List of artists and entertainers with advanced degrees

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is a list of artists and entertainers with advanced degrees (PhDs and other academic degrees leading to the title of Doctor). Excluded are honorary degrees.

Research doctorate

More information Person, Known for ...
Person Known for Degree Field Institution
Robert Allan Member of the band Glasvegas PhD Music Glasgow University[1]
Chad Allen Actor Psy.D. Clinical psychology Antioch University New England[2][3]
Milo Aukerman Member of the band Descendents PhD Biology University of California, San Diego[4]
Mayim Bialik Actress PhD Neuroscience[5] University of California, Los Angeles[6]
Jill Biden former First Lady EdD Education University of Delaware
Michael Bishop Member of the band Gwar PhD Music[7] University of Virginia
Pietro Boselli Model, engineer, and lecturer at UCL PhD Computational fluid dynamics[8] University College London[9]
Ian Bostridge Opera and lieder singer DPhil History[10] University of Oxford
Bill Bruford Member of the bands Yes, King Crimson and U.K. PhD Music[11] University of Surrey
Michael Burns Actor DPhil History[12] Yale University
Ellen Cleghorne Actress and comedian PhD Performance studies New York University[13]
Alan Cooper Member of the band Sha Na Na PhD Religious studies Yale University[14]
Max Cooper Music producer PhD Computational biology[15] University of Nottingham
Bill Cosby Actor and comedian EdD Education University of Massachusetts Amherst[16]
Brian Cox Television presenter, physicist and former member of the bands D:Ream and Dare PhD Particle physics University of Manchester[17]
Don S. Davis Actor PhD Theatre Southern Illinois University Carbondale[18]
Marcus Dillistone Director PhD Film, media, and creative technologies University of Portsmouth
Graeme Downes Member of the band The Verlaines PhD Music University of Otago[19]
William Fawcett Actor PhD Elizabethan drama[20] University of Nebraska–Lincoln
Runhild Gammelsæter Member of the bands Thorr's Hammer and Khlyst PhD Cell physiology[21] University of Oslo
Cheddar Gorgeous (Michael John Atkins) Drag queen PhD Anthropology University of Manchester[22]
Harold Gould Actor PhD Theatre Cornell University
Greg Graffin Member of the band Bad Religion PhD Evolutionary biology[23] Cornell University
Dan Grimaldi Actor PhD Data processing City University of New York
David Grubbs Member of the bands Squirrel Bait, Bastro, and Gastr del Sol. PhD English University of Chicago[24]
Sir Lenny Henry Actor and comedian, co-founder of Comic Relief PhD Media arts Royal Holloway, University of London[25]
Dexter Holland Member of the band The Offspring PhD Molecular biology[26] Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California
Vijay Iyer Jazz pianist and composer PhD Technology and the arts[27] University of California, Berkeley
Paul Janz Member of the band Deliverance and a professor of systematic theology PhD Philosophical theology University of Cambridge
Brendan Kavanagh Pianist PhD English University College Cork[28]
Mark Kermode Film critic PhD English literature University of Manchester
Akash Khurana Actor PhD Social sciences Tata Institute of Social Sciences[29][30]
Wagner Lamounier Former member of the band Sepultura DSc Applied economics[31] Federal University of Viçosa
Robert A. Leonard Member of the band Sha Na Na PhD Linguistics Columbia University[32]
CN Lester Singer-songwriter PhD Music University of Huddersfield[33]
Annbjørg Lien Musician PhD Hardanger fiddle University of Agder[34][35]
Ria Lina Comedian and writer PhD Viral bioinformatics University College London[36][37]
Loretta Long Actress PhD Urban education University of Massachusetts Amherst[38]
David Lowery Member of the bands Camper Van Beethoven and Cracker EdD Education University of Georgia[39]
Enongo Lumumba-Kasongo aka "Sammus" Rapper PhD Science and technology studies Cornell University[40]
Sir Brian May Member of the band Queen PhD Astrophysics Imperial College London[41][42]
Adam Met Member of the band AJR PhD International human rights law University of Birmingham[43]
Naeem Mohaiemen Filmmaker, artist, writer PhD Anthropology Columbia University[44]
Roy Montgomery Composer and member of the bands The Pin Group and Dadamah PhD Theatre and film studies University of Canterbury[45]
Sterling Morrison Member of the band The Velvet Underground PhD Medieval studies University of Texas at Austin[46]
Christopher Nowinski Professional wrestler PhD Behavioral neuroscience[47] Boston University
John O'Brien Soccer player PhD Clinical psychology Alliant International University[48]
Niall O'Flaherty Member of the band The Sultans of Ping PhD History of political thought King's College, Cambridge[49][50]
Shaquille O'Neal Basketball player, actor, and rapper EdD Education Barry University[51]
Ethan Port Member of the band Savage Republic PhD Mathematics University of Southern California
Miuccia Prada Fashion designer and businesswoman PhD Political science[52] University of Milan
Priyadarshini Singaporean-Indian playback singer PhD Film music University of Mysore[53][54]
Rahul Ram Member of the band Indian Ocean PhD Environmental toxicology Cornell University[55]
Dilshad Said Kurdish musician PhD Music history Mozarteum University Salzburg[56][57]
Omar Sangare Actor and writer PhD Aleksander Zelwerowicz National Academy of Dramatic Art[58]
Robert Schneider Member of the band The Apples in Stereo and record producer PhD Mathematics Emory University[59]
Simon Scott Member of the band Slowdive and engineer PhD Musicology University of the Arts London
Serrini Singer-songwriter PhD Literary and cultural studies University of Hong Kong[60]
Sam Shepherd Electronic music producer PhD Neuroscience University College London[61]
Rose Simpson Member of the band The Incredible String Band PhD German literature Aberystwyth University[62][63]
Francesca Marie Smith Actor and voice actor PhD Rhetoric and transmedia storyworlds[64] USC Annenberg
David Smythe Founder member of The Rezillos PhD Geophysics University of Glasgow[65][66]
Dan Snaith Canadian musician, best known by the stage name Caribou PhD Mathematics Imperial College London[67]
Maciej Stuhr Actor D.A. Art Aleksander Zelwerowicz National Academy of Dramatic Art[68][58]
Billy Taylor Jazz pianist, composer, broadcaster and educator EdD Music education University of Massachusetts Amherst[69]
Alejandro Toledo Composer, saxophonist, and ethnomusicologist PhD Music performance Goldsmiths, University of London[70]
Gregg Turner Member of the band Angry Samoans PhD Mathematics Claremont Graduate University
Jared Van Snellenberg Actor and neuroscientist PhD Psychology Columbia University
Gala Varo (Jesús Meza Arroyo) Drag queen and television personality PhD Biomedicine University of Guadalajara[71]
Robert Vaughn Actor PhD Communications University of Southern California[72][73]
Indre Viskontas Opera singer PhD Cognitive neuroscience University of California, Los Angeles[74]
Sophie Ward Novelist and actress PhD English and comparative literature Goldsmiths, University of London[75]
Brian Wecht Member of the band Ninja Sex Party PhD Particle physics University of California, San Diego[76]
Peter Weller Actor PhD Italian Renaissance art history[77] University of California, Los Angeles[78]
Shaun Wilson Artist and filmmaker PhD Fine Arts Media Arts University of Tasmania Flinders University
Graham Wiggins Musician DPhil Solid-state physics University of Oxford
Warren Zanes Member of the band The Del Fuegos PhD Visual and cultural studies[79] University of Rochester
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Medical degree

In many countries, the first medical degree is the MBBS (with MD being reserved for higher doctorates), but holders of this degree are addressed as "doctor" while practising.

More information Person, Known for ...
Person Known for Degree Field Institution
Mohan Agashe Bollywood actor MBBS, MD[80] Medicine, psychiatry B. J. Medical College[81]
Britt Baker Professional wrestler DMD Dentistry University of Pittsburgh[82]
Alexander Borodin Classical composer MD[83] Medicine and chemistry Medical-Surgical Academy [de; ru], St Petersburg
Edgar Buchanan Actor DDS Dentistry North Pacific College School of Dentistry[84]
Meiyang Chang Bollywood actor, television host and singer BDS Dental surgery Vokkaligara Sangha Dental College & Hospital[85]
Graham Chapman Member of the British comedy group Monty Python MBBS Medicine St. Bartholomew's Medical College[86][87]
Michael Crichton Novelist and screenwriter MD Medicine Harvard Medical School[88]
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Author, creator of Sherlock Holmes MBCM, MD[89] Medicine University of Edinburgh Medical School[90][91]
Graeme Garden Scottish comedian and member of The Goodies MBBS Medicine King's College London[92][93]
Aditi Govitrikar Bollywood actress MBBS Medicine Grant Medical College[94]
Ken Harrison Member of the band Wild Strawberries MD Medicine University of Toronto[95][96]
Harry Hill Actor and comedian MBBS Medicine University of London[97][98]
Ken Jeong Actor and comedian MD Medicine[99] University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill[100]
Kamran Rashid Khan Rapper DO Osteopathic medicine Michigan State University College of Human Medicine[101][102]
Shriram Lagoo Bollywood film and theatre actor MBBS Medicine B. J. Medical College[103]
Jonathan LaPaglia Actor MBBS Medicine University of Adelaide
James Lilja Member of the band The Offspring MD Medicine University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine[104]
George Miller Film director and screenwriter MBBS Medicine University of New South Wales[98]
Sir Jonathan Miller Actor, writer, theatre director, and humourist MBBChir Medicine University of Cambridge[105]
Arko Pravo Mukherjee Singer-songwriter and music composer MBBS Medicine Burdwan Medical College.[106]
Haing S. Ngor Actor and gynecologist MD Medicine University of Toulouse
Peter Ostrum Actor DVM Veterinary medicine Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine[107]
Sai Pallavi Actress and dancer MBBS Medicine Tbilisi State Medical University[108]
Palash Sen Member of the band Euphoria MBBS Medicine University College of Medical Sciences[109]
Pedro Juan Vázquez Bragan Rapper and songwriter MD Medicine Universidad Central del Caribe[110][111]
Peter Wingfield Actor MD Medicine Robert Larner College of Medicine
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Other professional doctorates

In some countries, the Juris Doctor is the standard professional degree required to practise law, although the holder is usually not addressed as "doctor".

More information Person, Known for ...
Person Known for Degree Field Institution
Jackie Fox Member of the band The Runaways JD Law Harvard Law School[112]
Greg Giraldo Comedian JD Law Harvard Law School[113]
Denny Greene Member of the band Sha Na Na JD Law Yale University[114]
Hill Harper Actor and writer JD Law Harvard Law School[115]
Staci Keanan Actress JD Law Southwestern Law School[116]
Bridgit Mendler Actress and singer-songwriter JD Law Harvard Law School[117]
Tom Rapp Member of the band Pearls Before Swine JD Law University of Pennsylvania Law School[118][119]
William Sanderson Actor JD Law Memphis State University[120]
Fred Thompson Actor and U.S. senator JD Law Vanderbilt University[121]
Steve Young American football player JD Law Brigham Young University[122]
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Incomplete or revoked doctorates

Rapper Roxanne Shante publicly claimed in the early 2000s to have received a master's and PhD in psychology from Cornell University. A 2009 investigation by Slate found no evidence she had received either degree, or a bachelor's.[123] Shante then apologized, stating she had never received a PhD.[124]

More information Person, Known for ...
Person Known for Degree Field Institution Notes
Ella Al-Shamahi Stand-up comedian and television presenter PhD Anthropology University College London Studying as of 2021[125]
Mira Aroyo Member of the band Ladytron DPhil Molecular genetics University of Oxford Dropped out[126]
Rowan Atkinson Actor and comedian PhD Electrical engineering University of Oxford Dropped out[127]
Corey Cerovsek Classical violinist PhD Mathematics Indiana University Completed doctoral course work[128]
Alan Coren Humourist and writer PhD American literature Yale University
University of California, Berkeley		 Dropped out[129]
David Duchovny Actor PhD Yale University Dropped out
James Franco[130] Actor and filmmaker PhD English Yale University Studying as of 2011
PhD Creative writing and literature University of Houston Accepted, did not enroll[131]
Art Garfunkel Singer and actor, member of the band Simon & Garfunkel PhD Mathematics education[132] Teachers College, Columbia University Dropped out[133]
Hong Jin-young South Korean trot singer and entertainer PhD Business administration Chosun University Revoked[134]
Ashley Judd Actress PhD Public policy University of California, Berkeley Studying as of 2016[135]
Bridgit Mendler Actor and singer-songwriter PhD Technologies & social machines Massachusetts Institute of Technology On leave as of 2020[136][137]
Ben Miller Actor PhD Solid state physics University of Cambridge Dropped out[138]
Jay Sean Singer-songwriter MBBS Medicine Queen Mary University of London Dropped out[139]
John Sessions Actor PhD English literature McMaster University Dropped out[140]
Xiumin Singer and actor PhD Culture and arts Hoseo University Studying as of 2017[141][142]
Lee Young-ae Actress PhD Theater and cinema Hanyang University Studying as of 2009[143][144]
Zhai Tianlin Actor PhD Film science Beijing Film Academy Revoked[145]
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References

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