Finding fame in Hollywood is a combination of many different factors, including talent, hard work, and a bit of luck. Having a college degree is not part of the equation, and many of our favorite stars never got one, but is Jessica Alba one of them?
No, Jessica Alba didn’t go to college. After getting her high school diploma, she studied acting at the Atlantic Theater Company, but admitted she regrets not going to college.
Stick around to learn more about Alba’s educational background and why she never got her college degree.
Jessica Alba’s Educational Background
Jessica Alba didn’t have an easy upbringing and wrestled with chronic asthma and allergies in her youth. That was a part of the reason why she felt isolated from other kids at school, but the fact her family moved frequently due to her father’s Air Force career also didn’t make it easier to form lasting friendships.
They eventually settled in Claremont, California and Alba graduated from Claremont High School in 1997. She already had a couple of roles under her belt at that point, including one of the lead parts in the TV show Flipper, and decided to pursue acting long-term.
Alba started attending the Atlantic Theater Company, founded by David Mamet and William H. Macy. This acting school helped her hone her craft and expand her horizons, but she admitted it wasn’t an easy ride – especially during the acting lessons taught by Felicity Huffman.
“Felicity was very hard on me. She’s a tough cookie, that one. I just remember her making me cry because I didn’t prepare a scene right, or I didn’t talk loud enough,” Sin City actress told Daily Record.
Jessica Alba still enjoyed her experience at the Atlantic Theater Company, and said that the most important lesson she learned from Macy and Huffman was to take risks and find organic moments.
Doubting Herself
Even after finding success in Hollywood, the lack of higher education still bothered Jessica Alba. The roles in numerous box office hits didn’t change the way she felt and it took her a long time to find her confidence.
“I was always also insecure about not going to college and I always felt I wasn’t smart enough. My teens and my 20s I just wasn’t sure of myself and I was always kind of insecure and I always felt I needed to apologize for myself,” said Alba.
Her outlook changed after she became a mother and found enormous success with her wellness brand The Honest Company, learning that there’s more to life than bragging about your college diploma.
“I thought I was dumb because I didn’t go to college. I felt if you didn’t have a degree you’d never be respected or considered intelligent. Now I realize I’m perfectly capable of doing lots of things,” Alba told Observer Magazine.
College First, Hollywood Second
Jessica Alba started acting pretty early, and being a child actor worked out for her, but she wouldn’t want her kids to go down the same road. She’s a mom of three – daughters Honor and Haven, and son Hayes – and she would like them to have a better education than she did.
The Fantastic Four star told Fox News how lucky she is to be able to give her children “a completely different life and an education that [she] never had the opportunity to have”. She won’t stop them if they decide to follow in her footsteps and find success in Hollywood – but only after they get their college degrees.
“When they’re done with college, if they want to get into the arts, that’s fine. I think you will be a better artist the more life experience you have, but I wouldn’t encourage them to work in this type of environment as children,” explained Alba while chatting with Fox News.