Then and Now: A Glimpse into Celebrities’ School Days

Reese Witherspoon

Reese Witherspoon has adored books since childhood. Even now, she confesses that she loses control in bookstores and struggles to resist the urge to buy half the selection. After high school, the actress enrolled in university but dropped out after a year to fully dedicate herself to her career.

Miley Cyrus

Miley Cyrus dropped out of school to focus on her career in acting and music. However, she doesn’t completely dismiss the idea of getting an education. “I firmly believe that you can always go back to school at any age because my grandma went to college at 62”, Miley says.

Taylor Swift

In an interview with Inquirer Entertainment, Taylor Swift shared that she became interested in performing arts even before she started pursuing music. From childhood, she participated in theatrical productions. At the age of 11, she won a local talent competition for her performance of LeAnn Rimes’ song “Big Deal”, and as a prize, she got the opportunity to open for Charlie Daniels, which marked her first encounter with the country music scene.

Paris Hilton

Paris Hilton was born into an extremely wealthy family – her great-grandfather founded the international hotel chain Hilton. She never lacked for anything and lived in luxury from a young age. She didn’t finish high school because she was offered a modeling opportunity – a decision her family approved of.

Orlando Bloom

Orlando’s father passed away when he was four years old, and the upbringing of both him and his older sister Samantha fell on the shoulders of their mother, who had severed ties with marriage, and Colin Stone, who was appointed as their guardian. Later, when Orlando turned thirteen, his mother confessed to him that Colin Stone was actually his biological father. Orlando Bloom struggled with dyslexia, and school was very challenging for him due to this condition, often making him a target of ridicule among his peers.

Chris Evans

During his schooling, Chris Evans had a strong interest in humanities subjects and was rather distant from exact sciences. He also harbored dreams of becoming an explorer and living in the woods, which led him to collect survival manuals. He wanted to be brave and adventurous, although while engrossed in comics at school, he couldn’t have imagined that he would one day transform into a superhero.

Naomi Watts

At the age of 18, Naomi Watts decided to become a model and signed a contract with a modeling agency, which sent her to Japan. However, after several unsuccessful auditions, she returned to Sydney. There, Watts was hired for a department store advertisement that caught the attention of the magazine Follow Me, which hired her as an assistant fashion editor. A chance invitation to participate in a theater workshop inspired Watts to leave her job and pursue acting.

Jessica Chastain

In her teenage years, Jessica Chastain was involved in dancing. In 1995, she graduated from El Camino Fundamental High School in Sacramento. After high school, Chastain portrayed Juliet in a production of “Romeo and Juliet.”

Jennifer Love Hewitt

By the age of five, Jennifer Love Hewitt had completed classes in tap dancing and ballet. At nine years old, she was a member of the “Texas Show Team.” At the age of ten, on the advice of talent scouts, she moved to Los Angeles, California, with her mother to continue her acting and music career there.

Jennifer Aniston

Aniston attended a Steiner School in New York. When she was 9 years old, her parents divorced. She stayed with her mother but often visited her father in Los Angeles, where John Aniston played one of the main roles in the TV series “Days of Our Lives.” At the age of 11, Jennifer started participating in the drama club at the Rudolf Steiner School. She continued her professional training in 1987 at LaGuardia High School of Performing Arts in New York. After completing her education there, she took part in several Broadway productions.

Jennifer Lawrence

Jennifer Lawrence was hyperactive from childhood. She preferred playing with boys and earned the nickname “Nitro” due to her courage and boundless energy.

Anne Hathaway

Anne was named after Shakespeare’s wife, Anne Hathaway. She graduated from Millburn High School. In her childhood, she participated in theater and eventually decided to dedicate her life to the acting profession.

Kim Kardashian

In her childhood, Kim Kardashian enjoyed roller-skating and dreamed of becoming a teacher. However, fate had a different plan, and now Kim is known all around the world.

Selena Gomez

According to Selena Gomez’s recollections, her family faced significant financial hardships; her mother worked four jobs to support her as the only child. Gomez also had very close relationships with her maternal grandparents, who played a significant role in her upbringing.

Leonardo Di Caprio

Leonardo Di Caprio was first shown on television when he was just 2.5 years old: his father took the young Leo to a popular children’s TV show.

Robert Downey Jr.

Robert Downey Jr. made his film debut at the age of five, playing a sick puppy in the movie “Pound.” At the age of seven, he appeared in “Greaser’s Palace.” When he was ten years old, Downey lived in England and studied classical ballet. After his parents’ divorce in 1978, Downey moved to California with his father, but in 1982, he left Santa Monica High School and moved back to New York to continue his acting career.

Meghan Markle

In her youth, Meghan Markle earned a living through calligraphy, hand-lettering wedding invitations.

Tom Cruise

In his childhood, Tom Cruise struggled with a small stature, crooked teeth, and dyslexia. He changed schools 15 times before the age of 14. Tom Cruise realized his calling for acting when, at the urging of a teacher, he took on a role in a school production.

Angelina Jolie

Angelina Jolie was a challenging teenager; for instance, at the age of 12, she started collecting knives. Her mother was so concerned about her mental well-being that she had to take her to a psychotherapist due to her wild behavior.

Charlize Theron

From childhood, Charlize Theron dreamed of becoming a ballerina. However, at the age of 19, she injured her leg, which forced her to abandon her dream of being a dancer. Despite her modest appearance, directors noticed her, and she achieved remarkable success in the film industry.

Jessica Alba

Jessica Alba was born into a poor family and spent her childhood dreaming of escaping poverty. At the age of 13, Jessica suffered from insults by the mother of one of her peers at school. Unpleasant experiences also arose when she interacted with the principal – she remembers them to this day.

Mila Kunis

“In childhood, I looked funny – big eyes, big ears, big lips. I was constantly mocked for it, and it was terrible,” recalls Mila Kunis.

Sarah Jessica Parker

After her parents’ divorce, Sarah Jessica Parker and her two brothers and sister moved in with their stepfather’s family. The family was large, as the stepfather also had four children, but each child was always given attention, including Sarah. Recognizing her talent, her parents aimed to turn her into an actress. As early as 1976, Parker got a role in the production of “The Innocents”, and shortly thereafter participated in the musical “The Sound of Music”.

Quentin Tarantino

From a young age, Quentin Tarantino was more interested in movies than in school. Perhaps this was due to the fact that many subjects were difficult for him. This was because of his dyslexia, a condition he struggled with from childhood. Quentin had a hard time learning to write, struggled with numbers, and had difficulty telling time. However, this did not prevent him from becoming a screenwriter of truly iconic films.

Jackie Chan

In his childhood, Jackie Chan was an ordinary child from a poor Chinese family. His mother worked as a maid, and his father was a cook. They fled to Hong Kong during the civil war, and in 1960, they moved to Australia. Jackie himself was sent to study at the China Drama Academy, where he learned acting, philosophy, and martial arts. He lived in the closed school for 10 years.

Jim Carrey

Jim Carrey was born into a Catholic family and attended a religious school. His father was laid off, and the family experienced serious financial difficulties. After school, Jim worked 8 hours a day to help his family. He became introverted and reclusive. When he turned 16, he dropped out of school and moved to Toronto to pursue a career in comedy. He stormed the stages of comedy clubs and achieved success. The young actor supported his family and even moved them to Los Angeles for a period of time.

Pink

Watching Pink light up her concerts, it’s hard to believe that she has been dealing with asthma since the age of 2. From childhood, she learned to manage her breathing and vocal cords so that the condition wouldn’t hinder her singing.

Ashton Kutcher

At the age of 13, Ashton Kutcher almost jumped from the balcony of a city hospital – he was stopped by his father. When he was 16, his parents divorced. While in his senior year of high school, Ashton broke into his own school one night with the intention of stealing, but he was arrested on the spot. He was sentenced to 180 hours of community service and 3 years of probation. According to Kutcher’s own admission, this event shook him deeply, as he lost his girlfriend and his university scholarship. Not to mention the condemnation he and his family faced from their acquaintances and church community.

Liv Tyler

“I dropped out of school when I was 14. I hated it, the uniform, and being forced to sit at a desk all day. Those conditions just weren’t for me”, reminisces Liv Tyler.