These 10 famous Warwick alumni are living YOUR dream – you could be next

Feeling anxious about your upcoming exams? Don’t worry – these notable Warwick grads were in the same boat as you once. Now, they’ve swapped their 1,000 word essay deadlines for deadlines of a different kind and £1000 checks.

1. Sting (aka Gordan ‘one semester at Warwick’ sumner)

Believe it or not – Sting walked these hallowed halls for one entire term back in 1969. Clearly, the future legendary rockstar had better things to do, like you know, transforming into a frontman of The Policeand collecting Grammys instead of seminar notes. He quickly traded in his Warwick graduation cap for guitars, leaving us wondering what could have been if he stuck around. Later, he rock-and-rolled into the Northern Counties University from 1971 to 1974, where he got his teaching qualifications.

2. Jai Anmol (aka ‘next-gen WBS billionaire’) Ambani

Attention all WBS students – learn how to turn your Warwick degree into a serious business from this guy. While most of us are trying to land a spring internship, Jai Ambani was already making power moves, joining Reliance Mutual Fund as an intern at the age of 18. Not long after graduation, he utilised the knowledge he gained from fruitful discussions in seminars and joined the Reliance board. Talk about a well-deserved WBS bachelor of science degree, am I right?

3. Stephen (aka ‘The Office Mastermind’) Merchant

Stephen Merchant, BA (Hons) in Film and Literature from our beloved Warwick and co-creator of The Office, returned to his old stomping grounds for a sold-out one-off show, “Work in Progress”, at Warwick Arts Centre. Before hardwork and destiny put him in the path of bagging BAFTAs and starring in films like Hot Fuzz, Merchant was reviewing films for Radio Warwick. Who could’ve guessed those campus radio gigs would lead to a one-way ticket to the Golden Globes?

Check out Merchants’ Warwick-Acquired Wisdom here:

4. Luis (aka ‘Warwick-grad-turned-Bolivian-president’) Arce

Worried your economics degree won’t land you with good enough job prospects? Don’t fret, Luis Arce came back to campus to remind us all that, yes, you can go from stressing over an economics degree to running a country. A 1997 Warwick masters grad, Arce took out some time, visited campus, and reminisced about his time here. From touring the fancy new Warwick buildings, to sharing anecdotes with current students about how those late-night study sessions led to, well, leading a whole nation. Believe it or not, listening to your lecturers and actually doing further readings of “the best books” at Warwick might just equip you with the skills necessary to lead your country.

5. Brett (aka ‘Warwick’s own emmy-winning-comedian’) Goldstein

Warwick Film Studies grad Brett Goldstein (class of 2001) has gone from campus film screenings to collecting Emmys like it’s no big deal. He’s earned 2 Emmys for outstanding supporting actor for his role as Roy Kent in Ted Lasso. So, if you’re ever stuck in a film seminar, just remember – Brett channelled that classic university frustration and turned it into Roy Kent’s iconic grumpiness. But, I mean, we all know the endless essay deadlines build up to emmy winning rage.

6. Guoni(aka ‘the Warwick guy who made Icelandic history’) Johannesson 

Did you think it wasn’t possible to go from being a history and politics Warwick grad to becoming Iceland’s youngest ever president? After acing his studies in 1991, Jóhannesson went on to tackle everything from TV debates to modernising Icelandic politics, and finally, president at the young age of 48.

7. Ruth (aka ‘Warwick’s queen of British comedy’) Jones

From the Warwick Arts Centre stages to BBC stardom, Ruth proves that a Warwick degree can lead straight to the realm of comedy gold. Ruth Jones, co-writer and star of “Gavin and Stacey”, came back to our beloved campus to get her honorary degree – and perhaps to reflect on her undergraduate days. Ruth, who graduated in 1985, had pleasant recollections of Warwick, where she honed her acting skills, which would put her on the path to making “what’s occuring?” a nationwide catchphrase.

Seeing a trend here yet? Jones is our second comedic icon. Warwick is clearly the place to be if you wanna refine your sense of humour. We are really funny over here.

8. Valerie (aka ‘Warwick’s pioneer of progress’) Amos

Baroness Valerie Amos, Warwick sociology grad (class of 1976), has been making history at every point in her life. In 2020, she became the first black college head and female master at University College, Oxford. And before that? Just a casual appointment to the order of the garter—the oldest and most prestigious British order of chivalry, handpicked by Queen Elizabeth II herself. From Warwick’s classrooms to breaking barriers across the UK, Baroness Amos shows us all how it’s done.

9. Dominic (aka ‘Warwick theatre royalty’) Cooke

Dominic Cooke, a Warwick graduate, has built a name for himself in the theatre industry, beginning as a humble runner and rising to the position of artistic director at the Royal Court Theatre. He’s the guy who revived the Royal Court after it was accused of “losing its’ way”. Cooke’s career, which includes directing with the RSC and earning awards for his revolutionary works, exemplifies how a Warwick theatre studies degree can be transformed into sheer stage magic. He even returned to campus in 2013 to get an honorary degree – talk about full circle!

10. Frank (aka ‘Warwick’s king of stand-up’) Skinner

Comedian Frank Skinner (also known as Chris Collins back then) did his MA in English at Warwick. He’s been making the UK laugh for decades, so much so that at the 2001 British Comedy Awards, he was named best comedy entertainment personality.

It’s clear that Warwick doesn’t just churn out degrees – it’s producing global game changers, comedy icons, and theatre visionaries. Whether they’re on stage, in politics, or making TV history, these famous Warwick alumni prove that your uni days might just be the start of something epic.

So, next time you’re stressing over deadlines, just remember: Warwick grads are out there smashing it and you could be next!

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Images via Google Images