13 Famous People Who Went To School With Another Big Name
School is already a strange place without the added bonus of future fame sitting two desks over.
One classroom has a kid who will end up on magazine covers, another has someone headed for chart success, or a level of public recognition no yearbook committee could have predicted in a million years.
Familiar names tend to feel like they arrived fully formed, already famous, already glowing under better lighting than the rest of humanity.
Then a detail like this shows up and changes the whole picture. Suddenly two major stars are sharing hallways and surviving teenage phases in the same ordinary world long before the spotlight decided to collect them.
A connection like that makes fame feel a little smaller and a lot more fun to look at once you realize how early some famous paths crossed.
1. Ben Affleck and Matt Damon at Cambridge Rindge and Latin School
Before they wrote an Oscar-winning screenplay together, Ben Affleck and Matt Damon were just two kids from the Boston area sharing the same school hallways.
They met as children and attended Cambridge Rindge and Latin School in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where their friendship really took root.
How wild is it that two future Hollywood legends were doing homework in the same building?
Their bond grew so strong that they co-wrote “Good Will Hunting,” which won them both Academy Awards for Best Original Screenplay in 1998.
2. Cameron Diaz and Snoop Dogg at Long Beach Polytechnic High School
Picture this: a future supermodel-turned-actress and a future rap legend walking the same school hallways in California.
Cameron Diaz and Snoop Dogg both attended Long Beach Polytechnic High School, one of the most famous public schools in the country for producing celebrities.
Snoop has actually mentioned knowing Cameron back in those days, which makes the whole thing feel even more real.
Long Beach Poly has a legendary reputation, and honestly, with alumni like these two, it is easy to understand why.
3. Zach Braff and Lauryn Hill at Columbia High School
Columbia High School in Maplewood, New Jersey, might just be the most musically gifted public school in America.
That is where “Scrubs” star Zach Braff and Grammy-winning music icon Lauryn Hill both spent their high school years.
Lauryn Hill went on to release “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill,” one of the best-selling albums of all time, while Braff became a beloved TV actor and director.
Two very different career paths, but one shared starting point!
4. Jada Pinkett Smith and Tupac Shakur at Baltimore School for the Arts
Few celebrity school stories hit quite as emotionally as this one. Jada Pinkett Smith and Tupac Shakur were classmates at the Baltimore School for the Arts, a specialized performing arts high school in Maryland.
Their friendship became one of the most talked-about relationships in music and Hollywood history. Jada has spoken openly about how close they were, calling Tupac one of her best friends.
Though their paths diverged dramatically, the connection they built in those school hallways clearly lasted a lifetime.
5. Rachel Bilson and Rami Malek at Notre Dame High School
Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks, California, has a seriously impressive alumni list.
“The O.C.” star Rachel Bilson and Oscar-winning actor Rami Malek, best known for playing Freddie Mercury in “Bohemian Rhapsody,” both walked those halls as teenagers.
Rami Malek won the Academy Award for Best Actor in 2019, while Rachel became a fan favorite on one of the biggest teen dramas of the 2000s.
Both clearly had star power long before anyone knew their names.
6. Rachel Bilson and Kirsten Dunst at Notre Dame High School
Here is another gem from Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks: Rachel Bilson was not only classmates with Rami Malek, but also with Kirsten Dunst. That is two iconic names from the same school!
Kirsten Dunst became a household name after starring alongside Tobey Maguire, while Rachel Bilson captured hearts on “The O.C.” and later “Hart of Dixie.”
Notre Dame High School clearly had something special in the water during those years. Honestly, that school deserves its own Hollywood Walk of Fame star.
7. Jennifer Aniston and Christian Slater at Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School
If you have ever seen the movie “Fame,” you basically know what LaGuardia High School in New York City is all about.
It is a legendary performing arts school, and Jennifer Aniston of “Friends” fame attended alongside Christian Slater.
Both were studying the arts in New York City before either became famous, which is kind of mind-blowing.
Attending a school like that must feel like being surrounded by future stars every single day, because, well, you actually are!
8. Jennifer Aniston and Kim Walker at Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School
LaGuardia High School keeps showing up on this list for good reason!
Those two also shared the school with Kim Walker, who became best known for her unforgettable role as Heather Chandler in the cult classic film “Heathers” (1988).
Though Kim Walker’s career was tragically cut short, her performance in “Heathers” remains iconic to this day.
Great training grounds really do produce remarkable talent across the board.
9. Chris Evans and Jeremy Strong at Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School
Before Chris Evans suited up as Captain America and Jeremy Strong won Emmy Awards for “Succession,” they were both students at Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School in Sudbury, Massachusetts.
Two future powerhouses, one small-town New England school!
Chris Evans became one of Marvel’s most beloved heroes, while Jeremy Strong earned massive critical praise for his intense, method-acting performances.
They represent completely different acting styles, yet both clearly had something extraordinary brewing during those Massachusetts school days.
10. Jack Whitehall and Robert Pattinson at Tower House School
Across the Atlantic in London, a posh little prep school called Tower House School was quietly educating two future stars.
British comedian and actor Jack Whitehall and Robert Pattinson, the actor who became a global phenomenon thanks to “Twilight,” both attended this school as young boys.
Jack Whitehall has even joked about their shared school days in interviews, describing Pattinson as someone who always stood out.
11. Jonathan Silverman and David Schwimmer at Beverly Hills High School
Beverly Hills High School is already legendary, having produced everyone from Nicolas Cage to Richard Dreyfuss.
Add Jonathan Silverman, known for “Weekend at Bernie’s,” and David Schwimmer, forever beloved as Ross Geller from “Friends,” and you have got quite the graduation class!
Both actors found massive success in comedy, though in very different ways. Schwimmer became a sitcom icon, while Silverman carved out a solid career in film and television.
Growing up in Beverly Hills clearly did not hurt their ambitions.
12. Diahann Carroll and Billy Dee Williams at Music and Art High School in New York
Long before LaGuardia High School became the go-to performing arts school in New York, the city had the legendary Music and Art High School.
That is where Diahann Carroll, a groundbreaking actress and singer, crossed paths with Billy Dee Williams, the smooth and charismatic actor best known as Lando Calrissian in “Star Wars.”
Both went on to break barriers in Hollywood and entertainment at a time when opportunities for Black artists were deeply limited. Their shared school was clearly a place of real artistic fire.
13. Scarlett Johansson and Jack Antonoff at Professional Children’s School
The Professional Children’s School in New York City is designed specifically for young performers who are already working in the industry.
It is the kind of place where your classmates might literally be on Broadway or filming a movie between classes.
Scarlett Johansson, now one of Marvel’s biggest stars as Black Widow, attended this school alongside Jack Antonoff, the Grammy-winning producer and musician.
Quite the class reunion that would be!
