WRLTHD: Celebrities Who Never Finished High School

By FOX News Magazine

Reuters

Mark Wahlberg recently announced he graduated from high school at the age of 42, having finally earned his diploma in June.

"I can now look at my kids every day knowing that I didn't just do this for me — I did it for them," Wahlberg said in an article he penned for the Huffington Post. "And I did it for all the other teens and adults who have inspired me by their commitment to graduate," the actor added, referring to the students he works with in Taco Bell's Graduate for Mas program as well as his own youth foundation.

It's an inspiring story. And yet, there's still a slew of celebs who never got that diploma, nor do they seem to want it. (Looks like things are working out for them regardless).

Here's just a few of the famous actors, actresses and musicians who never wore their caps and gowns.

MARLON BRANDO

By some accounts, Marlon Brando was expelled from his first high school for riding a motorcycle through the halls. Whatever the reason, he didn't graduate from Libertyville Township High, and shortly after his father placed him in military school, he got expelled.

AL PACINO

At 17, Pacino dropped out of NYC's High School of the Performing Arts (the school that inspired the movie "Fame") to pursue his career.

JOHN TRAVOLTA

Travolta left his New Jersey high school to study acting, singing and dancing in NYC. Ironically, at 21, he got his big break when he was chosen to star as a high school student in "Welcome Back, Kotter."

WOLFGANG PUCK

The celebrity chef left school at 14 to become an apprentice with a hotel chef in Austria.

WALT DISNEY

Walt Disney hated high school so much that he sent a letter to his principal telling him how "disgusted" he was by it. He left by the age of 16, then tried to enlist in the Navy (he was rejected because of his age) before forging his enlistment documents and joining the Red Cross Ambulance Corps.

NICHOLAS CAGE

Nicolas Cage, then known as Nicolas Coppola, dropped out of Beverly Hills High at 16.

MARILYN MONROE

Marilyn Monroe, or Norma Jeane Baker as she was known at the time, entered Van Nuys High School in 1941. Less than two years later, she left school altogether to marry her first husband.

RYAN GOSLING

Gosling dropped out of school at 17 and moved from Canada to Los Angeles to pursue acting.

JOHNNY DEPP

Depp left high school around 15, then tried to return a few weeks later only to be told to "run with" his dream of being a musician by his school's dean.

HILARY SWANK

The actress dropped out of South Pasadena High School after teachers constantly complained of her incessant talking.

SETH ROGEN

Rogen left high school at 16 to star in "Freaks and Geeks," on which he played high school student Ken Miller.

EMINEM

Eminem never made it past the ninth grade, which he was set to repeat for a third time due to his unexcused absences.

ROBERT DOWNEY JR.

At 16, Downey dropped out of Santa Monica High School and headed back to his hometown of New York City to pursue acting.

ROBERT DE NIRO

De Niro stopped attending high school in 1960, opting instead to study acting at the Stella Adler Conservatory. He took night classes for a while, but he still never graduated.

CHARLIE SHEEN

Sheen was only a few weeks shy of graduating from Santa Monica High School when he was expelled for poor grades and attendance.

GISELE BÜNDCHEN

Bündchen stopped her schooling at age 14 after a scout from Elite Model Management spotted her at a mall food court and convinced her to make modeling her career.

JIM CARREY

Jim Carrey dropped out of school on his 16th birthday, and "immediately" went to a comedy club.

ROSEANNE BARR

Despite not graduating high school and not being on the reunion committee's "stinking mailing list," Roseanne was invited to her high school reunion by a caller on "Larry King Live."