Skipping Class: Actors That Made It Without Formal Schooling

Education is a sure way of improving the chances of having a bright future. School is a huge part of most children's lives, and hopefully, their school environment is positive and encouraging. Unfortunately, the level of education is not the same in all parts of the world. Politicians and humanitarians work hard to try to ensure the proper education of all, but sadly, there is no guarantee. It is never suggested that a child drop out of school, but there are some stories of success in Hollywood. Some of these actors have made the most of their lives without even a high school diploma. It is possible to have a successful career without dropping out, but these actors had a passion so strong attending class everyday just didn't suffice.

John Christopher Depp was born on June 9th 1963 in Kentucky. Depp had a strong interest in music and started a garage band called "The Kids". At only 15 years old Depp dropped out of high school to pursue music full-time. His dream of becoming a rock musician overshadowed his interest in his studied. After visiting Los Angeles, California, and meeting actor Nicholas Cage, he decided to start acting. Depp's film debut in the 1984 film "A Nightmare on Elm Street" was an amazing start, and since then he has been a principal character in over 50 film productions. For Depp, music may not have been his true calling, but luckily for us, he became an actor.

Quentin Jerome Tarantino was born on March 27th 1963 in Tennessee. Tarantino's father, Tony Tarantino, was an actor and musician that strongly influenced his son. While attending his first year of high school, Tarantino made a life changing decision to become an actor. He dropped out at 15 years old to attend James Best Theater Company. There, Tarantino was able to learn the art of film production, and became a director of film. His first film "Reservoir Dogs" was an immediate hit at the Sundance Film Festival, and since then he has directed and produced six blockbuster films. Although he never completed his formal education, Tarantino's IQ has been documented at a 160, which is about the level of the average college graduate.

Nicole Mary Kidman was born on June 20th, 1967 in Hawaii. Kidman was brought up by two very well-educated parents. Her father is a doctor, biochemist and psychologist, her mother is a nurse, instructor and medical text editor. At three years old, Kidman began studying ballet, and went on to study at the Australian Theatre for Young People. She was also a regular at the Philip Street Theatre, and there she was encouraged to study acting full-time and dropped out of school at 16 years old.

John Joseph Travolta was born on February 18th, 1954 in New Jersey. Travolta began attending Dwight Morrow High School, but dropped out at 16 to move to New York City. He believed living in NYC would help him get his career started, and he was right. There he landed a role in a musical touring company performing Grease, since then he has appeared as a principal role in over 60 films.