Actors who dropped out of school

Johnny Depp

 

Actor Johnny Depp may be one of the hottest stars on the planet, but he's missing a high-school diploma. Depp, seen here at the "Rango" premiere on Feb. 14, 2011, in Los Angeles, dropped out of school when he was 15 with dreams of becoming a rock musician.

Nicole Kidman

 

The daughter of a biochemist and a nursing instructor, Oscar winner Nicole Kidman dropped out of school in Australia to pursue acting full time. Seen here at the Oscars on Feb. 27, 2011, Kidman worked on stage before breaking into movies at age 16.

 

 

John Travolta

 

Hollywood actor John Travolta, speaking at a publicity event in Mumbai, India, on Sept. 26, 2010, dropped out of school at 16 to move to New York and pursue acting and modeling full time.

Charlize Theron

Oscar winner Actress Charlize Theron, a native of South Africa, left schol when she was 16 and moved to Hollywood with her mother to pursue a career in film. Here, she atches an NBA basketball in Los Angeles, Nov. 22, 2010.

Jim Carrey

Star of films including "The Truman Show" and "Liar Liar," Jim Carrey grew up in Canada where his family spent several months living in their car. He dropped out of high school as a teenager to go to work full-time.

Rusell Crowe

Actor, singer and rancher Rusell Crowe was a child TV star in his native Australia and dropped out of school to pursue his show business ambitions.

Robert De Niro

Acting legend Robert De Niro, who grew up on the mean streets of New York, quit school to join a gang. Seen here at the 2010 Doha Tribeca Film Festival on Oct. 30, 2010, in Qatar. De Niro later studied acting in the city.

Al Pacino

Bronx-born Al Pacino, a cinema icon, dropped out of school at the age of 17. He got his start on the New York stage to which he occasionally returns,including a recent stint in "The Merchant of Venice" on Broadway. He is seen here posing with his Golden Globe on Jan. 16, 2011.