Think fame and textbooks don’t mix? Think again. From astrophysicists with arena tours to comedians with law degrees, these celebs took surprising academic detours. Meet the stars whose majors—yes, real ones—make their résumés even more delightfully unexpected.
1. Natalie Portman’s Harvard Psychology Degree
Natalie Portman didn’t just ace the acting world—she aced academia, too. The Oscar winner graduated from Harvard University in 2003 with a degree in psychology, balancing coursework with early career buzz from the Star Wars prequels. Portman even co-authored scientific papers and later took graduate classes at Hebrew University. Her choice of major makes sense: she’s long been fascinated by how people think and behave.
This arguably deepened roles like Black Swan. Portman famously skipped a Star Wars premiere to study for finals—a very Jedi move, but also a very Harvard one.