Vote up the celebrities with the most surprising degrees.
Not every celebrity knew from the get-goĀ they wanted to perform. Many future stars arrive atĀ college withoutĀ their sights set on studying performing arts. In fact,Ā they often go inĀ aĀ completely different direction, resulting inĀ plenty of celebrities with weird college degrees. The choices may not make much sense now,Ā but these celebrities once considered jobsĀ that didn't involve the limelight.Ā
The weirdest celebrity college degrees include an adult film star with a master's in education, a rock icon who's also an astrophysicist, and a comedy legend who studied electrical engineering. While their careers worked out a little differently thanĀ originally planned, it's doubtful any of them mind -Ā especially the celebrities who worked weird jobs before getting famous. Regardless, not a single one needs to worry about repaying student loans for degrees they'll never use.
Queen's Brian May earned a Bachelor of Science in physics, with honors, in the '70s. In 2007, he returned to finish his PhD in astrophysics at the same university, Imperial College London. His doctoral thesis tackled the motions of interplanetary dust.
Before becoming an action star, Dolph Lundgren was something of a brainiac. Lundgren earned a Master of Science in chemical engineering from the University of Sydney in 1982. And the Swedish actor also won a Fulbright Scholarship to further his education at MIT - before fame intervened.
KISS frontman Gene Simmons wasn't always the scary, tongue-wagging character he plays onstage. Simmons holds an associate degree from Sullivan County Community College and a Bachelor of Arts in education from Richmond College. He even taught sixth grade at one point. In 1970, just after completing his degree, he formed KISS.
The man behind Mr. Bean is light-years away from the clumsiness of his most famous character. Rowan Atkinson earned a Master of Science in electrical engineering from Oxford. While at university, he began writing and performing, so Atkinson apparently knew where he wanted his career to ultimately go.
"Weird Al" Yankovic graduated from California Polytechnic State University with a Bachelor of Arts in architecture. Immediately after graduating, he knew architecture wasn't for him. So, what's a newly-minted architect to do? Yankovic elected to work in the mail room of a radio company in Culver City, CA, until his musical career began.
Gerard Butler earned a Bachelor of Law degree from the University of Glasgow, before landing an apprenticeship at a leading Edinburgh law firm. A trip to the Edinburgh Film Festival to see Trainspotting, however, changed his entire career trajectory. Butler told Esquire:
The guy playing the lead role was phenomenal. It was such an incredible atmosphere. And I'm dying inside. This is the life I wanted to live. I can do this. I know I can do this. But it's past now. It's gone. I'm 25. I missed that opportunity. A week later, they [the law firm] fire me.
