Shaq gets doctorate.

[theweaselking]

Doctor Shaquille O'Neal, PhD in Education

So, celebrities who got non-honorary doctorates *after* stardom...

Shaquille O'Neal, education
Brian May, astrophysics
Miyam Bialik, neuroscience

Who else am I missing?

(via twentytwowords)

Comments

[lederhosen.livejournal.com]

Pamela Stephenson/Connolly, psychology/sex therapy. Though probably better known in the UK than in North America.

Greg Graffin (Bad Religion) has a biology PhD, though I'm not sure of the timing.

[drcuriosity]

I want to read his thesis, now. Or at least associated journal papers.

[crazy-alexy.livejournal.com]

I so very want to read his thesis. And holy crap. I keep forgetting how freaking tall he is. o.o

[dreamshade.livejournal.com]

I saw this and thought, "Hill Giant, CR 12, 1200 XP."

[lafinjack.livejournal.com]

And don't forget the mammoths.

[gebkivistik.livejournal.com]

That's higher education, for sure.

See also: Karl Precoda (Dream Syndicate); Brian Cox (D:ream); Mira Aroyo (Ladytron); Phil Alvin (the Blasters); Drew Daniel (Matmos). Graham Chapman was an M.D.

Not doctorates, but Dolph Lundgren, Rowan Atkinson, David Duchovny and Robocop all have earned Master's degrees.

[theweaselking.livejournal.com]

But how many of those were earned *after* being a star? Chapman, for example, went to med school before Python, not after. Brian May did most of the work before getting famous, but didn't finish the degree. He went back and finished it AFTER his success in music.

[gebkivistik.livejournal.com]

Well, Cox was definitely post stardom. Not even sure the other musicians were "stars" to begin with, so its hard to say whether their degree was pre or post celebritization.

Buckaroo Banzai definitely got his Master's post stardom.

[spartonian.livejournal.com]

Peter Weller = Robocop

[spartonian.livejournal.com]

That's awesome. However, I do take issue with one bit of the article...

After leading the Heat to the NBA title in 2006, O’Neal...

Uh, no. That would be Dwayne Wade. O'neal just happened to be an often injured member of that team.

[cybik.livejournal.com]

Lenny Henry (British comedian, not sure how well known he is outside the UK) is currently studying for a PhD and did his BA and MA after becoming famous. I seem to remember that Bill Cosby has a doctorate, bu I may be wrong.

[theweaselking.livejournal.com]

Bill Cosby got his doctorate before hitting it HUGE, but after being a very successful TV star, so he counts!

[silmaril.livejournal.com]

Oh, that is so awesome. Also, that Dean, or whoever she is, is having the fun of her life. I can't stop grinning.

(....did they use a stepladder so that someone could hood him?)

[theweaselking.livejournal.com]

He kneeled down.




FTA: "the seven-foot-one, 325-pound former Miami Heat center got on one knee so Dr. David M. Kopp could place a light blue hood around his big neck.

O’Neal then stood up and lifted his professor like Tarzan was rescuing Jane."

[eris.livejournal.com]

The other side of the coin that also fascinates me, is those who completed higher education/had "serious" careers, then ditched it for show business.

Ken Jeong, MD, currently of The Hangover, Community, etc, fame is one such example.

[almostwitty]

Depends on how you define serious careers. Ken Jeong and British comedians Graeme Garden and Harry Hill both had medical doctor degrees before going into comedy, but one can argue that if they never practised it, then they didn't have a serious career.

Then again, a fair few doctors seem to want showbiz.

[the-dense.livejournal.com]

i love every bit of this. Kazaam!

[iheartoothecae.livejournal.com]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Franco#Education

He's going Pokemon on degrees (gotta catch 'em all).