Gerard Butler
Gerard Butler, who was born in Paisley, Scotland, attended Glasgow University and studied law. was also president of the school’s law society and then went on to become a trainee lawyer at an Edinburgh law firm, but the Scotsman got fired a week before fully qualifying. However, he is now a Hollywood superstar and has acted in successful movies such as 300, How to Train Your Dragon, Olympus Has Fallen, RocknRolla and Law Abiding Citizen.
John Cleese
Regarded as one of the funniest men in the history of comedy, John Cleese is famed for co-founding Monty Python and for starring in a number of other comedies and movies. Cleese actually studied law at the University of Cambridge, but it was his time with the amateur theatrical club Cambridge Footlights that formed the foundations of his future career. After meeting his writing partner Graham Chapman at school, John Cleese didn’t end up practicing to become a lawyer.
Henri Matisse
A hugely talented and renowned artist, Matisse actually studied law in Paris in 1887 and went on to become a court administrator. After falling ill with appendicitis, his mother gave him a painting set to help him during his recovery, and from that moment on he decided he wanted to become an artist. It worked out to be a good decision as now his work is displayed all over the world, including at The State Hermitage in Saint Petersburg and the Musée National d’Art Modern in Paris.
Rebel Wilson
The famous actress and comedian actually studied law at the University of New South Wales and this experience has helped her during her acting career. She apparently negotiated her own contracts at the beginning of her career. Now Rebel Wilson has starred in films such as Bridesmaids and Pitch Perfect.
Francis Scott Key
The Star-Spangled Banner writer was a lawyer before he wrote the national anthem in 1814, and he continued to be a lawyer afterward. In fact, he represented Sam Houston when he was put on trial for assaulting a Congressman in 1832, and served as the District Attorney of the United States.