Five Communications Majors Who Are Also Celebrities
- Ellen DeGeneres
- Robert Iger
- Oprah
- Spike Lee
- Regina Hall
Ranking: Top 20 Best Online Communications Degree Programs
There are more than a few famous people with communications degrees; it is a versatile field that gives a wide range of people the chance to earn a position within the entertainment, journalism, and political industries. These celebrities come from all backgrounds and work in different aspects of the industry. Here are just five of the names people can find related to a degree in communications.
1. Ellen DeGeneres
A comedian, actress, and talk show host, Ellen DeGeneres is a recognizable face to Americans. She is best known for revealing she identifies as a lesbian during the taping of the Oprah Winfrey Show in 1997. Since then, she has gone on to host The Ellen DeGeneres Show, a talk show that has been on the air for 15 years. She is also known for voicing the character of Dory from the Finding Nemo films. Along with her work in entertainment, she is a humanitarian, vegan activist, producer, and a political campaigner. DeGeneres attended the University of New Orleans as a communications major prior to dropping out to pursue other work opportunities.
2. Robert Iger
Robert Iger is most famous for being the chairman and CEO of the Walt Disney Company, one of the largest entertainment companies in the world. Under Iger’s leadership, Disney expanded its holdings to include Pixar in 2005, Marvel in 2009, and Lucasfilm Ltd. in 2012, effectively bringing Star Wars into the Disney fold. Iger is credited with reviving Disney after former CEO Michael Eisner resigned in 2005 and he is currently continuing the company’s domination of the entertainment field. But before Iger helmed Disney, he was a communications major at Ithaca College. He began his career as a weatherman on a local tv station and worked his way up the ranks to become one of the most powerful people in the entertainment industry.
3. Oprah
Oprah Winfrey, best known by just her first name, is one of the most famous people in America. She began her career as a speech communications major at Tennessee State University and had a full scholarship to pay for her education. She then went on to host The Oprah Winfrey Show, a television show that aired for 25 years. She now owns her own television network and has resumed her acting career; her best-known credit is the film The Color Purple, for which she earned an Academy Award nomination. Winfrey is estimated to be worth $3.1 billion and is a philanthropist as well as an activist along with her work in the entertainment industry.
4. Spike Lee
Spike Lee is a world renown film writer, director, actor, and producer. He has been active in the entertainment industry since 1977 and has a storied reputation. He is best known for films such as She’s Gotta Have It, Malcolm X, and BlacKkKlansman, the latter having won the Grand Prix at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival. He is one of the most recognizable African-American filmmakers in the industry and is known worldwide for his documentaries and films that shine a light on racial tensions. Prior to his work in the film industry, however, Lee earned a bachelor’s degree in mass communication from Morehouse College.
5. Regina Hall
Regina Hall is best known as an actress who most recently starred in the critical and commercial success Girls Trip, but prior to her entry into the entertainment world, she was a communications graduate student who focused on journalism. It was not until Hall was in her mid-20s that she made the switch to acting. Since then, Hall has appeared in films such as the Scary Movie franchise, Love and Basketball, and Think Like a Man. She has also appeared in tv shows such as Ally McBeal and Law and Order: LA. She is one of the most recognizable faces in the industry and it all began with a communications degree.
The field of communications can have a lot of benefits for students who are interested in moving into the field in different capacities. It is an incredible entry point into marketing, mass media writing and video work, and more. What these five famous people with communications degrees show is that this field is broad and modular; it will work for students who figure out their career path and stick to their plan.