Celebrities who didn't finish high school

Many of the celebrities we adore, before becoming benchmarks in the entertainment world, had to overcome various challenges to achieve success, and often, they chose to sacrifice their studies. In this gallery, we'll discover the stars who left school behind to follow their artistic calling. Let's start with Kate Winslet, who, according to Vanity Fair, dropped out of school at the age of 16.

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Vanity Fair also reports that despite attending Broome Memorial Primary School and Combermere High School, Rihanna never completed her educational journey, as she started her artistic career as a teenager.

According to Harper's Bazaar, the star of 'Mission Impossible' and 'Top Gun' also never completed his studies, opting instead to dedicate himself fully to an acting career.

Nicole Kidman, born in Honolulu, Hawaii but raised in Sydney, Australia, decided to drop out of high school at the age of 16 in 1983 to fully dedicate herself to her acting career, she has told media. Also, her husband Keith Urban didn't get that degree either.

Demi Moore left school at the age of 16 and did not complete her high school education. Raised in an unstable family environment, the stunning actress known for hits like 'Ghost' and 'Indecent Proposal' faced many personal challenges before reaching the heights of Hollywood, according to Vanity Fair.

"Al Pacino, born on April 25, 1940, in New York City, attended the High School of Performing Arts but did not complete his studies, according to encyclopedia.com

The director of 'Pulp Fiction' and 'Kill Bill' dropped out of high school in Harbor City, Los Angeles, to pursue his passion for cinema, starting to work at an adult movie theater while writing screenplays when he was just 15, according to Business Insider.

It's well-known that Britney Spears was just 16 years old when she left school to start her singing career, which led her to the incredible success of '...Baby One More Time' in a very short time.

Catherine Zeta-Jones attended Dumbarton House School in Swansea, but her career took off before she completed her school journey, according to IMDb.

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Jude Law attended Kidbrooke School and then Alleyn's School, but there are no specific details confirming his graduation. At 17, still a teenager, he began acting in the soap opera 'Families,' according to Vanity Fair.

According to Vanity Fair, just like Spears, Avril Lavigne also had to leave school due to her musical success at a very young age. The singer made her debut in 2002 with the single 'Complicated' when she was still a teen.

In rehab at age 13, emancipated from her mother at 14, the very adult-seeming teen decided to drop out of school at around the same time, according to Business Insider.

Johnny Depp, an accidental actor, left school to dedicate himself, not to cinema, but to his greatest passion: music! He was just 16 years old when he did so, according to Britannica.

John Travolta, star of unforgettable films such as 'Saturday Night Fever' and 'Grease,' chose to leave the Dwight Morrow High School and his high school sweetheart when he moved to New York and dropped out, according to Business Insider.

"According to Vanity Fair, Keanu Reeves dropped out of his school in Canada because he didn't get along with the principal. He said he was one of those kids who always asked too many questions about everything. He also has dyslexia, which makes school more challenging, according to the dyslexia foundation LDRFA.

Jim Carrey was an exemplary student, but he had to leave school due to family problems. His father lost his job, so young Jim had to leave school to help his family, according to biography.com.

The two-time Oscar winner, Hilary Swank, has said: "I'm not proud to say I'm a high-school dropout [...] but it happened. I think school is really, really important, and we have an education problem in this country and it's a shame. It's a shame for any kid to feel hopeless about their future," according to Business Insider.

The supermodel Gisele Bündchen was discovered in a shopping mall and left school at age 14 to pursue her career, according to Harper's.

Katy Perry left the desks of Santa Barbara Dos Pueblos High School when she was 15 years old to fully dedicate herself to a music career, according to Vanity Fair.

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