{"id":2376630,"date":"2026-04-16T21:07:14","date_gmt":"2026-04-16T21:07:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2376630"},"modified":"2026-04-16T21:07:14","modified_gmt":"2026-04-16T21:07:14","slug":"did-you-know-these-celebrities-attended-college-in-michigan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/did-you-know-these-celebrities-attended-college-in-michigan\/","title":{"rendered":"Did you know these celebrities attended college in Michigan?"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Learn about 10 stars of stage and screen who spent their university glory days right here in Michigan.<\/h2>\n

Hollywood might seem like a long way from Michigan, but the two destinations have more in common than initially meets the eye. For starters, as you\u2019ve undoubtedly noticed, they\u2019re both situated near spectacularly beautiful beaches<\/a>\u00a0and offer endless attractions for all ages (albeit with slightly different vibes).<\/p>\n

But beyond these surface-level similarities, they\u2019ve both housed iconic artists and performers over the decades. For many stars of the stage, screen, and political arena, the Mitten played a central role in their formative years\u2014and we\u2019d like to think we can take partial credit for their success. Here are ten celebrities who attended college in Michigan.<\/p>\n

1. Jeff Daniels<\/h2>\n

It\u2019s no secret that Jeff Daniels is proud to be from Michigan. The actor, who\u2019s perhaps best known for his hilarious role in \u201cDumb and Dumber\u201d and his more serious performances in shows like \u201cThe Newsroom\u201d and \u201cGodless,\u201d grew up in the small town of Chelsea and still resides there with his family today.<\/p>\n

During his years at Central Michigan University, Daniels\u2019 acting chops shone. He was a standout in the campus theater program, though he did not graduate from CMU\u2014instead, he left in 1976 to pursue stage work more seriously. We\u2019d say it paid off!<\/p>\n

\"DidDarren Criss answering questions on a panel. (Gage Skidmore\/CC BY-SA 2.0)<\/p>\n

2. Darren Criss<\/h2>\n

Theater kids of all ages will undoubtedly be familiar with Darren Criss, whose mainstream success skyrocketed when he appeared on \u201cGlee\u201d and subsequently took on roles ranging from a dangerous killer in \u201cAmerican Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace\u201d to a Tony-winning performance in \u201cMaybe Happy Ending\u201d on Broadway.<\/p>\n

In his college years, though, Criss called Ann Arbor home. He graduated with a fine arts degree from the University of Michigan in 2009, but his education was well-rounded: He also left U of M with minors in Italian and musicology.<\/p>\n

\"DidTerry Crews flexing for an audience. (Gage Skidmore\/Flickr)<\/p>\n

3. Terry Crews<\/h2>\n

From acting to professional football, there\u2019s not much Terry Crews hasn\u2019t tried. Comedy fans will know him from his work on \u201cBrooklyn Nine-Nine\u201d and \u201cEverybody Hates Chris,\u201d while others will appreciate his work as the host of \u201cAmerica\u2019s Got Talent.\u201d 57-year-old Crews was born in Flint and attended our state\u2019s beloved fine arts camp, Interlochen, as a child.<\/p>\n

By the time he reached his late teens, he\u2019d earned an arts scholarship to Western Michigan University and, within a year of his arrival in Kalamazoo, he\u2019d also earned a football scholarship. Crews ultimately did not graduate, instead opting to dive into his NFL career in the early 90s.<\/p>\n

\"DidLucy Liu walking a red carpet. (Bryan Berlin\/CC BY-SA 4.0)<\/p>\n

4. Lucy Liu<\/h2>\n

Yep, one of Charlie\u2019s Angels went to college right here in our own backyard. Lucy Liu has been a Hollywood icon for decades now, starring in hits like \u201cAlly McBeal,\u201d \u201cKill Bill,\u201d \u201cElementary,\u201d and, of course, the \u201cCharlie\u2019s Angels\u201d series.<\/p>\n

Liu transferred to the University of Michigan after a brief stint at NYU, ultimately graduating in 1990 with a degree in Asian languages and cultures. That\u2019s not all, though: Liu was a bona fide Ann Arbor sorority girl, joining Chi Omega during her time on campus.<\/p>\n

5. Gerald R. Ford<\/h2>\n

You might have heard that President Gerald R. Ford was a football player in his younger years, but did you know he led the Michigan Wolverines to multiple championships (in 1932 and 1933) as a college player in Ann Arbor?<\/p>\n

His football prowess almost took him down an entirely different path after his graduation with an economics degree in 1935. In fact, Ford was pursued by multiple NFL teams (including our beloved Detroit Lions!) in his post-grad years, but he turned down these offers and ultimately landed in law school. Today, Michigan students and campus visitors will see plenty of nods to Ford around campus.<\/p>\n

6. Madonna<\/h2>\n

Madonna truly needs no introduction. But most of us know far less about her early years than we do about her career\u2014including the fact that she attended the University of Michigan on a dance scholarship.<\/p>\n

Madonna didn\u2019t come to Michigan for the first time in college, though: She was born in Bay City and raised in Metro Detroit, so Ann Arbor wasn\u2019t a far leap from home. While she didn\u2019t ultimately graduate from Michigan, her decision to leave college and pursue a career in the performing arts in New York City likely shaped the Queen of Pop as we know her today.<\/p>\n

\"DidMichigan native Keegan-Michael Key speaking at a panel. (Gage Skidmore\/Flickr)<\/p>\n

7. Keegan-Michael Key<\/h2>\n

The next time you rewatch one of your favorite \u201cKey & Peele\u201d sketches, you\u2019ll feel a dash of extra camaraderie with the knowledge that Keegan-Michael Key has Michigan roots.<\/p>\n

Born in Southfield, the actor and comedian remained in the Great Lakes State through his college years, graduating from the University of Detroit Mercy in 1993 with a BFA in theater (and an allegiance to the Phi Kappa Theta fraternity). Despite his success, he never left Michigan behind completely, and even co-founded Hamtramck\u2019s Planet Ant Theater, where improv arts shine.<\/p>\n

8. Lily Tomlin<\/h2>\n

Comedy legend Lily Tomlin is another Michigan native whose connection to the state is sometimes overlooked. Born in Detroit, Tomlin has enjoyed a decades-long career in acting, comedy, and just about everything in between\u2014in fact, she\u2019s only an Oscar away from a coveted EGOT (though she was nominated for her role in the film \u201cNashville\u201d).<\/p>\n

Tomlin enrolled at Wayne State University after graduating from Detroit\u2019s acclaimed Cass Tech High School, initially intending to pursue a science degree. But it was at Wayne State that she discovered a love for performing and comedy that pulled her out of college and toward a burgeoning career.<\/p>\n

9. James Earl Jones<\/h2>\n

The late, great James Earl Jones, an EGOT winner, is nothing short of an icon in American entertainment, known best for his booming voice (Darth Vader, anyone?), his Shakespearean performances, and his roles in films like \u201cComing to America\u201d and \u201cField of Dreams.\u201d<\/p>\n

But before he was Luke\u2019s father, Jones was a student at the University of Michigan. He spent his younger years in the small community of Dublin, Michigan, and went on to graduate from U of M with a drama degree in 1955. But his path at the university wasn\u2019t singularly focused on acting: Jones was involved in everything from the Drill Team to ROTC during his college years.<\/p>\n

10. Steven Yeun<\/h2>\n

Though he\u2019s perhaps most famous for his role as Glenn in the zombie drama \u201cThe Walking Dead,\u201d Steven Yeun has branched out into film and other television series throughout the years. You might have caught him in the Netflix series \u201cBeef,\u201d Jordan Peele\u2019s horror film \u201cNope,\u201d or the film \u201cMinari\u201d in 2020.<\/p>\n

Born in Korea, Yeun moved to the Detroit suburb of Troy with his family as a child and graduated from high school there. His next move was to Kalamazoo, where he became part of the tight-knit Kalamazoo College community and graduated with concentrations in neuroscience and psychology. Despite his heavy science focus in college, Yeun\u2019s ambitions ultimately led him to Hollywood.<\/p>\n

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