11. Mahershala Ali
The Oscar-winning, the talented actor actually had a different career in mind before he hit the silver screen, namely that he wanted to be a professional basketball player. Between 1992 and 1996, Mahershala Ali played nearly a hundred games with the Gaels, even scoring over 340 points in his senior year. This made him a shoe-in with some with some college scouts.
Mahershala Ali
It was not to be, however, and after graduating he decided to pursue acting instead. 2001’s ‘Crossing Jordan’ would be his first prominent TV role, with his eventual big break coming in ‘The 4400, where he played a popular character called Richard Tyler. Supporting roles abound after this, he would eventually gain worldwide attention after winning two Academy Awards for films form 2016, and 2018.
12. Tommy Lee Jones
Tommy Lee Jones has a peculiar story indeed. The son of an oil field laborer, he would eventually gain a scholarship to Harvard, shacking up with future Vice President Al Gore, who also loved playing football. He is perhaps best known for the infamous 1968 game between Harvard and Yale, participating in the former’s return to glory after all hope seemed to be lost. A year later, he was on a plane to NYC to pursue a new dream.
Tommy Lee Jones
Initially, he struggled to find work, landing a few theatre roles and Broadway plays. With a new wife in tow in 1971, the pair would move to Los Angeles and everything would change from there. A role in the cult classic ‘Charlie’s Angels’ would propel him to superstardom, and eventually lead to him winning an Academy Award for his work on the early nineties classic, ‘The Fugitive’.
