We often look at big celebrities as either small people on our television, or larger than life on the movie screen. We draw inspiration from them, look up to them, and often follow their lead. This is because they are, for the lack of a better expression, heroes of our time.

However, those celebrities are also people like us. They may have even attended high school with some of us. We have now opted to make a list of some of the coolest celebrity prom photos we could find, from Beyoncé to Snoop Dogg. Get ready to see your beloved stars in this old but new light...

 George Clooney - 1978

George Clooney is a world-renowned actor whose career began in 1978, which was also when this photo was taken. He was born in Kentucky and moved around as a kid. After attending several schools, he was enrolled at Kentucky's Augusta High School after moving back there again.

He graduated in 1979 and was initially interested in sports. But in the end, he chose acting as his calling. Today, Clooney is famous for numerous roles in films like Argo and Syriana—both won him an Oscar. He was also in Three Kings, Money Monster, and Gravity. In 2019, he was seen in Catch-22.

Jeremy Renner - Year Taken Undisclosed

Jeremy Renner is a world-famous actor, but he's also a prominent singer, songwriter, and musician. He hails from California and has done most of his scholastic pursuits there. This photo was taken on the day of his prom at Modesto's Fred C. Beyer High School. Actually, Renner himself posted this on Twitter!

After graduating, Jeremy went on to study criminology and computer science. But after he was elected to take drama classes, his passion for acting was lit. Today, Jeremy is famous for giving life to Hawkeye in the Marvel Universe movies. He has also starred in American Hustle, Mission: Impossible movies, Arrival, and others.

Matthew McConaughey - 1987

Matthew McConaughey is a celebrated actor who rose to fame in the '90s. He was born in Texas and went to Longview High. The photo above was presumably taken in 1987, and honestly, his prom date is so lucky to be with such a dashing stud! 

Matthew later graduated from the  University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Science in Radio-Television-Film. Today, Matthew is famous for roles in The Wedding Planner, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, True Detective season 1, Interstellar, and others. His role in Dallas Buyers Club won him an Oscar, and he was most recently in Between Two Ferns: The Movie.

Julia Roberts - Year Taken Undisclosed

Julia Roberts is a famous actress born in Smyrna, Georgia. Her brother is the actor Eric Roberts, and her niece is Emma Roberts, also prominent in the entertainment industry. Their parents ran an acting school for children and the Atlanta Actors and Writers Workshop.

However, Julia grew up in Smyrna, and she attended Campbell High. She graduated in 1985. Julia later went to New York to pursue her acting career, and the rest is history. She is famous for Pretty Woman, Erin Brockovich, Ocean's movies, and many others. She was most recently in a TV series titled Homecoming, in 2018.

Danielle Fishel and Lance Bass - 1999

Danielle Fishel is a famous actress, TV personality, and model. She hails from Arizona and has starred in Boy Meets World, Girl Meets World, Full House, and more. In her memoirs, Fishel revealed some details about her past life, and they include Lance Bass.

Lance is a famous singer, dancer, and actor. He is mostly famous for being a member of the boy band NSYNC. He also has his own production companies named Bacon & Eggs and Lance Bass Productions. In 1999, Fishel reportedly took Lance on her prom night at Calabasas High. Apparently, she was dating him at the time. 

Meg Ryan - 1979

Meg Ryan is a world-famous actress who attended Bethel High, and this picture had been taken from her prom night in 1979. She later pursued journalism and appeared in TV commercials as well. Her career slowly took off in the '80s, and this is why she quit further education.

She debuted in Rich and Famous and starred in several other movies, but her breakthrough came with a role in 1989's When Harry Met Sally... Meg was also in The Doors, Sleepless in Seattle, and You've Got Mail. In 2018, she acted in Picture Paris.

 

Ellen DeGeneres - 1976

Ellen DeGeneres is one of the most famous TV show hosts and personalities. She's also a prominent writer, producer, and actress. Audiences today best know her for The Ellen DeGeneres Show. But in the '90s, she also had her own sitcom titled Ellen.

This Louisiana-born celeb went to Grace King High. Although she graduated from Atlanta High School, where she attended her senior prom in 1976. 30 years later, she celebrated a reunion with her graduating class as guests on her own show. Ellen also gifted Atlanta High with an electronic LED sign.

Brad Pitt - Year Taken Undisclosed

Brad Pitt is an actor of great prestige who needs little introduction. He attended Kickapoo High in Springfield, Missouri. While there, Brad was very much into sports and was also active in high school clubs, musicals, and debates. He graduated in 1981 and went on to study journalism.

However, just two weeks before he was to be eligible for a degree, he moved to Los Angeles to pursue acting. He struggled for a time but finally rose to international fame with Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles. He was recently in Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood.

Harry Styles - 2010

Harry Styles is best known as a member of the One Direction. He first auditioned on The X Factor, which led to the creation of the mentioned boy band. Harry is now enjoying a successful solo career, and his latest album titled Fine Line came out in 2019.

Styles was born in 1994, in Redditch, Worcestershire, England. He was a member of a band called White Eskimo and was into singing all throughout school. Harry attended Holmes Chapel Comprehensive School but rose to fame before graduating. Still, he did get to attend the school's prom held in 2010. His current net worth is set at $75M.

Magic Johnson - 1977

Earvin "Magic" Johnson is a basketball legend, who retired from the NBA scene in 1996. He was born in Lansing, Michigan, and attended Everett High. He initially planned on going to another school that's known for its basketball history but was assigned and bused to Everett on racial prejudice.

Nevertheless, Magic managed to grow his talent and played basketball for the school team. At the time of his graduation in 1977, he was considered the best high school basketball player in Michigan. He later reached worldwide fame in Los Angeles Lakers, winning the NBA championship and many other accolades.

Kim Kardashian - Year Taken Undisclosed

Kim Kardashian is a famed socialite, media personality, model, and businesswoman. It was in 1980 when she was born in Los Angeles, California. Everyone who's not living under a rock knows that she's also part of the Kardashian/Jenner family. They have their own reality show, Keeping Up With the Kardashians.

Kim attended an all-girls Roman Catholic school called Marymount High in LA. TJ Jackson, Michael Jackson's nephew, was Kim's boyfriend when they went to his senior prom together. Now, Kim is also an actress and was last seen in Ocean's Eight. She also produces many film projects.

Kerry Washington - Year Taken Undisclosed

Kerry Washington is a beloved actress born in 1977, in New York. She graduated from Manhattan's Spence School in 1994 and was also a member of the TADA! Youth Theater group in her school years. Kerry performed on stage frequently but still pursued sociology and anthropology later on.

Through various TV commercials, she slowly got small roles in movies like Save the Last Dance. But when she was cast in Bad Company, her leading lady portfolio began to develop. Today, Kerry is best known from Django Unchained, Scandal, The Last King of Scotland, and many others.

Elizabeth Banks - 1992

Elizabeth Banks is a famous actress, producer, and director. In 1974, she was born in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, which is also where she grew up in. Banks was into sports and horse riding when she was younger, but after an injury, she switched to school plays, and her passion for acting was born.

She graduated from Pittsfield High, where she became prom queen in 1992.  In her later education, she pursued communication and theatre arts. Her widespread fame came with her role in The 40-Year-Old Virgin. Today, Elizabeth is famous for 30 Rock, and The Hunger Games movie series. She was also in 2017's Power Rangers and 2019's Charlie's Angels.

Claire Danes - 1997

Claire Danes is an Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning actress, with a Hollywood Walk of Fame star to her name. In junior high, she attended Professional Performing Arts School. She later enrolled at The Dalton School. However, she had to move to California after her freshman year.

And, so, Claire studied at the Le Lycée Français de Los Angeles and graduated in 1997. The photo above was taken in the same year. She later pursued psychology but dropped out to pursue acting. Claire is famous for her roles in Romeo + Juliet, Polish Wedding, Stardust, and she currently stars in Homeland.

Blake Lively - 2005

All the fans of the Gossip Girl TV series know who Blake Lively is. She most recently starred in the 2018 film A Simple Favor. Her parents worked in the entertainment industry, and Blake has many half-siblings who are prominent and semi-prominent actors.

Her mom and dad introduced Blake to acting when she was a kid by taking her to classes. She then began her career at 10 years old with a role in Sandman. Blake was class president at Burbank High, and she graduated in 2005 after she filmed The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. According to some reports, she even became the prom queen!

Jimmy Fallon - 1992

Jimmy Fallow is a famous comedian and talk show host, who is currently seen on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon. He was born in New York City and was inclined towards music and comedy since his teenage years. Jimmy attended Saugerties High School, where he already performed in stage productions.

Back then, he was already obsessed with Saturday Night Live. His graduation came in 1992, and he pursued computer science after it. He also did stand-up comedy. Soon after, Jimmy became a cast member on SNL, quickly becoming one of the most popular people on American TV.

Jessica Alba - 1997

One trivia about Jessica Alba is that she was frequently ill as a child, suffering from various physical maladies. Spending much time at hospitals made her feel isolated, as she later described it. She attended Claremont High and graduated when she was 16 in 1997. 

Afterward, she enrolled in the Atlantic Theater Company, which mostly does off-Broadway productions in New York. After several independent movies and small roles, Jessica rose to fame through the Dark Angel TV series of the early '00s. Today, she is best known for roles in Fantastic Four, Sin City, and others. She currently stars on L.A.'s Finest.

Jon Hamm - 1989

Jon Hamm, who audiences primarily know from the Mad Men TV series, was born in St. Louis, Missouri. When he was in first grade, he already had his first role as Winnie-the-Pooh. Jon was in Godspell when he was 16 while attending John Burroughs School in Ladue, where he was much into sports.

Ham graduated in 1989 and continued his acting pursuits while attending the University of Texas. He got his Bachelor of Arts in 1993 and dedicated himself to acting. His other known roles were in The Town, Million Dollar Arm, 30 Rock, and others. In 2019, Ham was in Between Two Ferns: The Movie and Richard Jewell.

Beyoncé  - 1997

Beyoncé, the iconic superstar, hails from Houston, Texas. Her interest in music and dancing sparked before she was even 10 years old. So, she nurtured her passion all throughout school. She attended Kinder High School for the Performing and Visual Arts and also studied at Alief Elsik High.

But at 15, Beyoncé decided to drop out to go on tour with Destiny's Child. She never graduated, but her decision led her to where she is now. Today, she's a famous solo performer and has released six solo albums already. The photo above is of Beyoncé and her then-boyfriend Lyndall Locke. Apparently, he cheated on her after 9 ½ years together!

Will Ferrell - 1986

Will Ferrell's father had worked in show business, which made young Will inclined to pursue a different career at first. The comedian was into sports while at Irvine's University High but developed a passion for comedy during his years there.

The photo above was captured in 1986, which was also when he graduated. He then pursued sports broadcasting, and after obtaining his degree, he moved to Los Angeles. In the mid-'90s, he managed to become a member of the Saturday Night Live cast. Today, Ferrell is known for Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy and sequel, Blades of Glory, and many other projects.

Angelina Jolie - Year Taken Undisclosed

Angelina Jolie is an Oscar-winning actress known throughout the world for her humanitarian work, filmmaking, and beauty. She was born to the now-late Marcheline Bertrand and Jon Voight, both prominent actors. When she was seven, Angelina already landed a role in Lookin' to Get Out, co-written by her father.

She enrolled at Beverly Hills High and tried her hand at modeling. She then transferred to and graduated at Moreno High in 1991. Angelina has had numerous roles since then in films like Changeling, Salt, and Girl, Interrupted. She most recently reprised her role in Maleficent: Mistress of Evil in 2019.

Courteney Cox - 1980

Courteney Cox is best known from the critically acclaimed sitcom Friends. She was born in Birmingham, Alabama, and she studied at Mountain Brook High, where this photo was taken in 1980. She later moved to Washington, D.C., and pursued acting and modeling.

Through some music videos, most notably Dancing in the Dark by Bruce Springsteen, Courteney slowly gained prominence on TV and was in Masters of the Universe, I'll Be Home for Christmas, and others. She's also famed for her roles in Ace Ventura: Pet Detective and Seinfeld. With their $1M per episode paycheck, Cox and her female co-stars from Friends had earned a Guinness World Record.

Faith Hill - 1983

Faith Hill is often considered as one of the top country music artists in the history of the United States. She was born in 1967, and her vocal abilities have manifested ever since she was a child. In fact, Faith had her first public singing performance at the 4-H network when she was just seven.

Hill also sang at local churches and had her own band by the time she was 17. She attended McLaurin Attendance Center and graduated in 1986. Her professional singing career launched in 1993, which was also the time when this prom photo was captured. Faith's portfolio includes eight studio albums. The most recent one, titled The Rest of Our Life, was released in 2017.

Jaden Smith - 2015

Jaden Smith is a prominent rapper and actor. He was born in 1998, and he's the son of the famous actors Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith. Jaden was born in Malibu, where the family resides, and he is one of their three kids.

He attended New Village Leadership Academy and Oaks Christian School. However, his mom and dad home-schooled him most of the time, and he did not graduate. He got to attend his girlfriend's prom night, though, wearing a white batman outfit. It ended up trending #1 in Social Media and various celebrity news. Jaden has released two studio albums so far, 2017's Syre and 2019's Erys.

Jennifer Aniston - 1987

Jennifer Aniston is one of the female stars from the Friends sitcom who earned a Guinness world record with their $1M per episode salary. This California-born beauty has famous actors Nancy Dow and John Aniston as her mom and dad.

Jennifer had found her passion for acting when she was just 11 years old. She later attended the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music and Performing Arts, and this photo is from her prom night in 1987. Now, Jennifer is famous for many roles besides Rachel from Friends. She was in Cake, We're the Millers, The Bounty Hunter, and numerous others. She currently stars on The Morning Show.

Scarlett Johansson - 2002

Scarlett Johansson was born in New York City and was into dancing and music while growing up. Eventually, she switched to acting. Scarlett has had many successful movies in the past two decades, and we're sure she'll have more. 

She attended the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute and PS 41 and focused on theatre and film. In the photo, we see her then-boyfriend, Jack Antonoff, when he took her to his prom in 2002. Scarlett is famous for the Avengers and other Marvel movies, Lost in Translation, Lucy, and The Jungle Book. In 2019, she was in Avengers: Endgame and several other projects.

Snoop Dogg - Year Taken Undisclosed

Snoop Dogg is a rapper who enjoys his legendary status in the music industry. He was born as Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. in Long Beach, California. As a child, Snoop developed a passion for music, playing the piano and singing at his local church. He also tried rapping during his school years and made homemade tapes of his own material.

He attended Long Beach Polytechnic High School and graduated in 1989. Next to him in the photo is his wife, Shante Taylor, and the two have been together since they were teenagers. Snoop Dogg recorded seventeen solo albums, all with high commercial success, and his most recent album is 2019's I Wanna Thank Me.

Tupac Shakur - 1996

Tupac Shakur was and still is one of the most important rappers in the history of music. He was born in New York City as Lesane Parish Crooks back in 1971. However, his family moved to Baltimore in the '80s, and he attended Baltimore School for the Arts.

Finally, Tupac moved to Marin City, where he attended Tamalpais High. He quickly got involved in music and began touring. In the photo, we see Tupac with his godsister, Tashaunna Howard, at her prom in 1996. In that same year, he was gunned down. He died at the age of 25 in the University Medical Center of Southern Nevada.

Tiger Woods - 1994

Tiger Woods is considered by many to be the greatest golf player of all time, and he's certainly one of the most famous athletes in history. He was born in Cypress, California, but he attended Anaheim's Western High School. His career in golf began long before that.

Woods was swinging his golf club as soon as he could walk and was already a prominent talent state-wise. During his time at Western, he competed at the Junior World Golf Championship, winning several times and setting several records. Today, Woods shares first place for the most PGA Tour wins and is second place in men's major championships.

Lebron James - 2002

LeBron James is a world-famous NBA player, who is currently signed to Los Angeles Lakers. He was born in Akron, Ohio, and he first came in contact with basketball when he was just nine. He quickly entered organized basketball and played for the Northeast Ohio Shooting Stars.

LeBron quickly rose to prominence and achieved renowned status even throughout his time in St. Vincent-St. Mary High School. He met Savannah Brinson (now James) while she was at Buchtel Community Learning Center. The two remained sweethearts and got married in 2013. They now have three kids.