6 Celebrities That You Didn’t Know Had A Masters Degree

Movies, TV shows and other projects designed to distract us from our programs and daily foibles like tax audits and that giant purple thing on your back might make celebrities seems like
brainless meat-heads, but looks can be deceiving (except in the case of Leonard Nimoy who looks like the ‘Magic: The Gathering’ player in all of us). Some of the biggest names in movies, TV, music and sports didn’t plan on becoming star drenched celebrities who get free dinners at high class restaurants and physical affection from strangers.

Dolph Lundgren

The hulking, blond anti-hero of “Rocky 4” might look like the dumbest member of any group of muscle-headed weight lifters, but he’s actually much smarter than he looks and could pound you into a fine paste for calling him dumb (don’t hit me). The actor, a native of Stockholm, actually pursued a degree in chemical engineering from the University of Sydney in Australia, a degree he earned from a very prestigious scholarship that led to an even more prestigious scholarship to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology where he was certain to become of the world’s top engineers in his field. Instead he chose to chuck it all away and go to New York to become an actor where he earned his big debut in the James Bond thriller “A View to a Kill” and achieved fame in the aforementioned “Rocky” sequel.

Leonard Nimoy

The man who made Mr. Spock a household name seems like the average above average intellectual who cut his teeth on the world of higher knowledge and found fame by chucking it all away on a crazy dream. Maybe it’s because he’s known for playing a character with a purely intellectual and logical personality who fails to grasp intangible concepts. Maybe it’s because he has a following of equally nerdy and bookish fanboys who also have the social skills of a caffienated gerbil. It’s surprising to learn, however, that this actor turned renaissance man actually has a  masters degree that greater men could grasp if their brains had opposable thumbs. The “Star Trek” star actually earned his masters in education from Antioch University, which I’m sure made millions of Trekkies in the 60’s very conflicted about either getting to enjoy the greatness of “Star Trek” or getting to learn about quadrilateral triangles from the likes of Mr. F -ing Spock. He also has an honorary degree from his alma mater for his efforts to honor the victims of the Holocaust.

Dexter Holland

The lead singer of the California punk band The Offspring might seem like your typical spiky headed speed freak with a penchant for destruction and a love for all things on fire. However, his collegiate background could screw up with your entire view of the universe Holland graduated valedictorian of high school and enrolled at USC to study biology, a form of science that most of his fans don’t even know what it studies. He stuck it out for a few more years and earned his masters degree in molecular biology, a field of study that even the world’s smartest people couldn’t wrap their heads around without part of them exploding. He was about to start earning his PhD in the field when he made his entire family faint by announcing he was chucking it all away to pursue a career in music.

Rowan Atkinson

The man who made Black Adder and Mr. Bean characters beloved the world over (except by people in Britain, for some reason) seems like he had been aspiring to be a career comedian all of his life. His actual ambitions had a much different focus. The film, stage and screen star was far from being the class clown of his school. In fact, he was teased mercilessly and considered himself deadly serious and scientific of mind and when it came time to go to college, he attended Newcastle University where he earned a masters in electrical engineering. It wasn’t until he moved to Oxford that he discovered his gift for writing and acting in comedies.

Terry Martin

This Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) powerhouse makes his living beating people to a pulp until they either stop screaming or breathing. However, his path could have been much different if he followed his college masters degree. He would have done the same thing to people for a living, except it would focus more on their wallets. Martin actually studied at Northern Illinois University and Concordia University where he earned a masters in psychology and even though he’s still fighting as a very successful middleweight fighter, he’s still working towards getting his doctorate in clinical psychology. So if he can’t solve all of his patients’ problems, at least he can punch them until their faces cave in. Now there’s some awesome behavioral therapy.

Ron Jeremy

Few people thought that this hairy best of unforgiving folds and flesh would not only choose to become a porn star but would also becomes the world’s most successful and recognized porn star. Then again, if Donald Trump can be considered a viable presidential candidate for more than a second without laughing, I guess anything is possible. Before he jumped into the world of professional fornicating, he was a teacher after earning a masters in special education from Queens College. He was actually working as a special ed teacher throughout the New York City school system when he was then girlfriend sent a naked photo of him to Playgirl and the images that appeared in the magazine earned him a truckload of fan mail and offers to do adult features.