19 Celebrities With Unexpected College Degrees
Sometimes, celebrities have hidden depths that have nothing to do with their public image or main career. Here are some famous people who have actual, proper degrees you might be surprised by...
Former child actor-turned-Riverdale star Cole Sprouse has an archaelogy-related degree, majoring in geographical information systems and satellite imaging.
White Lotus and Friday Night Lights star Connie Britton has a degree in Asian studies from Dartmouth.
The Waking Dead and Black Panther star Danai Gurira has a psychology degree in addition to an MFA in acting.
Black Mirror and Parks and Recreation star Rashida Jones has a degree in comparative study of religion and philosophy from Harvard.
Chris Martin met his fellow Coldplay bandmates at university, and graduated with a degree in Greek and Latin.
America Ferrera put her studies on hold when she got the lead role in Ugly Betty, but eventually graduated with a degree in international relations.
Eva Longoria achieved a master's degree in Chicano studies while working on Desperate Housewives.
The Offspring's Dexter Holland has a PhD in molecular biology — he did his thesis on HIV research.
Meanwhile, Bad Religion frontman Greg Graffin is an evolutionary biologist with a master's degree in geology and a PhD in biology.
Jamie Foxx has an honorary degree in classical music and composition.
Marvel and Crazy Rich Asians star Gemma Chan has a law degree from Oxford University.
And comedic Australian actor Rebel Wilson has a double degree in arts/law.
Shaquille O'Neal has a PhD in education.
The Big Sick and Eternals star Kumail Nanjiani got his start in comedy while at university, where he earned degrees in computer science and philosophy.
Rowan Atkinson of Mr. Bean fame has a master's degree in electrical engineering.
Lionel Richie has an economics degree.
The Hills alumnus Whitney Port has gender studies degree.
Although Dakota Fanning has been acting since she was a child, she found time to complete her education, including a degree in women's studies.
Comedy legend Will Ferrell has a degree in sports information.
Scandal lead Kerry Washington graduated college with a double major in anthropology and sociology.
And finally, Friends icon Lisa Kudrow has a degree in biology.
Which celebrity college major surprised you the most? Share your thoughts in the comments!
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Elle
4 hours ago
- Elle
There's a Reason Michelle and Barack Obama's First Date Inspired a Movie
Every item on this page was chosen by an ELLE editor. We may earn commission on some of the items you choose to buy. Barack and Michelle Obama may have one of the most famous political marriages of the modern era, thriving through two terms of the White House and over 30 years together. The pair met in 1989 at a Chicago law firm, and it was love at first sight—for Barack. Michelle, then known as Michelle Robinson, took a little convincing to go on that first date, but she had no hesitation when he asked her to marry him in 1992. In the last eight years since Barack Obama ended his two terms as President of the United States, both he and Michelle have remained politically engaged, traveled the world, released books, produced films and podcasts, and stayed on as cultural influencers in almost every corner of the U.S. and many abroad. And they're still going strong, celebrating their long love story every year it grows. Here's their complete relationship timeline so far. Barack began working at the same Chicago law firm as Michelle in 1989, Sidley Austin LLP, and she was actually assigned to be his mentor. He told O, The Oprah Magazine in 2007 that he was immediately taken with her, but she wasn't exactly on the same wavelength. 'In the luckiest break of my life, [Michelle] was assigned to be my adviser, I remember being struck by how tall and beautiful she was,' he explained. 'I asked her out. She refused. I kept asking. She kept refusing.' In her own interview with ABC News in 2008, Michelle implied that the firm thought they'd be a good match, even if just as business associates. 'Because I went to Harvard and he went to Harvard, and the firm thought, 'Oh, we'll hook these two people up,'' she joked. 'Barack, about a month in, asked me out, and I thought 'No way. This is completely tacky.'' Eventually, she did say yes. In her 2018 book Becoming, Michelle described their first date by saying he picked her up in a Datsun with a 'rusted-out, four-inch hole' in the floorboard where she 'could see the pavement rushing beneath us.' But the date went well. 'He showed all the sides—he was hip, cutting edge, cultural, sensitive. The fountain—nice touch. The walk—patient,' Michelle told The Telegraph in 2012. Their first date even became the subject of the 2016 film Southside With You, showing the couple going from a lunch at the Art Institute of Chicago, walking across the city, having Baskin-Robbins ice cream in Hyde Park, and seeing the Spike Lee movie Do The Right Thing. Plus, a very special first kiss: Two years after their first date, they got engaged at Gordon's restaurant in Chicago just after Barack passed the bar exam, per ABC News. 'And then the waiter came over with the dessert and a tray. And there was the ring,' Michelle said. 'And I was completely shocked.' They were wed on Oct. 3, 1992. They wrote their own vows, and Michelle later reflected, 'Barack didn't pledge riches, only a life that would be interesting. On that promise, he delivered.' Their reception was held at the South Shore Cultural Center, and they then took a trip along the California coast for a honeymoon, Brides magazine reported in 2020. They welcomed their first child, Malia, on July 4, 1998. 'Being a mother has been a master class in letting go. Try as we might, there's only so much we can control. And, boy, have I tried—especially at first. As mothers, we just don't want anything or anyone to hurt our babies. But life has other plans. Bruised knees, bumpy roads, and broken hearts are part of the deal. What's both humbled and heartened me is seeing the resiliency of my daughters,' Michelle told Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, in an conversation for British Vogue in 2019. Their second daughter, Sasha, was born on July 10, 2001. In a 2013 interview with Essence, Barack talked about Michelle and the role model she has been as a mom. 'The great thing about the girls is they've got a wonderful role model in their mom,' Barack said. 'They've seen how Michelle and I interact—not only the love but also the respect that I show to their mom. So I think they have pretty high expectations about how relationships should be, and that gives me some confidence about the future. I joke about this stuff sometimes, but the truth is they are smart, steady young women.' Michelle described more about life with both girls in those early years to British Vogue, sharing, 'When Malia and Sasha were newborns, Barack and I could lose hours just watching them sleep. We loved to listen to the little sounds they'd make—especially the way they cooed when they were deep into dreaming.' In 2004, Barack became a U.S. senator for Illinois after serving as state senator for several years. The family became much more public, though they had both already been serving their community for some time. Michelle worked on Barack's campaign while also serving as vice president for community and external affairs at the University of Chicago Hospitals. And yet, that was not the highest echelon of government service the senator would reach by a long shot. In 2008, Barack defeated Republican nominee John McCain to serve as the President of the United States. In January 2009, Barack was sworn into office. The inaugural ball was a hugely celebratory evening, where Michelle wore a gown by Jason Wu. After being introduced by Denzel Washington, Barack asked the crowd, 'First of all, how good looking is my wife?' That night, Jay-Z, Mariah Carey, Alicia Keys, Shakira, Sting, and Faith Hill performed and the couple was photographed slow dancing like they were the only two people in the world. In his 2010 State of the Union address, Barack addressed how popular his wife is. 'If you were going to list the 100 most popular things that I have done as president, being married to Michelle Obama is number one,' he joked. In 2011, in an interview on The Oprah Winfrey Show, he credited Michelle for his success. 'Obviously I couldn't have done anything that I've done without Michelle,' he told Oprah Winfrey. 'Not only has she been a great first lady, she is just my rock. I count on her in so many ways every single day.' Michelle agreed that their partnership was the key to their success, telling Winfrey, 'It has to be a true partnership, and you have to really, really like and respect the person you're married to, because it is a hard road. I mean, that's what I tell young couples. Don't expect it to be easy, melding two lives and trying to raise others, and doing it forever. I mean that's a recipe made for disaster, so there are highs and lows. But if in the end, you can look him in the eye and say, 'I like you.' I stopped believing in love at first sight. I think you go through that wonderful love stage, but when it gets hard, you need a little bit more.' Barack won a second term in 2012, defeating Mitt Romney in the presidential election. At the 2012 Democratic National Convention, Michelle told the audience, 'The truth is, I loved the life we had built for our girls. I deeply loved the man I had built that life with, and I didn't want that to change if he became President. I loved Barack just the way he was.' In March 2015, they were photographed in a behind-the-scenes moment embracing just before videotaping a segment for the 2015 World Expo. At the United State of Women summit in 2016, Michelle said that both she and Barack were ready to leave the White House and have some semblance of a normal life again. 'I want to open my front door without discussing it with anyone—and just walk,' Michelle said, per People. 'I want to go to Target again! I've heard so many things have changed in Target! I tell my friends they're going to have to give me a re-entry training for like, 'OK, what do you do at CVS now? How do you check out?'' That same year, Barack told Jimmy Kimmel on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, 'All the women in my life are looking forward to being able to live a more normal life.' The family left the White House in January 2017, and were seen in Italy, Hawaii, and Necker Island. During his wife's book tour for Becoming, Barack surprised Michelle while she was being interviewed by Valerie Jarrett, bringing a bouquet of pink roses to the stage. 'You don't get this at every show!' Michelle joked. 'This is like—you know when Jay-Z comes out during the Beyoncé concert? Like, 'Crazy in Love?'' Barack asked. 'It's the same thing. It's just a little sample to enhance the concert.' Michelle celebrated Barack for their anniversary. Barack's memoir A Promised Land was dedicated to 'Michelle—my love and life's partner, and Malia and Sasha—whose dazzling light makes everything brighter.' In a September 2020 episode of The Michelle Obama Podcast, Michelle was open about some of the challenges in marriage people don't often discuss. 'There were times that I wanted to push Barack out of the window. And I say that because it's like, you've got to know the feelings will be intense,' she admitted. 'But that doesn't mean you quit. And these periods can last a long time. They can last years.' When talking about meeting someone, the former first lady replied, 'You can't Tinder your way into a long-term relationship. There's no magic way to make that happen except getting the basics of finding somebody, being honest about wanting to be with them, to date them seriously, to plan on making a commitment, to date them, seeing where it goes, and then making it happen.' The couple had their official portraits hung in the White House in 2022. Barack praised Michelle's portrait by Sharon Sprung, saying it encapsulated 'her sheer grace, her intelligence, and the fact that she is fine.' His portrait was painted by Robert McCurdy, and Michelle had previously shared a photo of herself appreciating it. That same year on the Revolt x Michelle Obama special hosted by Angie Martinez, Michelle talked about the frustrations of early marriage, especially just after their children were born. 'People think I'm being catty for saying this; it's like, there were 10 years where I couldn't stand my husband. Ten years! And guess when it happened? When those kids were little,' she explained. 'Little kids have demands. They don't talk. They're poor communicators. They cry all the time. They're irrational. They're needy. And you love them more than anything. And so you can't blame them. So you turn that ire on each other.' Things improved when she realized 'marriage isn't 50-50, ever.' 'But guess what?' she continued. 'Ten years; we've been married 30. I would take 10 bad years over 30—it's just how you look at it. People give up: 'Five years; I can't take it.'' She added that it helps to 'know your person.' 'Do you like him? I mean, you could be mad at him, but do you still look at him and go, 'I'm not happy with you, but I respect you. I don't agree with you, but you're still a kind, smart person.' The feelings are gonna change over time,' she continued. While speaking with host Jay Shetty on the On Purpose podcast, Michelle dispelled the idea that she and Barack were #hashtag couple goals, adding that 'broken things' can happen 'even in the best of marriages.' She wanted to normalize discussing the 'natural, understandable rough patches' that make people 'want to quit.' 'And it's like, 'Oh, no, no, no, no, no. That's not quit-worthy. That's just the nature of things,'' she said. 'That's just the way it goes, but you don't quit on it, you learn from it. That's what sustaining a relationship is—it's the choice to figure it out, not quit when it gets hard.' For her 60th birthday that year, Barack celebrated Michelle in an Instagram post, describing her as his 'better half' and 'one of the funniest, smartest, most beautiful people I know.' He added, '@MichelleObama, you make every day better. I can't wait to see what this new decade brings you.'
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
Jennifer Lawrence and Dakota Johnson Enjoy a Girls' Night Out in N.Y.C. After Cannes Hangout
Jennifer Lawrence and Dakota Johnson arrived together for a dinner at a New York City restaurant on May 31 The two friends have been spotted together as recently as the Cannes Film Festival in May, where they both had movies premiere The actresses were dressed in similarly dressy casual looks for their night outJennifer Lawrence and Dakota Johnson are having a night just for the girls. The two actresses were spotted dining out together at a restaurant in New York City on Saturday, May 31. Arriving together in a car, The Hunger Games star, 34, and Madame Web actress, 35, almost matched in dressy casual looks, the former in an all-black ensemble and the latter in a black top, brown blazer and gray dress pants. They also both sported wavy hair and sideswept bangs. Lawrence accessorized with an oxblood-covered purse and gold necklaces, while Johnson opted for a gemstone necklace and bright orange handbag. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Johnson, who is currently dating Coldplay singer Chris Martin, an ex of Lawrence's, supported her friend recently at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival. The actresses were photographed hugging and laughing together at the May 17 after-party for Lawrence's movie Die, My Love following its buzzy premiere at the fest. The duo's friendship is a bicoastal one; last October, Johnson and Lawrence grabbed beverages together in Los Angeles. The Silver Linings Playbook Oscar winner, pregnant at the time, has since welcomed her second child with Cooke Maroney, her husband since 2019. Johnson and Martin, 48, were first romantically linked in 2017. Last August, a rep for the 50 Shades of Grey actress debunked rumors that they had broken up, while a source noted that the couple "are both very independent and actually have lives outside of their relationship too." Lawrence costars with Robert Pattinson and LaKeith Stanfield in director Lynne Ramsay's Die, My Love, to be released by Mubi at a to-be-announced date. The actress-producer reportedly has The Wives, a murder mystery inspired by the Real Housewives reality franchise, in the works. Johnson stars with Pedro Pascal and Chris Evans in Celine Song's A24 romantic drama Materialists, in theaters June 13. She also features in Michael Angelo Covino's Splitsville, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival on May 19 and will be released by Neon on Aug. 22. Read the original article on People
Miami Herald
7 hours ago
- Miami Herald
7,100-year-old skeleton reveals origins of ‘ghost' lineage in Tibetan Plateau
For tens of thousands of years, the people and cultures of southeast Asia have intertwined, moved around and diversified through time. The region, primarily encompassing modern-day China, is brought together today by shared language and culture, reflected now in their genetic makeup. But one group remains genetically isolated, separated geographically and culturally. The people of the Tibetan Plateau, an area also known as the Xizang Autonomous Region by the Chinese government and under the control of China, have what archaeologists have called a 'ghost ancestry,' researchers said in a study published May 29 in the peer-reviewed journal Science. Their genetic code varies 'significantly from modern East Asians,' researchers said in a May 29 news release from the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Where and how this divergence occurred was a mystery, until the remains of a person from 7,100 years ago were found in Yunnan, China, according to the study. 'Nestled between the Tibetan Plateau, Southeast Asia, and southern China, the region known today as the Chinese province of Yunnan is home to the highest ethnic and linguistic diversity in China today. Ancient humans that lived in this region may be key to addressing several remaining questions on the prehistoric populations of East and Southeast Asia,' researchers said. The remains of a woman were found at the Xingyi archaeological site in central Yunnan, a site that dates to between 7,158 and 6,888 years ago, according to the study. The 7,100-year-old remains were included in an analysis of genomes from 127 ancient bodies found in the region, researchers said, but were distinct among the findings. The woman was found below all other layers of other burials, researchers said, and was dated to about 1,500 years older than the other remains. 'Although the individual genetically differed significantly from modern East Asians, the researchers noted that the individual's ancestry shared qualities similar to those of populations indigenous to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau,' researchers said. 'This aligns with previous observations that these plateau populations have certain genetic characteristics that make them distinct from other present-day human groups.' Researchers called the finding a 'large piece of the puzzle,' because it explained that after an early Asian population separated in southwestern China around 40,000 years ago, it persisted in the region. Then, when humans migrated westward and north, the lineage went on to start the native Tibetan populations, according to the release. The lineage was named the 'Basal Asian Xingyi ancestry,' according to the study, and will help researchers learn more about the history of the Tibetan Plateau. Tibet is an autonomous region controlled by China, which is on Tibet's northern border. Yunnan Province in south-central China. The research team includes Tianyi Wang, Melinda A. Yang, Zhonghua Zhu, Minmin Ma, Han Shi, Leo Speidel, Rui Min, Haibing Yuan, Zhilong Jiang, Changcheng Hu, Xiaorui Li, Dongyue Zhao, Fan Bai, Peng Cao, Feng Liu, Qingyan Dai, Xiaotian Feng, Ruowei Yang, Xiaohong Wu, Xu Liu, Ming Zhang, Wanjing Ping, Yichen Liu, Yang Wan, Fan Yang, Ranchao Zhou, Lihong Kang, Guanghui Dong, Mark Stoneking and Qiaomei Fu.
