Many of the stars on our list were born in one state and then moved around a lot, so perhaps there's something to be said for a varied upbringing when it comes to your chances of finding fame? Singer Jojo Levesque is another example; she was born in Brattleboro, Vermont, but grew up between New Hampshire and Massachusetts. She cites her mother as her musical inspiration: She was raised in a single-parent low-income household after her parents separated, and so her mom would take her along when she sang with the local Catholic church choir.
As someone who was singing almost from the moment she could speak, Levesque had no fear of performing. She was happy to impersonate Cher on the TV show 'Kids Say the Darndest Things,' and then Aretha Franklin on 'Destination Stardom.' Oprah Winfrey happened to be watching the latter performance, and got in touch with Levesque to invite her to come and sing on her show. After Oprah came Maury, and by that point a career as a singer was inevitable.
Most of your favorite celebrities either studied acting in college or went straight from high school into a life of the arts. But, hey, not all of them. Some celebrities actually have advanced college degrees.
Turns out Mayim Bialik is just as much of a genius as the one she plays on The Big Bang Theory. She earned her Ph.D. in neuroscience from the University of California, Los Angeles, focusing on obsessive compulsive disorder among people with Prader-Willi syndrome, a rare condition in which the hypothalamus malfunctions.
Little known fact: Natalie Portman skipped the premiere of Star Wars: Phantom Menace because she was studying for her high school exams. She had two papers published in scientific journals while she was still in high school, and graduated from Harvard University with a B.A. in Psychology.
Before he was looking for answers on X-Files, David Duchovny was just trying to find the answers for English finals at Princeton University90. David graduated from Princeton in 1982 with a B.A in English. He continued to feed his love of literature by receiving a master’s degree in English Literature at Yale University. David was an excellent writer and poet. His work consistently received praise by his fellow classmates and teachers at Yale. His writing was even nominated for a college prize by the Academy of American Poets.
Sigourney Weaver graduated from Stanford University in 1971 with a bachelor’s in Literature. It was while studying at Stanford that Sigourney realized her true passion in life was to become an actress. Shortly after graduation, she attended Yale for their well-known drama program. She would go on to receive a master’s in Acting from Yale University and become friends with fellow famous actress Meryl Streep.
Meryl Streep is considered one of the most successful actresses of all time. She is also one of the most highly educated. Before collecting an array of Oscars, Meryl collected diplomas. She graduated from Vassar College with a B.A. in 1971. Meryl has a habit of being unsatisfied with impressive accomplishments as her acting career has shown, so she attended Yale University and earned a master’s degree in Acting.