Sigourney Weaver

Iconic American actress Sigourney Weaver is well known for pioneering action heroine roles in science fiction movies. Yet, all was not rosy from the start for this talented performer. Before venturing into acting, Sigourney was planning a Ph.D. in the English program at Stanford to become a journalist and writer. Due to frustration with the program modules, she changed her mind.

Sigourney later joined Yale University, where she studied drama but admits the studies were challenging, with some of the teachers even calling her talentless. The Heartbreakers star’s big break finally came in 1979 when she starred as Ellen Ripley in the blockbuster film Alien.