Focus Features

Not all movie stars are created equal. Some are tall. Some are short. Some spend their free time on philanthropy. Some spend their free time in jail. And some secretly gave children up for adoption. Wait; that's actually Tina Fey's character in "Admission" — not to be confused with the real Tina Fey, who (at the time of this posting) has not put any of her offspring up for adoption.

But since we're on the subject of this new comedy, in which Fey plays a Princeton admissions officer, we thought it high time to hit the books (well, the Internet) and find out which stars were at the head of their classes and which stars never matriculated. Yeah, we looked that word up.

1. Tina Fey — Graduate

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Tina Fey received a BA in drama from the University of Virginia.

2. John Krasinski — Graduate

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John Krasinski graduated from Brown University as a playwright.

3. Jessica Biel — Drop Out

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Jessica Biel dropped out of Tufts University after only three semesters. Who knows what she was studying.

4. Matt Damon – Drop Out

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Matt Damon dropped out of Harvard University, where he had been an English major.

5. Emma Watson – Jury's Still Out

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Emma Watson started at Brown University back in 2009, but left before the two-year mark to promote one of those "Harry Potter" flicks. First she said she was going back, then she said she wasn't ... now ... we're not so sure. Fingers crossed Hermione (eventually) graduates!

6. James Franco – Triple Graduate

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James Franco doesn't mess around. This serious bookworm has a BA in English from UCLA, a MFA from Columbia and NYU and is pursuing his doctorate at Yale.

7. Anne Hathaway – Drop Out

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Anne Hathaway dropped out of NYU's Gallatin School for Individualized Study.

8. Natalie Portman — Graduate

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Natalie Portman earned a BA in psychology from Harvard University.

9. Jake Gyllenhaal — Drop Out

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Jake Gyllenhaal studied Tibetan philosophy at Columbia University before dropping out his sophomore year.

10. Maggie Gyllenhaal — Graduate

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Maggie Gyllenhaal fared better than her brother at Columbia University, graduating with a double major in English and Eastern Religions.

11. Joseph Gordon-Levitt — Drop Out

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JGL dropped out of Columbia University, where he was studying history, literature and French poetry — not English poetry, just French poetry.

12. Kate Beckinsale — Drop Out

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Kate Beckinsale studied at a little place you may have heard of called Oxford University, but dropped out to pursue acting full time.

13. Woody Allen – Double Drop Out

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Woody Allen was first kicked out of New York University (for bad grades), and then dropped out of City College of New York (because he was ... uh ... over it).

14. Rashida Jones – Graduate

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Rashida Jones studied religion and philosophy at Harvard University.

15. Ben Stiller — Drop Out

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Ben Stiller studied film at UCLA ... for about a half a year before dropping out.

16. Julia Stiles — Graduate

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Julia Stiles holds a BA in English Literature from Columbia University.

17. Wentworth Miller — Graduate

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Wentworth Miller earned a BA in English from Princeton University, where he performed with an a cappella group called The Tigertones.

18. Mindy Kaling — Graduate

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Mindy Kaling is a graduate of Dartmouth College, where (in addition to studying) she sang with an a cappella group and performed with an improv troupe.

19. Edward Norton — Graduate

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Ed Norton received a BA in History from Yale University.

20. Tom Hanks — Drop Out

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Tom Hanks dropped out of California State University in Sacramento in order to intern at a theater. Seems like it was a good move.

21. Elizabeth Banks — Graduate

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Elizabeth Banks graduated from the University of Pennsylvania, where she was also a member of Delta Delta Delta, aka Tri-Delt.

22. Brad Pitt — Drop Out

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Brad Pitt studied journalism and advertising at the University of Missouri, but dropped out (just two credits shy of graduating!) to pursue modeling and acting.

23. Reese Witherspoon — Drop Out

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Reese Witherspoon dropped out of Stanford University, where she had been studying English, to pursue acting.

24. Amy Poehler – Graduate

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Amy Poehler holds a BA in media and communications from Boston College.

25. Johnny Depp — Early Drop Out

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Johnny Depp didn't drop out of college ... he dropped out of high school. When he was 15. To be a rock star. Of course.

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If you're stoked on "Stoker," you can thank "Prison Break" star Wentworth Miller, who is making his screenwriting debut with the gothic Park Chan-wook affair. Miller wrote the script under a pseudonym, and the results ended up on the 2010 Black List of hot screenplays that weren't yet snagged by studios.

Wentworth, we hardly knew ye!

Miller isn't the only surprising star doing double-duty as a writer, either. He joins an impressive list of famous, Hollywood faces that wield a mean pen or, more likely, the latest version of Final Draft.

Rashida Jones

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Her "Parks and Rec" alter ego Ann Perkins is "a beautiful tropical fish" and "a beautiful, rule-breaking moth," and even "a beautiful, talented, brilliant, powerful musk ox," on occasion, according to her BFF Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler). Off-screen, Rashida Jones is proving to be a rather formidable creative force as well. She and writing partner Will McCormack penned the script for "Celeste and Jesse Forever," a sweetly heart-squeezing indie that she also starred in alongside Andy Samberg. As if she wasn't cool enough, she wrote a comic book called "Frenemy of the State," which she and McCormack are adapting for the big screen. Next up: a two-year deal with Warner Bros. TV that allows them to cook up their own projects for the small screen. Oh, Rashida, please never, ever shut your beautiful pie-hole.

Owen Wilson
The handsome Texan once nicknamed the Butterscotch Stallion by the late, great Defamer.com has written some damn fine scripts with dapper dandy Wes Anderson. Their scripts for "Bottle Rocket," "Rushmore" and "The Royal Tenenbaums" won them a loyal following given to quoting their favorite lines in yearbooks and online dating profiles, as well as sometimes inking their flesh with art from the films. Although Wilson has turned mostly to acting these days, we're hoping for a comeback on par with saving Latin.

Mae West
Screen siren Mae West was no fool; she, like many women today, found that writing her own roles was the way to go. West wrote and/or contributed to the screenplays for "She Done Him Wrong," "I'm No Angel" and "Klondike Annie," among others. She was also a playwright when she wasn't busy shocking the folks behind the Production Code.

Emilio Estevez
Who woulda thunk that the actor who played the bullying jock in "The Breakfast Club" would go on write and direct serious films about the assassination of RFK ("Bobby") and a spiritual walkabout ("The Way")? Of course, first he wrote and directed "Men at Work," where he costarred with his brother Charlie Sheen as wacky garbage men, but we can't all start off #winning.

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Zoe Kazan
Actress Zoe Kazan zinged Hollywood's romantic comedy tropes with her screenplay for "Ruby Sparks." Kazan, who was also an executive producer on the project, stars as Ruby, a character dreamed up by a frustrated writer played by Kazan's real-life partner Paul Dano. Once Ruby starts exhibiting free will, Calvin her creator is lost; he can and does edit her down to size, but soon realizes that's no solution. "Ruby Sparks" was up for Best Screenplay at this year's Spirit Awards, but lost to a little indie called "Silver Linings Playbook."

Asia Argento
Asia Argento has been appearing onscreen since around the age of 10, but it wasn't until 2000's semi-autobiographical "Scarlet Diva" that she took control behind the scenes as well. As the daughter of famous horror director Dario Argento, some of her earliest roles were in horror movies "Demons 2," "Demons 3" and "Trauma." It's possible she was trying to purge all of that, well, trauma when she made "Scarlet Diva," as the sex and drugs and pregnancy hijinks her character got up to were enough to scare anyone straight. The story behind her second feature-length film, "The Heart is Deceitful Above All Things," is beyond bananas; the movie was based on purportedly autobiographical short stories by troubled author JT Leroy. It was later revealed that Leroy was a fictional character created by Laura Albert. Albert successfully hoodwinked Argento, Gus Van Sant and many, many other writers and artists into believing Leroy's tragic tale of street hustling, abuse and homelessness. You can read a conversation between Argento and "JT" in "Zoetrope" here.

Seth Rogen
Rogen was a familiar face to "Freaks and Geeks" fans by the time he began writing for "Undeclared" in 2001, but it wasn't until he starred in "Knocked Up" in 2007 that he became a hot Hollywood property. It's easy to forget the genial Canadian also co-wrote "Superbad," "Pineapple Express," "The Green Hornet" and "The Watch" since we normally associate him with the other denizens of Apatown. Rogen and writing partner Evan Goldberg are making a dual directorial debut with the upcoming apocalypse comedy "This is the End" later this year.

Jay Baruchel
Speaking of freaky and geeky Canadians, Baruchel became a regular actor in Judd Apatow stable with a role on "Undeclared." We know and love him from small parts in "Knocked Up," "Tropic Thunder" and "Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist," but it wasn't until 2011's "Goon" that he got a screenwriting cred under his belt. Evan Goldberg and Baruchel adapted the book by Adam Frattasio and Doug Smith into a weirdly sweet hockey dramedy. He's tweeted about writing a sequel to "Goon," and he's also attached to a variety of other writing projects that are still in limbo.

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Angelina Jolie
By the time Angelina Jolie made her screenwriting debut, she'd already hacked her way into our hearts (and other parts) in "Hackers," led her own grrrl gang in "Foxfire," snagged an Oscar for "Girl, Interrupted," kicked butt as video game heroine Lara Croft and so, so much more. Then she wrote and directed 2011's "In the Land of Blood and Honey," a harrowing drama about the Bosnian War. It was controversial from the start, from getting her filming permit revoked and then reinstated to a copyright lawsuit. Although it was a topic dear to her heart, "Blood and Honey" was a hard sell for movie-goers. She's not been deterred from directing, though; her next film "Unbroken" is being rewritten by the Coen brothers.

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We have a quick confession: We're pretty stoked about the two fresh faces joining director Chan-wook Park's super-spooky Fox Searchlight film "Stoker."

Lucas Till, who wreaked Havok in "X-Men: First Class,"and Alden Ehrenreich, from Francis Ford Coppola's "Tetro" and upcoming gothy film "Twixt," are coming aboard.

They'll be in fine company with Matthew Goode, who plays an icky uncle, Nicole Kidman, Mia Wasikowska and Aussie bad-ass and Oscar nominee Jacki Weaver. (Honestly, Weaver's performance in "Animal Kingdom" will put the fear of whatever in you. It doesn't matter that her nickname is "Smurf." Granny's crazy.)

While little is know about Till's character, Ehrenreich will play a jerky jock with the unfortunate name of Whip Taylor, according to Variety. Whip is "an alpha dog on the football team who's initially kind to Wasikowska's character despite the fact that his jock friends pick on her, until his kindness deteriorates."

This sounds like a bad move for good old Whip, all things considered -- for instance, the fact that Park is known for incredibly intense and creepy films like "Thirst," "Lady Vengeance," "Oldboy" and "Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance." Plus, Wasikowska's character India Stoker has a rather creepy uncle, which is never, ever a good thing.

"Stoker" was written by "Prison Break" star Wentworth Miller; the script was on the Black List of 2010 next to hot up-and-coming films like "The Hunger Games" and "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter." Fans of Park's style have been eagerly awaiting his English language debut, and with such a promising script and cool cast, things are looking rightfully spooky... and awesome.

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Jacki Weaver is ready to strike fear into the hearts of the masses once again. The Australian actress, whose portrayal of crime family matriarch Janine "Smurf" Cody in 2010's "Animal Kingdom" earned her an Oscar nomination, is heading back to the big screen to star in Fox Searchlight's upcoming thriller, "Stoker."

Deadline reports that the Oscar-nominated actress will join Nicole Kidman, Matthew Goode, and "The Kids Are All Right" actress Mia Wasikowska in the film, penned by "Prison Break" star Wentworth Miller under his nom de plume, Ted Foulke.

The film, produced by Ridley and Tony Scott and Michael Costigan, tells the story of a teen whose mysterious uncle enters her life following the death of her father, because, much like in real life, creepy uncles are always lurking around just waiting for the chance to be that guy.

"Vengeance Trilogy" director Park Chan-wook has signed on to direct the film, which is scheduled for release next year.

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Sure, sharing a loft with your buddies where you can bring your mistresses sounds like a good idea -- think of how much you're saving on hotel rooms! But things could get pretty gnarly if a dead woman turns up,  right? Where did she come from? Who killed her? What's her name, anyway? Sheesh.

"Prison Break" hottie Wentworth Miller and "Modern Family" favorite Eric Stonestreet are about to find out just how twisted things get in "Loft," a murder mystery that also stars Patrick Wilson and James Marsden. As accusations fly, this timeshare has got its residents bugging out.

Erik Van Looy, who directed the original Belgian version, is back behind the camera for this U.S. remake. "A Nightmare on Elm Street" writer Wesley Strick is in charge of the script, so perhaps this will get a little bloody, eh? It will be an interesting change of pace for Stonestreet, who is most famous for his role as stay-at-home dad Cameron Tucker on the sitcom "Modern Family."

On the other hand, Miller was most recently seen in "Resident Evil: Afterlife" and wrote the screenplay for Chan-wook Park's frightfest "Stoker" under the name Ted Foulke. Sneaky!

Who will play the fifth friend, the unlucky lady, or their equally unlucky spouses? Only time will tell! According to Variety, the stars will be setting up house this spring.

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UPDATE: Colin Firth will not appear in "Stoker." The role has instead gone to Firth's "A Single Man" co-star, Matthew Goode.

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With Oscar now in hand, Colin Firth is in high demand and the unique position to pretty much do whatever the heck he wants.

Thankfully, unlike some of his peers, he appears to be keeping on his track record for watchable, thought-provoking material (unlike, say, Halle Berry, who thought "Catwoman" was a brilliant move).

Along with recently joining Cameron Diaz in the Coen Bros-scripted remake of Gambit, The Daily Mail reports that Firth will co-star with Nicole Kidman and "Alice in Wonderland" star Mia Wasikowska in a spin on the classic Dracula tale, titled "Stoker."

The film, written by "Prison Break" star Wentworth Miller, tells the story of a mother (Kidman) and her daughter India (Wasikowska) who are visited by the girl's mysterious uncle after her father passes away.

The story would have you believe that Firth might don the cape and teeth, but further sniffing reveals that "Stoker" is less of a straight-up vampire tale and more a spin on Bram Stoker's classic. In an interview with Yahoo! from a few years back, Miller explains that "Stoker" is a "thriller and it is about an individual who preys on the innocent." Sounds like Firth may spend a bit of time in the shadows for this one.

Things could easily have evolved since then and with vampires being all the rage, it wouldn't be surprising if there really were monsters in the movie. Whether Firth will be actually sucking the blood of young virgins or simply stalking them in the night is unclear at the moment, but either way "Stoker" sounds like an interesting, dark follow up to Firth's inspirational, Oscar-winning "King's Speech." Diversity -- it's key.

(Originally published on March 15, 2011, at 10:12 a.m. ET)

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Awards season isn't just about who wins the coveted Oscar. It's about who signs onto what and who uses their buzz the best. Half the fun of the pre-Oscar press is seeing what movie projects the nominees circle.

One such film is Chan Wook-Park's "Stoker," a thriller penned by Wentworth Miller (yes, the handsome fella from "Prison Break") and produced by Ridley Scott. It has already attracted Mia Wasikowska as the lead, and now the L.A. Times reports that Colin Firth and Nicole Kidman are in talks to join.

"Stoker" has nothing to do with Bram Stoker or vampires. It's the story of an eccentric young girl (Wasikowska) and her mother who are grieving over the loss of their father and husband, respectively. A mysterious uncle shows up for an extended visit and strange things begin to happen. Firth would be the eerie uncle, and Kidman would play the widow in mourning.

"Stoker" is Wook-Park's English language debut, and is eagerly anticipated by fans of his Vengeance Trilogy. Under his direction, "Stoker" promises to be edgy, dark and unsettling. Though it probably won't go as dark as his Korean films, it's definitely a departure for Firth and Kidman.

"Stoker" is set to begin shooting in the late spring. How many Oscar winners will it have in its cast by its first day of shooting?