Celebrity Gleeks
They might be some of the coolest people on the planet now, but were celebrities always so popular? We reveal the secret high school lives of the A-List, Glee-style - from the head cheerleaders to the nerds and the prom queens, no school record has been left unturned…
WennCheerleading Squad
Cameron Diaz
Vice Captain of our cheerleading squad? When she wasn’t reading lines in the school play, Cameron Diaz was a fully-fledged, pom-pom-wielding cheerleader, flipping and spinning her way to the top of the class at Long Beach Polytechnic High School in California. But her “normal” school life was short-lived – Cameron was signed to Elite Model Management by the time she was 15. Some kids have all the luck, hey?
WennCheerleading Squad
Sandra Bullock
Straight-A high school student Sandra Bullock also had an extra-curricular penchant for shaking pom-poms and performing the splits – the Hollywood starlet was a popular cheerleader at Washington-Lee High School in Arlington, Virginia, and was even voted "Most Likely to Brighten Your Day" by her classmates.
WennCheerleading Squad
Madonna
Our squad wouldn’t be complete without cheerleading captain, Madonna. Rumour has it that the queen of pop was a bit of a rebel when she shook her stuff on the playing fields at the Rochester Adams High School in Michigan. Madge’s old coach, Karen Craven, recalls one particular incident:
"We were building up a pyramid. The girls had to run up, jump on the trampoline, vault and then flip onto the top... When Madonna did her little flip and got up there, it turned out she had nude tights on, and it looked like she wasn't wearing anything under her skirt. I was shocked at first, and the basketball coach was really upset."
Naughty!
PA PhotosSports Team
Britney Spears
Ever wondered where Britney got her fierce abs from? Years of tearing up and down the basketball court, that’s where. The pop princess shot hoops for her school team at Parklane Academy in Mississippi, and even went on to star in an all star celebrity game with her then-boyfriend Justin Timberlake. How times change, hey Brit…
WennSports Team
George Clooney
It was a case of once a heart-throb, always a heart-throb for our resident jock George Clooney. The gorgeous actor was a member of Augusta High School’s baseball team in Kentucky. He even tried out for pro team, the Cincinnati Reds, in 1977, but was not offered a contract. Best stick to the day job then George…
Rex FeaturesSports Team
Emma Watson
Guess what Emma Watson played at school – and no, the answer’s not Quidditch. The Harry Potter star was a keen hockey player, and even took part in Oxford’s first International Young Women’s Hockey Festival in 2006, playing for Rover Sports Oxford hockey team. What-ho!
Rex FeaturesBand Geeks
Jennifer Garner
Jennifer Garner wasn’t always such a catch – the star, who is now married to Hollywood hottie Ben Affleck, used to play saxophone at George Washington High School in Charleston. Sounds cool now, but back then? Definitely more geek than chic…
Rex FeaturesBand Geeks
Gwen Stefani
Think Gwen Stefani was always the queen of punk rock? Think again – the No Doubt frontwoman started her musical life playing flute in her high school band. We won’t even go there with the American Pie quotes…
Rex FeaturesBand Geeks
Julia Roberts
Completing our wind section in our fantasy Gleek school band is Julia Roberts, who found her stride at Campbell High School in Smyrna, Georgia playing the clarinet in the school band. And what a lovely addition she makes, too…
Rex FeaturesSchool Nerds
Natalie Portman
Israeli-born American actress Natalie Portman may have made her big-screen debut aged just 13, but she still managed to achieve straight A’s at Syosset High School in New York, master five languages, and get a degree in psychology at Harvard University. She even ditched the Star Wars: Episode I premiere to study for her final exams.
Rex FeaturesSchool Nerds
Naya Rivera
She may play airhead cheerleader Santana in Glee, but Naya Rivera was a self-confessed nerd at high school. In an interview, she revealed: "I was most like Artie and Rachel. I knew what I wanted, like Rachel, although I wasn't as obnoxious. But like Artie, I was a nerd, always trying to fit in and get my hair to lie flat."
Rex FeaturesSchool Nerds
Zac Efron
Posters of Zac adorn the bedrooms of teenage girls the world over now, but before he was a High School Musical star, Mr. Efron was, by his own admission, ”short and nerdy”. “I wasn't the skater dude or anything,” Zac told reporters. “I tried really hard in school. I got good grades. I was in advanced classes so, if anything, you'd probably call me a nerd.”
Rex FeaturesDrama Club
Russell Brand
It’s hard to envision funny man Russell Brand doing anything serious, but back in his days at Grays School Media Arts College, he was part of the drama club, making his theatrical debut at 15 playing Fat Sam in a school production of Bugsy Malone.
Rex FeaturesDrama Club
Tom Cruise
When Tom Cruise wasn’t studying to become a Catholic priest (no, really), the soon-to-be-famous teenager frequented the school stage at almost all of the eight elementary schools he flitted between, starring in plays and musicals alike as part of the drama club.
Rex FeaturesDrama Club
Jennifer Aniston
Jen was a dedicated member of the drama club at the Rudolf Steiner School in New York before graduating from LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, where she earned her crust as an off-Broadway star – and less glamorously as a telemarketer, waitress and bike messenger.
Rex FeaturesProm Kings And Queens
Dakota Fanning
Could a girl get any more popular than Twilight star Dakota Fanning? We doubt it – the actress only went and got voted as Homecoming Queen this year by her fellow students at Campbell Hall School in North Hollywood, California. Unsurprisingly enough, she’s also a member of the school cheerleading squad.
Rex FeaturesProm Kings And Queens
Halle Berry
Halle Berry has been a list-topper from day one – the Oscar-winning actress was extremely popular at her high school in Ohio, where she was a cheerleader, an honor society member, editor of the school newspaper, class president AND prom queen. That’s some going…
Rex FeaturesProm Kings And Queens
Matthew Morrison
Yup, the real life Mr Schuester was not in fact a geek before he became a ‘Gleek’. The young Matthew Morrison was actually a bit of a jock – a good all-round sports player, a drama club member and an elected prom king at his Californian high school.
Rex FeaturesAll-Rounders
Robert Pattinson
Surprise, surprise – Robert Pattinson was an all-round stud at his London secondary school. A model from the age of 12, R-Patz was a keen football player, an accomplished pianist and guitarist, was a member of the drama club and extremely popular. Glee’s Puck springs to mind, no?
PA PhotosAll-Rounders
Brad Pitt
There’s a fine line between nerd and cool, and back in Brad Pitt’s Kichapoo High School days, it couldn’t have been more blurred. Equal parts Gleek and popular kid, Brad played sports, participated in debates, was a member of the Forensics club, starred in school musicals, and stood on the student government. We’re exhausted just thinking about it…
WennSchool Drop-Outs
Jessica Simpson
We hate to say it, but judging by her Newlyweds performance, we’re not overly surprised that Jessica Simpson dropped out of JJ Pearce High School in Texas. The diva decided to ditch the books in favour of pursuing her musical career, though she was apparently schooled on the road.
Rex FeaturesSchool Drop-Outs
Paris Hilton
She may know how to put an outfit together, but it seems Paris Hilton wasn’t the best at staying in school. After switching high schools in her freshman yes, she then dropped out of Dwight School in NY following her junior year.
