I always found it fascinating to know where influential people went to University, to know where such a well-known person got their start fascinated me. I started to think there are probably many intriguing characters that have graduated from Rutgers. So, I decided to compile a list of the alumni that most impressed me. I was surprised by how many names were familiar, but I had no idea they graduated from Rutgers. You may not know them, but there are quite a few alumni from Rutgers that have made a name for themselves. Here is a list of 8 that might pique your interest:
- Andrea Anders: She earned her Master of Fine Arts from Rutgers University in 2001 while starting her career in theatre the same year. She appeared in ABC’s soap opera ‘One life to Live’ in 1998. She also starred in the horror film, ‘The Stepford Wives’ and in the spin off television series of ‘Friends’ called ‘Joey.’ Anders featured in the play, ‘The Graduate’ at the beginning of her career. And she also took part in, ‘New Doors’, ‘On the Jump’, ‘New World Rhapsody’, and many other theatre productions.
- Mario Batali: He graduated from Rutgers University—New Brunswick earning a degree in Spanish Theater and Business Management. He then attended Le Cordon Bleu in London and took up a culinary career. Batali is an American chef, writer, restaurateur, and media personality. He is co-owner of a plethora of restaurants in New York City, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Boston, Singapore, Hong Kong, Westport, and Connecticut. Some awards he has earned in his career so far are: Best New York City chef in 2002 by the James Beard Foundation. In 2005, the James Beard Foundation also awarded him the best chef in America and restaurateur of the year in 2007.
- Kristin Davis: She obtained a BFA degree in acting at Rutgers University’s ‘Mason Gross School of the Arts.’ She started her acting degree in the soap opera ‘General Hospital’ and then her role in the television series ‘Melrose Place’ launched her acting career. She starred as Charlotte York Goldenblatt in “Sex and the City.’ She also appeared in films like, ‘Sour Grapes’, ‘Deck the Halls’, ‘The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl’, and a couple others. She shares “The Lucy Award for Innovation in Television” with Sarah Jessica Parker and Cynthia Davis for the HBO show ‘Sex and the City.’
- James Gandolfini: He joined a bachelor’s program in Communication Studies at Rutgers University. He moved to New York after he graduated, where he would soon start his career in acting. He was first seen in a Broadway production called ‘On the Waterfront’ in 1992. Other films/television series he was in are: ‘True Romance’, ‘The Sopranos’, ‘Angie’, ‘Crimson Tide’, and many more. His role as Tony Soprano in ‘The Sopranos’ earned him three Emmy awards and a Golden Globe award. He also appeared in many television shows like ‘Sesame Street’, and ‘Saturday Night Live’.
- Sherry Lee Ralph: She was the youngest woman to graduate from Rutgers University. At Rutgers, she was one of the earliest winners of the Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship awarded by the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival. Because of the scholarship, instead of pursing pre-med like she was originally was going to do, she studied performing arts. Later she was one of the commencement speakers at Rutgers for the Class of 2003. She was nominated in 1982 for a Tony Award for Best Actress in a musical for her role in ‘Dreamgirls.’ She was the voice actor for Rita in ‘Oliver & Company’ in 1988. She also starred in, ‘The Mighty Quinn’, ‘The Distinguished Gentleman’, ‘Search for Tomorrow’, ‘Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit’, and many more.
- Paul Robeson: He is a distinguished alumnus who went to Rutgers College from 1915-1919. He graduated in 1919 and went to Columbia to earn his law degree. During his time at Rutgers, he excelled in both academics and athletics. Once he graduated, he became a renowned activist and actor. You may be familiar with his name because at Rutgers University—Camden, the main library is named after him. Paul Robeson is the only alumnus to have a building named after him on each of the three Rutgers campuses.
- Roy Scheider: He studied drama at Rutgers University and became an actor growing up. He starred in films such as: ‘The Curse of the Living Corpse’, ‘Marathon Man’, ‘French Connection’, ‘Jaws’, and many more. In 2007, he received one of the two annually presented Lifetime Achievement Awards at the Sun Deis Film Festival in Massachusetts. He also received two Academy Award nominations, one Golden Globe, and one BAFTA nomination.
- Elizabeth Warren: Warren graduated from Rutgers University—Newark Law school. She began her academic career at Rutgers University and lectured for about a year before she went to University of Houston Law Center. She entered politics and ran in the 2012 Massachusetts election for U.S. senate and defeated Scott Brown. She became the first women elected to the U.S. Senate from Massachusetts. On January 1 of 2019, she announced her running in the Presidential Election 2020 as the candidate for the Democratic Party.
Written by Grace M., a Rutgers—Camden Undergraduate Student and Raptor Ambassador.