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gifted / talented arts celebrities

some accomplished people  in the arts and entertainment - academic achievements, awards etc

 

Tori Amos       started playing piano at age 2 1/2; at age five, was accepted to the Peabody Conservatory, the youngest person to be accepted to the school. At age 11, she was kicked out. Allison Anders       MacArthur Fellow Laurie Anderson       appointed NASA's first artist-in-residence Rowan Atkinson       Oxford University grad in electrical engineering Kathy Baker       graduated from the University of California, Berkeley with a degree in French Angela Bassett       won a scholarship to Yale Kathy Bates        member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Board of Governors; graduated from Southern Methodist University in Dallas with a BFA in Theater     Emily Bauer double major in Business and Theatre at NYU; graduated Cum Laude and also received the Presidential Honors Scholar award for maintaining one of the highest cumulative G.P.A.'s. [info & photo from emilybauer.com] current acting credit: Art History Student in "Mona Lisa Smile" (2003)  ~ ~   Jennifer Beals       Yale grad in American literature....... Warren Beatty       graduated from Northwestern University Kate Beckinsale       studied French and Russian literature at Oxford     Halle Berry high school honor society member, editor of the school paper, and class president Cate Blanchett       graduated from Australia's National Institute of Dramatic Art Andre Braugher       Stanford University graduate; M.F.A. from Juilliard Amy Brenneman       graduated from Harvard with a degree in comparative religion Jerry Bruckheimer       graduated with a degree in Psychology from the University of Arizona Amanda Bynes       a straight-A student; had her own variety show at age 13 Sid Caesar       studied saxophone at the Julliard School of Music before becoming an actor Jane Campion       BA, Anthropology: Victoria University of Wellington; BA, with a painting major, Sydney College of the Arts Linda Cardellini       grad of Loyola Marymount University with a degree in theatre Stockard Channing       Harvard grad - BA in history and literature Don Cheadle       CalArts - BA in Fine Arts Joan Chen       educated in China at the Shanghai Film Academy and the Shanghai Institute of Foreign Languages; in U.S. at State University of New York at New Paltz, and Cal State Northridge John Cleese       law degree from Downing College, Cambridge University Glenn Close       graduated from the College of William & Mary with a BA in drama and anthropology     Sofia Coppola studied Fine Art at Cal Arts and has worked as a photographer and fashion designer, in addition to film directing Michael Crichton       MD, Harvard Medical School      .......David Cronenberg .......graduated from Toronto University in Literature Matt Damon       studied at Harvard Claire Danes       student at Yale University beginning fall 1998 Ted Danson       degree from Carnegie-Mellon University Geena Davis       grad of Boston University; member of Mensa Philip K. Dick..[1928-1982]       studied German and philosophy at UC Berkeley Michael Douglas       B.A. from U.C. Santa Barbara David Duchovny       undergraduate degree from Princeton University and a graduate degree in English Literature from Yale University Michael Dunn..[1934-1973]       [actor; height 3' 11"]    IQ of 178; concert pianist at age 15, until his career as a pianist was ruined by illness Charles Dutton       attended Drama school at Yale; attended Towson University     Eve Ensler recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship Award in Playwriting; 2002 Amnesty International Media Spotlight Award for Leadership etc. - author of The Vagina Monologues - [info from V-Day profile] ~ ~   Dakota Fanning at the age of 8, she became the youngest person to be nominated....... for a Screen Actors Guild Award Calista Flockhart       graduated from Rutgers University Jane Fonda       attended Vassar College     Jodie Foster Valedictorian: Le Lycee Francais;................. magna cum laude grad of Yale; received honorary Doctorate from Yale....... interview on making "Contact"; being a gifted woman etc James Franciscus       Yale grad Jennifer Garner       theater degree from Ohio's Denison University Sara Gilbert       Yale grad, with honors - majored in art & photography Terry Gilliam       U.C.L.A. graduate Whoopi Goldberg       Ph.D. from New York University in literature     Lauren Graham graduate of Barnard College/Columbia University: BA in English. Southern Methodist University: Master's Degree in Acting Hugh Grant       graduated from Oxford University Brian Grazer       graduated from USC School of Cinema-Television     David Alan Grier       graduate of Yale University....... Fred Gwynne       Harvard University grad Maggie Gyllenhaal      B.A. in English from Columbia University; studied briefly at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London Marcia Gay Harden       graduated from the University of Texas; MFA from the graduate theater program at New York University Mariska Hargitay       speaks French, English, Hungarian and Italian; majored in theatre at UCLA Amy Heckerling       (director: "Fast Times at Ridgemont High," "Clueless"), NYU grad; master's from The American Film Institute Audrey Hepburn[1929-1993]       went to a ballet school in London on a scholarship;  fluent in English, Spanish, French, Dutch, Italian, and Flemish Katharine Hepburn [1907-2003]       grad of Bryn Mawr College: history and philosophy     Christie Hefner elected to Phi Beta Kappa in her junior year of college; graduated from Brandeis University summa cum laude in English and American literature; on Advisory Boards of the National Council on Crime and Delinquency, American Civil Liberties Union and The Creative Coalition etc  [info and photo from Playboy Enterprises profile] ~ ~   Dule Hill began attending dance school when he was 3; studied business  finance at Seton Hall [photo from nbc.com site for The West Wing] Holly Hunter       graduated from Carnegie Mellon University Bill Irwin       Oberlin College grad in theatre arts; grad of Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey's Clown College; received a MacArthur Fellowship Peter Jackson       together with his partner Fran Walsh, received honorary graduation from Massey University, and awarded New Zealand Order of Merit Famke Janssen       speaks Dutch, German, English and French; majored in writing and literature at Columbia University Tommy Lee Jones       cum laude grad of Harvard in English literature      Erica Jong United Nations Award for Excellence in Literature; Sigmund Freud Award for Literature etc; a graduate of Barnard College and Columbia University photo ©James Kriegsmann from her site Ashley Judd       graduate of University of Kentucky; majored in French Stephen King       2003 Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters at the National Book Awards. Met his wife Tabitha King while the two were working at a library as students at the University of Hew Hampshire Charles/Charlie Korsmo       attended Massachusetts Institute of Technology, majoring in physics Kris Kristofferson       won a Rhodes scholarship and studied literature at Oxford University Lisa Kudrow       Vassar graduate; majored in biology Sheila Kuehl       one of the first women admitted to Harvard Law School; currently a member of the California State Assembly.     Tony Kushner bachelors degree from Columbia University;....... postgraduate work at New York Univ Anne Lamott       recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship Jessica Lange       awarded scholarship to study art at the Univ of Minnesota, but went to Paris to study drama Laura Linney       graduated from Brown University John Lithgow       scholarship to Harvard and graduate magna cum laude in 1967; awarded a Fullbright scholarship to London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art Alison Lohman       as a senior in high school, was an awardee of the National Foundation for the Advancement of the Arts Jon Lovitz       graduate of University of California Irvine Dolph Lundgren       master's degree in chemical engineering from the University of Sydney Madonna       won a scholarship because of her excellent grades and studied modern dance and drama for 3 semesters at the University of Michigan David Mamet      Pulitzer prize in Drama for "Glengary Glen Ross"; attended Goddard College Jayne Mansfield       had a reported IQ of 163 Steve Martin       studied philosophy at California State University at Long Beach, and for a while, considered becoming a philosophy professor instead of an actor-comedian Audra McDonald      graduated from The Juilliard School Sarah McLachlan      3 time Grammy Award winner; Lilith Fair raised more than $7 million for charities; awarded the Elizabeth Cady Stanton Visionary Award in 1998 for advancing the careers of women in music. Natasha Melnick       "Possessed with a genius IQ" [imdb.com bio] Debra Messing       graduated from Brandeis University, and received her M.F.A. from New York University Graduate Acting Program Ming-Na      graduated from Carnegie Mellon University Julianne Moore       Boston University: Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.) in acting Toni Morrison       winner of the 1993 Nobel Prize [site] in literature; appointed Robert F. Goheen Professor of the Council of the Humanities at Princeton University; teaching posts at Yale, Bard College, and Rutgers; multiple honorary degrees  [info from oprah.com]     Ellen Muth       member of Mensa....... Mira Nair       University of New Delhi; Harvard grad, sociology Alexandra Nechita       began drawing at the age of two; at seven, was painting with oils and acrylics; first exhibit at age eight  /  more on painting: page 2 Julie Newmar       has a reported I.Q. of 135     Thandie Newton       grad of Cambridge Univ....... Mike Nichols........attended the University of Chicago; studied with Lee Strasberg;helped form Second City comedy troupe Edward Norton       can speak fluent Japanese and received a degree in History from Yale Conan O'Brien       graduated from Harvard University; president of the Harvard Lampoon Frances O'Connor       earned a BA in literature from Curtin University in Western Australia Michael Ondaatje       awardee of the Booker Prize; taught for many years at York University in Toronto, Canada Al Pacino       admitted to the Actors Studio in 1966 Michael Palin       graduate of Oxford; degree in History Anna Paquin       student at Columbia; Oscar for "The Piano" at age 11 Gwyneth Paltrow       attended the University of California Santa Barbara     Mary-Louise Parker graduate of North Carolina School of the Arts....... ~ ~   Amy Pascal co-chairman of Sony Pictures; named Hollywood's most powerful woman by Hollywood Reporter on Dec 2, 2003; on the Board of Trustees of the Rand Corporation; graduated from UCLA in International Relations.  [Pascal far right, with Drew Barrymore - photo by Fred Prouser/Reuters] ~ ~   Piper Perabo in high school, was the president of National Honor Society; graduated summa cum laude from Ohio University Robert Picardo       graduated from Yale University David Hyde Pierce       graduated from Yale University Oliver Platt       graduated from Tufts University Natalie Portman       can speak fluent Hebrew, French, and Japanese; Harvard grad Alan Rachins       member of Mensa Alan Rickman       scholarship to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art Paul Robeson [1898-1976] was the epitome of the 20th-century Renaissance man. 1915 - at age 17, wins a four-year scholarship to Rutgers; is the third African-American to attend the college; 1918 - is one of only four classmates admitted to Phi Beta Kappa in his junior year; 1958 - Countries around the world celebrate Robeson's 60th birthday, including India, which declares a "Paul Robeson Day" He was an exceptional athlete, actor, singer, cultural scholar, author, and political activist. His talents made him a revered man of his time, yet his radical political beliefs all but erased him from popular history. His talents made him a revered man of his time, yet his radical political beliefs all but erased him from popular history. Today, more than one hundred years after his birth, Robeson is just beginning to receive the credit he is due. PBS / American Masters pbs.org Jeri Ryan       national merit scholar and graduate of Northwestern University Adam Sandler       graduated from New York University Fred Savage       graduated from Stanford University     Theodore Seuss Geisel / Dr. Seuss Dartmouth College (BA); Oxford Univ. Brooke Shields       graduated from Princeton University with a B.A. in French Literature Elisabeth Shue       graduated from Harvard with a degree in political science Anna Deavere Smith       MacArthur Fellow     Jimmy Smits       graduated from Cornell University with an M.F.A........ Mira Sorvino       magna cum laude grad of Harvard University; speaks fluent Mandarin Ben Stein       graduated with honors in economics from Columbia University; valedictorian of the 1970 Yale Law School class Parker Stevenson       graduated with a degree in architecture from Princeton Julia Stiles       attending Columbia University, majoring in English lit [Dec 2003] Sharon Stone       grad of Edinboro State Univ of Pennsylvania;  IQ of 154 Meryl Streep       Vassar grad; did post-graduate work at Yale School of Drama Tilda Swinton       Cambridge University graduate     Amy Tan San Jose State University master's degree in linguistics....... ~ ~   Julie Taymor graduated from Oberlin College, Ohio; won two Tony awards (Direction & Costume Design) in 1998 for "The Lion King"; MacArthur Fellow interview on making "Titus" and her work as a stage & film director Emma Thompson       graduated from Cambridge University with a degree in English Literature Lily Tomlin       was a pre-med student at Wayne State University Courtney B. Vance       Harvard grad Mario Van Peebles       B.A. in Economics from Columbia University Kerry Washington       graduated from George Washington University's theater program Sigourney Weaver       graduated from Stanford University; attended Yale School of Drama JoBeth Williams       graduated from Brown University Olivia Williams       has an English degree from Cambridge University Robin Williams       briefly studied political science before enrolling at Juilliard to study theatre; studied acting briefly at Julliard under John Houseman, who told him he was wasting his talent and should strike out on his own and do stand-up comedy. Reese Witherspoon       was a student at Stanford University, studying English literature     Alicia Witt spoke by the age of 2, produced her first "novel" at age four: a six page handwritten story about Mary Tyler Moore from article Girl Prodigies, Some Evidence and Some Speculations ~ ~   Alfre Woodard       studied acting at Boston University....... James Woods       attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, studying political science Jeffrey Wright       Amherst College grad [Political Science] Ed Zwick       Harvard grad       ~ ~ ~ ~ information sources include: article: Surprisingly Smart : Hollywood's Educated Icons [Brain.Com] Internet Movie Database  imdb.com The Steven Barclay Agency site Complete List of MacArthur Fellows

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