Once Horace Mann said, “A human being is not attaining his full heights until he is educated.” It is applicable for everyone but not on a few persons as they got success despite lack of education and became a beacon for the rest of world. These people could not get proper education due to various reasons like lack of finances, odd situations, lack of interest in study, etc. Now they are known as world’s most intelligent peoples because milestones established by them as Einstein, Newton, etc.
Similarly Hollywood share characteristics with such great genius, Hollywood has a long list of peoples who could not received formal education but topped heights of arts. They are actors, directors, musicians, writers and producers too. Here is a list of some brilliant actors who either won Oscar award or nominated for Oscar Awards. Some of them completed their formal education later and their list is separate.
Al Pacino – actor
Anthony Quinn – actor
Bryan Adams – songwriter-singer
Burton Lane – American songwriter- film/ stage composer
Cary Grant – actor
Catherine Zeta Jones – actress-singer-dancer
Celine Dion – Canada born author & singer
Charles Durn – actor
Charlie Chaplin – actor-writer-director- producer
Charlize Theron – actress; former model
Cher – actress-singer; best-selling American author
Clark Gable – actor
Claude Berri – French film director- producer
Courtney Love – actress; rock star
Cuba Gooding Jr. – actor
D.W. Griffith – American film director
David Lean – British film director (Lawrence of Arabia, Dr. Zhivago, etc.); knighted (United Kingdom: Sir David Lean)
David Puttnam – British film producer
Djimon Hounsou – actor; former model
Duke Ellington – American composer- bandleader
Elaine May – screenwriter-actress- director-comedienne; American author
Ellen Burnstyn – actress
Elton John – songwriter-singer
Eminem – songwriter-singer; rap music singer
Frank Sinatra – actor-singer
Garson Kanin – screenwriter; playwright- stage director
Gene Autry – singer-songwriter; authored and co-authored more than 200 songs; He is the only person to have five stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in honor of career achievements in five entertainment fields.
George Burns – actor-comedian; American author
George Gershwin – American songwriter- composer
George Harrison – songwriter-singer-guitarist; former member of “The Beatles”
Gerard Depardieu – actor
Greta Garbo – actress
Groucho Marx – actor-comedian; American author (elementary school dropout)
Heath Ledge – actor
Humphrey Bogart – actor
Irving Berlin – American songwriter-composer; film storywriter
Jack Albertson – actor
Jackie Gleason – actor-comedian
Jeanne Eagels – actress; Broadway actress
Jim Dale – songwriter-singer; actor
Joan Crawford – actress; American author; former dancer
Joaquin Phoenix – actor
Joe Pesci – actor
John Boorman – British film director
John Huston – American film director-actor
John Travolta – actor
Johnny Depp – actor
Jude Law – actor
Julie Andrew – actress; singer
Kate Winslet – actress
Laurence Harvey – actor
Lee Marvin – actor
Lillian Gish – actress;
Liza Minnelli – actress-singer
Marlon Brando – actor; American author
Mary Pickford – actress; co-founder of “United Artists Corporation”
Matt Dillon – actor
Maurice Chevalier – actor-singer
Melina Mercouri – actress; Greek-born author; Greek politician
Michael Caine – actor; best-selling British author
Neil Young – songwriter-singer
Nicole Kidman – actress
Noel Coward – actor-director-producer- playwright-composer
Patty Duke – actress; former president of the Screen Actors Guild
Paul Hogan – screenwriter-actor
Peter Allen – Australian songwriter-composer-singer.
Peter Bogdanovich – American film director-screenwriter
Peter Jackson – Director-writer-producer (The Lord of the Rings trilogy)
Peter O’ Toole – actor; Irish-born author
Peter Ustinov – actor-writer-director
Phil Collins – songwriter-singer.
Prince – songwriter-composer-musician; actor
Quentin Tarantino – American film writer-director
Ringo Starr – songwriter-musician-singer; actor; former member of “The Beatles”
Robert De Niro – actor-producer
Robert Evans – American film producer, author.
Robert Mitchum – actor; American author
Russell Crowe – actor
Sammy Cahn – American songwriter-composer
Sophia Loren – actress; best-selling Italian- born author; former model (elementary school dropout)
Sydney Poitier – actor
Tom Cruise – actor
Tom Stoppard – British screenwriter
Toni Collette – actress
Uma Thurman – actress; model
Whoopie Goldber – actress-comedienne
William Saroyan – screenwriter; book author
This is another list of Hollywood celebrities who are either Oscar winner or Oscar nominated for their work. Though they could not complete their study thereafter they earned equivalent degree or honorary diploma/ degree through their efforts. Some of them received higher educational degree too.
Angelina Jolie – actress; United Nations goodwill ambassador
Bob Hope – actor-writer-producer; comedian; TV host; author (obtained honorary high school diploma from Palm Springs High School at age 87 in June 1990)
Bob Hoskins – actor
Danny Aiello – actor
Gene Hackman – actor; American author
Harvey Keitel – actor
Hilary Swank – actress
James Garner – actor
Juliette Lewis – actress
Karen Black – actress-screenwriter- producer-songwriter-singer
Nicolas Cage – actor
Leonardo DiCaprio – actor
Robert Downey Jr – actor
Rod Steiger – actor
Sean Connery – actor
Steve McQueen – actor
Walt Disney – American film/TV producer; animation, theme park pioneer; self-made multimillionaire founder (received honorary high-school diploma from hometown high school at age 58)
Willie Nelson – songwriter-singer
Related posts:
