James Franco’s Impressive Net Worth and His Even More Unbelievable Academic Achievements

Let’s face it, actors aren’t usually associated with the words academically inclined. And if you’ve seen James Franco’s body of work that includes Pineapple Express and the controversial comedy about the North Korean dictator, The Interview, you wouldn’t second guess that the actor’s interests fall far from books and intellectual pursuits.

But, as the adage goes, you really can’t judge a book by its cover. James Franco, at least from what his scholastic achievements imply, is actually a gifted academic. Before he amassed his $20 million fortune from acting, he wanted to pursue a career as a marine zoologist. However, he developed a love for acting that eventually won out.

While some people struggle to find their calling, James knew that his was in the field of acting. This is probably partly due to his liberal and secular upbringing. However, it wasn’t a smooth-sailing ride to stardom for him. He struggled with a fear of rejection. In the acting world, getting rejected from time to time is an inevitable fate. So he hedged his bets and pursued an English degree in UCLA. His acting career, however, would derail his undergraduate degree a little bit.

He eventually earned his undergraduate degree and would, later on, take courses for his master’s degree in creative writing in Columbia while simultaneously taking courses at NYU for a filmmaking degree. His thirst for knowledge also made him take courses at Brooklyn College for fiction writing, at Yale for comparative literature, Houston University for another creative writing course, and at Rhode Island School of design.

His academic pursuits weren’t limited to being a student. He also had teaching positions at Yale University, UCLA, and Palo Alto Highschool which are all prestigious educational institutions.