Hello fellow UMass Amherst Collegiettes! I know that we are all full of UMass pride because there are so many reasons to love this amazing school, but did you know that there are many UMass celebrity alumni? Here are a few that I bet you weren’t aware of!
1. Richard Gere
Richard Gere is known for his iconic roles in films such as Pretty Woman (1990), Chicago (2002), and Primal Fear (1996). While this Golden Globe winning actor didn’t graduate from UMass, he still spent time here and is considered a UMass alum.
Look into more on Richard Gere at his IMDb page.
2. Jere Burns
This handsome fellow is one of the leading roles in the classic Collegiette movie, Life Size (2000), with Tyra Banks. You may also know him from such TV shows as Burn Notice, Justified, and Surviving Suburbia. Burns graduated from UMass Amherst in 1980. Learn more about Burns here.
3. Norm Abram
That’s right, Collegiettes, UMass Amherst was home to America’s favorite carpenter, who graduated in 1972. While here, he studied Mechanical Engineering and Business Administration and in addition became a brother of the Pi Lambda Phi fraternity!
For more information, check out Norm’s Wikipedia page.
4. Bill Cosby
Most of us know of Bill Cosby’s time spent at UMass, and have heard the rumors of him sponsoring the annual steak and lobster dinner on Halloween, but how much do you really know? Cosby spent his time here studying for his graduate degree between his time on The Cosby Show and The New Cosby Show. He received his master’s degree in 1972, then returned again to receive his doctorate in Education in 1976.
5. Mark Wilding
Not many know this name off the top of their head, but this 1979 UMass graduate went on to become the lead writer and executive producer of the hit television series, Grey’s Anatomy. He even returned 30 years after graduating to speak at UMass about his long and successful career and to give students an insight as to the creation of this still popular TV drama.