular involvement.
Anne Hathaway
Anne Hathaway
Art school: American Academy of Dramatic Arts
Studied: Stage Acting
Hathaway prefers stage acting to any other kind of acting, and she trained for live theater after graduating from New York University's Gallatin School of Individualized Study. Hathaway started her collegiate career at Vassar College as an English major and Women's Studies minor before she found her calling.
Ed Harris
Ed Harris
Art school: California Institute of the Arts in Valencia
Studied: Acting
Harris started off studying acting at Oklahoma University but quickly moved over to this art institute that is located about 30 minutes north of LA. He graduated after two years and says that he believes his education was very significant in improving his acting.
Rachael McAdams
Rachael McAdams
Art school: York University
Studied: Fine Arts
McAdams completed a four year degree from this theater program in Toronto. She graduated in 2001, three years before she became a household name with Mean Girls and The Notebook.
James Franco
James Franco
Art school: NYU's Tisch School of the Arts and Columbia University School of the Arts
Studied: Directing and Writing
Franco is one of Hollywood's favorite enigmas, and he kept the mystery alive when he decided to sign up for both of these schools' prestigious programs simultaneously. Before this ambitious endeavor, Franco had already attended UCLA. And afterwards he went on to take classes at Brooklyn College, Warren Wilson College, Yale, and the Rhode Island School of Design. It's obvious that under all that mystery and cool, Franco's secretly a nerd.