Famous School Dropouts - List of Famous School Dropouts - page 3

Education is undoubtedly an important part of every human’s life and it’s widely believed that academic success leads to a secure future. However, there are several individuals who have proved that you don’t always need good grades to be successful in life. You would be surprised to know that some of the world’s greatest entrepreneurs and big achievers, in general, haven’t even graduated from high school. Yet, some of these eminent personalities are role models to millions of people from across the world. Hollywood heartthrobs like Johnny Depp, Jim Carrey, John Travolta, Charlie Sheen, Quentin Tarantino, Katy Perry and Nicolas Cage are some world renowned names who never studied much. Maverick filmmaker Quentin Tarantino’s school teachers would have hardly expected their student to make cult classics like ‘Pulp Fiction’, ‘Reservoir Dogs’ and ‘Inglorious Bastards’. These films didn’t just strike gold at the box office, but garnered a lot of acclaim at film festivals around the world too. Although actors Nicolas Cage and Jim Carrey failed to finish high school, their lives went on to be known as one of the greatest success stories of all time. ‘Pirates Of The Caribbean’ star Johnny Depp’s net worth is estimated to be around $400 Million and interestingly, he isn’t a Harvard or Stanford graduate. These celebrities have proved that graduating from high school and taking up a job like everybody else isn’t the only route to success. Here’s a list of high school dropouts who are famous worldwide for their endeavors.

Johnny Depp, Katy Perry, Tom Cruise and Nicolas Cage are some celebrities who didn't graduate from high school

The Most Famous School Dropouts

NameBirthdayNationalityBio
Charles BukowskiAugust 16, 1920German, AmericanCharles Bukowski was a German-born American novelist, short story writer and poet
Nicole KidmanJune 20, 1967Australian, AmericanNicole Kidman is one of the most talented actors that the Hollywood film industry can boast of
Henry CavendishOctober 10, 1731BritishHenry Cavendish was a theoretical chemist and physicist, renowned for discovery of hydrogen and calculation of the mass of earth
Frank IeroOctober 31, 1981AmericanFrank Iero is an acclaimed American musician
Joaquin PhoenixOctober 28, 1974AmericanJoaquin Phoenix is a famed actor of Hollywood known for the films, ‘Walk the Line’ and ‘Gladiator’
Al PacinoApril 25, 1940AmericanAl Pacino is a very famous American film/stage actor, known for his extraordinary acting skills
Tom CruiseJuly 3, 1962AmericanTom Cruise is an award-winning American actor and filmmaker best known for movies in the ‘Mission: Impossible’ film series
Charles TaylorJanuary 28, 1948LiberianCharles Taylor is a former politician from Liberia, who served as the President of the country for six years
Simon CowellOctober 7, 1959BritishSimon Cowell is a television personality, producer and entrepreneur
Bobby FischerMarch 9, 1943American, IcelanderBobby Fischer is considered one of the greatest chess players of all times
Markus Persson

Markus Persson

Markus Persson is a renowned Swedish video game designer and programmer, best known for creating the hit game Minecraft

SwedishJune 1, 1979385 views

Seth Rogen

Seth Rogen is a Canadian actor and director best known for his comedic roles

CanadianApril 15, 1982175 views

Kristen Stewart

Kristen Stewart is a well-known American actress

AmericanApril 9, 1990209 views

Paul Auster

Paul Auster is an American author, screenwriter and film director

Keith Richards

Keith Richards is the co-founder and guitarist of the rock band, ‘The Rolling Stones’

BritishDecember 18, 1943114 views

Tom Jones

Read about Tom Jones, a famous Welsh singer in this biography which has all the relevant information about his profile, childhood, life and timeline.

BritishJune 7, 1940207 views

Ryan Gosling

Ryan Gosling is an actor and director who achieved stardom with a leading role in the film, ‘The Notebook’

CanadianNovember 12, 1980199 views

Russell Crowe

Russell Crowe is a New Zealand born film actor, producer and musician based in Australia and the U

Randy Travis

Randy Travis is an American country singer-songwriter and actor

AmericanMay 4, 1959137 views

Naomi Klein

Naomi Klein is a famous Canadian author and social activist, known for her international bestseller, ‘No Logo’

CanadianMay 8, 1970145 views