There are few things as British as the James Bond series. The antics of Britain’s superspy unfolds in a series of mishaps and mayhem as 007 tries to save the world, and in the process, add a view pounds Sterling to the box office. While Spectre, the latest installment in the franchise didn’t make quite as much as the prequel, Skyfall, it still raked in a respectable £95.2 million. But these films don’t simply come together on their own, and their success is partly thanks to graduates such as Cambridge alum, Sam Mendes, director for film and stage. There is a long line of other graduates who, behind the scenes, to light up our screens.

Beloved Scores That Resonate Long After The Film

A graduate that lends her musical talent to the film industry, is Rachel Portman. Her repertoire boasts over 100 projects that include Roman Polanski’s Oliver Twist and Saul Dibb’s The Duchess. She also went on to win an Oscar for her work on Emma and was nominated for two further Academy Awards for her work on Chocolat and The Cider House Rules. In 2010, Rachel was appointed an Office of the Order of the British Empire (OEB). To this day, The Little Prince which is a children’s opera is still performed in theaters across the world and has also been adapted for the small screen.

Stars That Persevered Despite On-Screen Success

Despite their on-screen success, actors such as Mayim Bialik, Emma Watson, and Natalie Portman decided to continue their studies. While education is often lauded as a requirement for success, these stars prove that education is part of the journey. While these actors relied on their hard-earned cash to pay for their studies, others rely on scholarships, part-time jobs, and other means of funding to pay for their studies. Actors Kate Walsh, Kerry Washington, and John Hamm are some of the actors who only managed to pay off their debt once they landed their big roles. Others are in no hurry to pay off their loans. Despite having the means to settle his debt, actor Miles Teller revealed that the interest on the loans is so low, that he’s in no hurry to settle them just yet.

Vassar Graduates In The Film Industry

While Vassar is known to churn out some of the most brilliant minds, these minds often find their way to the arts. Anne Hathaway and Lisa Kudrow are actors that have Vassar as their alma mater, along with film score composer and rapper Mike D. Chefs Andrew Zimmern and Anthony Bourdain also walked these halls despite having their chef hats firmly on their heads. This undoubtedly led to the business savvy that afforded them the opportunity to have numerous cooking shows and projects across the globe.

Sometimes it’s necessary to leave studies for a period of time to pursue a film project, but these graduates show that education is a worthy enterprise to pursue.

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