EXCLUSIVE: Too Cool For School – Radar Names the Celebs Who Refused to Let Failure to Land High School Diploma Stop Them From Grabbing Success
Radar has named the celebs who found success despite failing to land a high school diploma.
April 16 2026, Published 7:30 a.m. ET
These celebs didn't let not getting a high school diploma stop them from finding success.
Find out who they are, as revealed by RadarOnline.com.
Jeremy Allen White said a teacher surprised him with his diploma at the NYC premiere of 'Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere.'
Jeremy Allen White
The Bear star Jeremy Allen White recently shared a sweet surprise he received from an old teacher who joined him for the NYC premiere of Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere.
"I wasn't a good student because I didn't go to school enough," he said of his time at the city's Professional Performing Arts School, explaining that he never graduated. After the film, his teacher presented him with a gift, he said.
"I was like, 'Ah, you don't have to do this, this is crazy, what are you giving me a gift for?' And I open it up, and it is my high school diploma. So ... at 34 years old, I graduated high school!"
Nicole Kidman
"I didn't finish year 11," 58-year-old Nicole Kidman admitted of her failure to graduate from North Sydney Girls' High School. A shy teen, she sought refuge at the Australian Theater for Young People, where she was encouraged to try acting full-time.
By 16, she was cast in her first film, Bush Christmas, followed by a role on the Aussie TV series Five Mile Creek.
Nicole Kidman left North Sydney Girls' High School before landing roles in 'Bush Christmas' and 'Five Mile Creek.'
Jennifer Lawrence
Jennifer Lawrence didn't even make it to high school! "I dropped out of middle school," the 35-year-old admitted. "I don't technically have a GED or a diploma. I am self-educated." By 2006, she was a working actress and chafed at the idea of going to school.
"It's just this overwhelming feeling of, 'I get this. This is what I was meant to do,'" she said of acting. It paid off: In 2013, she became the second-youngest Best Actress winner at the Oscars.
Jennifer Lawrence said she dropped out before high school and later won Best Actress at the Oscars.
Ryan Gosling
Former child star Ryan Gosling struggled with academics until his mom began homeschooling him during his time on The Mickey Mouse Club. Gosling gave up his studies at 17, however, when he was cast in the TV series Young Hercules.
He later said he was glad he got an early start in Hollywood. "I didn't know any better," the 45-year-old explained. "And I didn't realize how much of an opportunity of failure there was. I think if I just started later on, I might not have taken the risk."
Ryan Gosling quit school at 17 after joining 'Young Hercules' following his time on 'The Mickey Mouse Club.'
Jude Law
"I liked the accumulated knowledge and the minds of good teachers," the 53-year-old said of attending class in Lewisham, England. "But I hated rules and regulations, and the sheep-like qualities school bred."
After apprenticing at the National Youth Music Theater, he dropped out at 16 to take a role in the British soap Families and never looked back. "I was just a big-headed, precocious little git."
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Hilary Swank, who debuted in 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer,' said she is 'not proud' to be a high school dropout.
Hilary Swank
Hilary Swank may have two Oscars, but the 51-year-old regrets leaving school before graduation. "I'm a high school dropout, which I'm not proud to say," she explained. "I had some teachers that I still think of fondly and were amazing to me."
By 15, however, she was determined to become an actress and moved to L.A. with her mom. After some lean years – they famously lived in their car – Swank made her film debut in 1992's Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
