A high school diploma or equivalent is generally considered a prerequisite for success in today’s world. Still, several celebrities have bucked the trend and achieved fame and fortune without one. 

Some of these celebrities are Hollywood stars who dropped out of high school to pursue acting careers, while others are musicians or entrepreneurs who left school to start their businesses. Whatever their reasons for dropping out, these celebrities have succeeded despite not having a high school diploma. So, while some may view dropping out as a negative thing, these celebrities have shown that it is possible to achieve great things without a formal education.  

So if you’re feeling discouraged about your high school grades or worried about what you’ll do after graduation, remember that you can still be successful even if you don’t have a diploma.

Celebrities Who Dropped Out Of High School

10. Seth Rogen

I dropped out of high school and went and worked on a TV show,” Seth Rogen is a Canadian actor, comedian, writer, and producer. He studied at Vancouver’s Neighborhood Playhouse for two years. Rogen then dropped out of high school to pursue a career in entertainment.

9. Michael J. Fox

You’re making a big mistake, Fox,” Michael J. Fox is one of many celebrities who dropped out of high school. In his case, it was to pursue a career in acting. After landing several minor television roles, he was cast as Teen Wolf in the 1985 movie of the same name.

The role made him a star, and he soon became one of the most popular actors in Hollywood. While his early success was enjoyable, Fox later admitted that he regretted not completing his education. “It’s something I regret,” he said in an interview with The Guardian. “The education I got at home and on the set was invaluable, but I would have liked to have gone to college.

8. Ewan McGregor

Ewan McGregor is one celebrity who dropped out of high school. He is a very successful actor, having starred in Moulin Rouge! and Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith. However, he has said that he would have finished high school if he could do it over again.

7. Kristen Stewart

“I was glad to leave school,” Kristen Stewart is one of the celebrities who dropped out of high school. She left school when she was 15 to pursue her acting career. Stewart has said that she regrets not getting her diploma, but she believes that her experiences outside of formal education have helped her become a more well-rounded person.

6. John Travolta

John Travolta is one of the celebrities who dropped out of high school. After attending three schools, he finally dropped out at the age of 16 to pursue a career in acting. He later said that this was a mistake and should have finished his education. However, his lack of a diploma has not stopped him from becoming one of the most successful actors in Hollywood.

5. Emma Stone

 “I was playing a senior,”  there are a few celebrities who dropped out of high school. For example, Emma Stone. Emma Stone is a very successful actress. She was born in Arizona in 1988. When she was 14 years old, she and her family moved to Los Angeles so that she could pursue an acting career.

However, when she was 15 years old, she decided to drop out of high school and move back to Arizona to focus on her acting career.

In 2007, when she was 18 years old, she moved back to Los Angeles and enrolled in a homeschooling program to still finish high school. A few years later, in 2010, she graduated from high school and then enrolled at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts.

4. Charlize Theron

“I wore nerdy glasses. Charlize Theron is a successful actress known for her roles in movies such as “The Devil’s Advocate” and “Monster.” What many people don’t know about her, however, is that she dropped out of high school.

Theron has said that she regrets this decision and wishes she had finished her education. She has even partnered with the Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Project, which helps provide access to education for African girls.

3. Mark Wahlberg

 “I never made it past the ninth grade,” Mark Wahlberg is one of the many celebrities who dropped out of high school. He left his education behind to pursue a career in music.

This decision worked out for him, as he became a successful rapper and actor. Wahlberg has starred in major Hollywood films, such as The Fighter and Ted. Despite his successful career, Wahlberg regrets not completing his high school education. He has stated that he thinks it would have helped him in his professional life.

2. Jessica Chastain

“ Entertainment Weekly. “ Jessica Chastain is one of the many celebrities who dropped out of high school. She left to pursue a career in acting, and it has paid off. Her first significant role was in the movie Jolene, released in 2008. She has since starred in many other hit films, such as The Help, The Tree of Life, and Zero Dark Thirty.

1. Chris Rock

 “After I left high school and got my GED,” Rock was born in Andrews, South Carolina, the son of Rosalie (née Tingman), a teacher, and Charles Rock, a truck driver. He was raised in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn. His mother died in 1988 after being hit by a car on the Long Island Expressway.