Why not ask me?
"A lot of school is about developing alliances, contacts and a self image," he [Cowen] says, "and if you’re a movie star, you don’t really need those things."
Here is much more.
Why don’t young celebrities go to college?
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I think it’s more interesting to ask why young celebrities do go to college. Natalie Portman(“I’m going to college. I don’t care if it ruined my career. I’d rather be smart than a movie star.”) went to college. Mayim Bialik went to college and studied neuroscience. Danica McKellar went to college and studied mathematics. All three were child stars.
Maybe because they’re generally not smart?
Many pro athletes only went because there wasn’t a developmental league (football, basketball).
Actually, going away to school could theoretically help a child star transition to adult roles, a la Jodie Foster. It’s an acceptable hiatus and when you return you may be seen as having more depth. It certainly would seem to do more for your image than clubbing for four years.
Winnie Cooper … er, Danica McKellar … actually has a referred publication: Percolation and Gibbs states multiplicity for ferromagnetic Ashkin-Teller models on Z^2.
She probably made more money as Winnie Cooper than writing about percolation and Gibbs states multiplicity though …
I haven’t acted in a “major role” since the 4th grade (I had the most lines in the 4th grade play), but one of the reasons that I got the main part was simply because I could remember the lines. I’d say it takes some intelligence to memorize lines and deliver them on cue, and I think people miss that (and don’t tell me many college classes are more than that – the best positive comment I ever received on those anonymous teaching forms was that the game theory course actually made this student think as opposed to memorize) – maybe that applies to live performances more than those that are not filmed live. I think most people believe actors just show up without putting in any work, just like they believe that athletes show up without doing any work (especially the big stars in both fields). This is simply not true, Allen Iverson and his disdain for practice aside.
PS If Prof. Cowen allows this ad to stay I will GLADLY split the profits 50/50 with MR. Just letting Jessica’s Alba and Biel, among others, know that I am available for private tutoring in economics. Hopefully a big donation is in MR’s future … quick someone make a betting market for my getting a client …
It was (perhaps is) more than an intellectual hobby for Ms. Portman (Hershlag). While she was at Harvard she helped with some serious frontal lobe research:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=pubmed&Cmd=ShowDetailView&TermToSearch=12202098
I just read something about her a few days before reading this post. There is also Peter (Robocop) Weller who has pursued an advanced degree and teaching position (stardom- college teaching– same thing really). There have been professionals and pro athletes who quit to join the armed forces and leave behind riches. It’s not really rare.
They don’t, because, as Paris would say: “college is hard”.
Brown University has become the favorite of those who do go as Brown has no graduation requirements and accepts the not-so-bright of oh-so-rich parents.
I blame the parents.
I admire Natalie Portman (she was awesome in The Professinal) and Brooke Shields and others who went to university and learned something.
My next two interviews come from social networks where the node next to mine was a former college roommate. Neither are in my field.
Most people go to college to prepare for a career. Celebrities already have one.
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To Dave Barnes: Brown does have graduation requirements. Idiot.
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