The Michigan Wolverines defeated the Washington Huskies in the 2024 College Football Playoff national championship Jan. 8, bringing home the school’s 10th title.
Head coach Jim Harbaugh, a University of Michigan alum, led his team through a 15-0 season.
Michigan finished its season with a 34-13 win against Washington at NRG Stadium in Houston.
Harbaugh is one of the many notable Michigan alumni. The school is also the alma mater of the 38th president of the United States, Gerald R. Ford, who played on the school’s football team.
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Jim Harbaugh, head coach of the Michigan Wolverines, was the quarterback for the team in the ’80s before playing in the NFL. (Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
The University of Michigan was also the school of choice for a handful of students who became celebrities.
Below are five well-known celebrities who attended the University of Michigan before embarking on their successful careers.
- Tom Brady
- Madonna
- Lucy Liu
- Darren Criss
- Celia Keenan-Bolger
1. Tom Brady
Before he was drafted by the New England Patriots in 2000, Tom Brady led Michigan to an Orange Bowl victory.
After taking over for injured starting quarterback Drew Bledsoe, Brady began on a path to becoming one of the top players in NFL history.
Brady spent most of his time with the Patriots, before closing out his NFL career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Brady led the Patriots to six Super Bowl wins.
Before his long NFL career, Tom Brady was the quarterback for the University of Michigan. (Gilbert Flores)
Brady brought his Super Bowl win total to seven when he led the Buccaneers to a title in 2021.
2. Madonna
Madonna, a Grammy-winning global music sensation, attended the University of Michigan from 1976 to 1978, before she released her self-titled debut album in 1983.
Through her long career in the entertainment industry, Madonna found success as the bestselling female recording artist of all time and acting in movies like “A League of Their Own” and “Evita.”
Madonna continues her Celebration Tour that began in 2023 and continues into 2024.
Madonna attended the University of Michigan before becoming the bestselling artist she is now. (Zak Kaczmarek/Getty Images)
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3. Lucy Liu
Lucy Liu graduated from the University of Michigan in 1990.
Liu has appeared in many well-known films, including “Kill Bill: Vol 1” and two “Charlie’s Angels” movies.
Liu has done television work in shows like “Elementary.”
The popular actress has also done voice acting in her career, most famously for the “Kung Fu Panda” franchise.
Liu served as co-producer and narrator of the 2009 documentary “Redlight” and has been a UNICEF ambassador since 2004.
4. Darren Criss
Darren Criss is a proud alumnus with his “Go Blue” shoutout during his 2018 acceptance speech at the Emmy Awards.
Darren Criss rose to fame on the television show “Glee.” (Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
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Criss graduated from the university in 2009, just before his character Blaine Anderson first appeared during season 2 of the show “Glee.”
Criss has appeared in many Broadway shows, released several albums and won an Emmy and Golden Globe for his portrayal of Andrew Cunanan in “The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story.”
5. Celia Keenan-Bolger
Michigan alumnus Celia Keenan-Bolger is widely known for her Tony-winning portrayal of Scout Finch in the Broadway adaptation of “To Kill A Mockingbird,” based on the book written by Harper Lee.
She also had a role in the HBO show “The Gilded Age” and made an appearance in both “Law & Order” and “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” playing different characters in each show.