Of course Bryan Cranston participated in his high school's chemistry club.
The actor stars as Walter White, a high school chemistry teacher-turned-meth-industry-kingpin, in AMC's critical darling "Breaking Bad."
We found other celebrities' pasts less predictable.
Basketball star George Clooney tried out for the Cincinnati Reds, Tom Cruise studied at a Catholic seminary, and James Franco interned at Lockheed Martin.
Jennifer Aniston’s name topped many playbills during her four years at Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, the school that inspired “Fame.”
Ben Affleck said he and buddy Matt Damon would engage in such extracurricular activities as “underage drinking, pot smoking, and all the attendant shenanigans,” and sometimes plot their paths to Hollywood.
Voted Most Talkative in middle school, Jennifer Lawrence switched to homeschooling after moving to L.A. to pursue acting. “I am vastly uneducated,” she joked.
Tom Cruise spent his freshman year studying at a Catholic seminary, where he was a loner who was always trying to prove something, according to classmates. He dropped out because he “loved women too much.”
Mila Kunis landed the part of Jackie in “That ‘70s Show” at age 14. In between stretches of on-set tutoring, Kunis attended an L.A. high school where "kids come up with magazines and ask me to sign them," she said.
Catholic schoolboy Will Smith earned the nickname “Prince” because of his ability to talk his way out of trouble. But, "I had pretty high SAT scores," Smith said.
Sandra Bullock hammed it up, writing sketches and performing skits in between sets of the high school talent show. She spoke fluent German, rallied crowds as a varsity cheerleader, and was a member of the thespian honor society.
A math whiz, James Franco held an internship at Lockheed Martin and later rebelled, getting in trouble with the law for drinking, shoplifting, and graffiti.
Angelina Jolie attended a Beverly Hills high school “where the bad kids go,” she said. “I was the punk outsider who nobody messed with. I was fearless.”
A science fiction fanatic, Stephen Colbert joked that his career ambitions were to major in psychology and start a cult.
Bryan Cranston was a member of the chemistry club and climbed the ranks of the LAPD’s Law Enforcement Explorers, a fitness and recruitment program for youth. A performing arts elective hooked him on acting.
The daughter of public school teachers, cheerleader Amy Poehler said her biggest regrets were “shoulder pads, parachute pants, acid-wash jean jackets, big hair.” She worked after-school at an old-timey ice cream parlor.
Leonardo DiCaprio dropped out his junior year to shoot a recurring role on “Growing Pains” and attended free acting classes at the local drama center. “Life is my college,” he said.
Kim Kardashian described herself as a “B student” at an all-girls Catholic school. She dressed in many of the outfits seen in “Clueless,” owned different colored beepers, and crushed on Leonardo DiCaprio in “Growing Pains.”
Channing Tatum played football, baseball, and track at his rural Alabama high school, where he often found himself in the principal's office.
Anna Kendrick entered high school with TV commercials and a Tony nomination under her belt, but she never lorded it over her classmates, according to her drama teacher.
A rough home life led Johnny Depp to drop out at 16, experiment with drugs, and join a garage band, The Kids. He lived for months in his friend’s ‘67 Chevy Imapala.
Straight-A student Lady Gaga found inspiration for her music in combating high school bullies, who teased her for “having a big nose,” always singing, and being “so into theater,” she said.
Ashton Kutcher played football, starred in school plays, and sang in the choir — until he drunkenly broke into school at night and was convicted of burglary. He lost his college scholarships and girlfriend.
Natalie Portman made it to the semifinal round of the Intel Science Talent Search, the nation’s most elite high school research competition. She juggled advanced academics with the title role in Broadway’s “The Diary of Anne Frank.”
In one summer, Melissa McCarthy went from a tennis-playing student council member to goth. “I was super preppy,” she said, before sporting blue-black hair shaved in patches and wearing turtle necks as harem pants.
George Clooney supremely balanced the labels “class clown” and “jock.” At 16, he tried out for the Cincinnati Reds.
A painfully shy Tyra Banks said she loved the routine of wearing a school uniform, but she made her own prom dress, copying a Valentino ad.
Paul Rudd was a movie buff, constantly quoting “Caddyshack,” “Animal House,” “Weird Science.” He once tried to impress a girl during a game of Trivial Pursuit at a party, and was obliterated by family friend, John Hamm.
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