Even reading about Macaulay's troubled life and strange upbringing is a rollercoaster ride. Imagine actually being Macaulay Culkin! Whether it's from this childhood, or because of it, Macaulay has now diagnosed himself as being an agoraphobic - i.e., having a fear of crowded places or difficult situations. Like any of the other phobias, it's an anxiety disorder which can be especially debilitating. Agoraphobia affects about 1.7% of adults. The condition often begins in early adulthood and becomes less common in old age. It is rare in children.
The word itself comes from "agora" - the Greek word for a marketplace. If you can imagine yourself in a big, bustling marketplace, trapped and unable to get out, that's the kind of feeling that agoraphobia sufferers have. Whether it's on packed public transport or in front of a horde of paparazzi, the situations can get incredibly unpleasant, and very rapidly.
Most of your favorite celebrities either studied acting in college or went straight from high school into a life of the arts. But, hey, not all of them. Some celebrities actually have advanced college degrees.
Turns out Mayim Bialik is just as much of a genius as the one she plays on The Big Bang Theory. She earned her Ph.D. in neuroscience from the University of California, Los Angeles, focusing on obsessive compulsive disorder among people with Prader-Willi syndrome, a rare condition in which the hypothalamus malfunctions.
Little known fact: Natalie Portman skipped the premiere of Star Wars: Phantom Menace because she was studying for her high school exams. She had two papers published in scientific journals while she was still in high school, and graduated from Harvard University with a B.A. in Psychology.
Before he was looking for answers on X-Files, David Duchovny was just trying to find the answers for English finals at Princeton University90. David graduated from Princeton in 1982 with a B.A in English. He continued to feed his love of literature by receiving a master’s degree in English Literature at Yale University. David was an excellent writer and poet. His work consistently received praise by his fellow classmates and teachers at Yale. His writing was even nominated for a college prize by the Academy of American Poets.
Sigourney Weaver graduated from Stanford University in 1971 with a bachelor’s in Literature. It was while studying at Stanford that Sigourney realized her true passion in life was to become an actress. Shortly after graduation, she attended Yale for their well-known drama program. She would go on to receive a master’s in Acting from Yale University and become friends with fellow famous actress Meryl Streep.
Meryl Streep is considered one of the most successful actresses of all time. She is also one of the most highly educated. Before collecting an array of Oscars, Meryl collected diplomas. She graduated from Vassar College with a B.A. in 1971. Meryl has a habit of being unsatisfied with impressive accomplishments as her acting career has shown, so she attended Yale University and earned a master’s degree in Acting.