Well-meaning but misguided people often tell English majors that they won’t be able to get a job after they graduate, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth. There are plenty of career opportunities for people with English degrees, and many well-known, successful people started out as English majors.
In this article, you’ll learn about some of the celebrities who have English degrees, as well as some of the careers that many English majors go into.
Key Takeaways
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From writers and musicians to actors and politicians, many celebrities were English majors in college.
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Many English majors go into careers in journalism, marketing, law, and literature, to name just a few.
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Having an English degree sets you up for success in many postgraduate programs.
23 Celebrities with English Degrees
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Sting
Okay, just listen to the lyrics of Desert Rose and tell me Sting is not a clear English Major. He went to the Northern Counties College of Education.
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Tommy Lee Jones
Not just an actor, Mr. Jones (Mr. Lee Jones? Tommy? T-Dog?) studied English at Harvard.
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Mitt Romney
See, you don’t have to study political science to embarrass yourself in a Presidential Election! Romney went to Brigham Young University.
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Jon Hamm
Perhaps most famous for his role in Mad Men, this English Major turned actor went to the University of Missouri.
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Joan Cusack
Funny lady Joan Cusack went to the University of Wisconsin in Madison.
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Conan O’Brien
Now this really shouldn’t be a surprise—you have to have a way with words to be one of the top show writers and talk show hosts on T.V. He went to Harvard.
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Joan Rivers
Perhaps the most infamous staple of the Red Carpet, Joan Rivers once (long, long ago) studied English at Barnard.
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Renée Zellweger
America’s Sweetheart, Renee Zellweger, studied English at the University of Texas at Austin.
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Stephen King
DUH.
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Barbara Walters
Before she was Baba Wawa, and one of the most famous faces on television, Ms. Walters was an English Major at Sarah Lawrence College.
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Sigourney Weaver
Beauty, brains, talent, and of course, one of the most relaxing voices we’ve ever heard—Sigourney Weaver graduated with a degree in English from Stanford.
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James Franco
Okay, is there anything this guy doesn’t do? He’s a professor, an artist, an actor, and of course, a writer. He went to UCLA.
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Paul Newman
Famous actor Paul Newman graduated with an English Degree from Kenyon College.
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Fred Savage
Fame and fortune for his years on The Wonder Years were not enough for Fred Savage. He hung up his acting shoes and headed to Stanford to study English.
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Steven Spielberg
It’s no wonder Steven Spielberg is one of the best cinematic storytellers of our time—he was an English major at California State University, Long Beach.
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Christopher Nolan
The Dark Knight, Inception, Interstellar… This guy wows us again and again, making English Majors all over the world proud.
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Alan Alda
Perhaps best known in his day for his leading role in M.A.S.H., this beloved American actor once studied English at Fordham College.
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Chevy Chase
No surprise here—Chevy Chase started out writing and starring in sketches in his early career. He studied English at Bard.
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Diane Sawyer
A natural storyteller turned lead anchor, Diane Sawyer went to Wellesley College for English.
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David Duchovny
The truth is out there… And it’s this: David Duchovny started out as an English nerd at Yale University.
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Jodie Foster
Another Yale grad turned actor, Jodie Foster once fancied herself a writer.
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Martin Scorsese
This guy is so New York, it really is no surprise he went to New York University to get his degree.
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Paul Simon
This singer-songwriter is a poet through and through. Of course he studied English in school (Queens College).
Careers for English Majors
If you’re looking for ideas on what you can do with an English degree, here are just a few job ideas:
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Film/TV production assistant
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Freelance writer
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Social media manager
In addition to all these, an English degree sets you up well for further education if you decide you want to pursue your law degree, MBA, or another advanced degree.
Author
Chris Kolmar is a co-founder of Zippia and the editor-in-chief of the Zippia career advice blog. He has hired over 50 people in his career, been hired five times, and wants to help you land your next job. His research has been featured on the New York Times, Thrillist, VOX, The Atlantic, and a host of local news. More recently, he's been quoted on USA Today, BusinessInsider, and CNBC.
