Where this was said
Hunch to Hollywood: USC Fine Arts and the Decision to Act
At 30:00 · chapter starts 23:30
Bateman and Arnett dig into Olyphant's origin story. He grew up in Modesto, with a mother who warned him against show business ('they're all divorced and on drugs') — a woman who was herself later divorced. He went to USC to study fine arts because he loved drawing and couldn't believe it was an actual major. He nearly went for a master's in fine arts before deciding to try the things on his list: stand-up, acting, a band. He saw it partly as pre-empting a midlife crisis. He hadn't graduated at the time but went back — during COVID or a strike — to complete an independent study with his original professor, Ruth Weisberg, received his degree, and then gave the commencement address at USC's fine arts graduation. He quips that it took him 32 years to accomplish in what the students had done in 4, which made giving them advice feel 'hilarious.'
Timothy Olyphant completed 4 years of a fine arts degree at USC but didn't officially receive his degree until about 32 years later, finishing it during COVID or a strike.
Sean Hayes revealed he never finished his undergraduate degree but received an honorary doctorate in music, news that surprised his co-hosts live on air.
