Who doesn’t love it when celebrities show up for a good cause?
Matthew McConaughey and Salma Hayek brought Hollywood to Dubai as they walked the Global Teacher Prize red carpet on Sunday night, supporting educators from around the world.
The prize, an annual $1 million dollar (Dh3.67 million) award that launched last year, went to Palestinian teacher Hanan Al Hroub. Al Hroub, who grew up in a refugee camp and was regularly exposed to violence, is known for her work with individuals impacted by such circumstances.
McConaughey, his wife, model-designer Camila Alves, and Hayek joined Bollywood stars Abishek Bachchan, Akshay Kumar and Parineeti Chopra in reminiscing about their school days, while hundreds of students from around the UAE cheered them on.
“I got straight 91s, so A-minuses. My GPA is what got me into film school,” admitted a smiling McConaughey. (He owes his work ethic to his parents, who expected nothing less than As from him; A-minus was as rebellious as he could get.)
McConaughey also shared a touching story of his favourite schoolteacher, who was dying of late stage cancer, and to whom he owes much of what he’s learnt.
As for Hayek, school days were more about staying alert in class than frantically revising her flash cards.
“I always paid attention, but I didn’t study much. I tried not to go into my day dreaming, which, I have a propensity for,” quipped Hayek. Of her naughtier moments, she added: “I’m sorry, I have a big list. There was a boy who was very naughty to a group of girls. We were going to dump a bucket of water on his head, but we miscalculated and got a teacher instead.”
Meanwhile, Bachchan said his most memorable teachers were the ones he had at home. It’s no surprise when he’s the son of two mammoth acting figures, Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bachchan.
“I think our greatest teachers are our parents,” he said. “Many teachers have had a huge impact on me, especially my drama coach.”
The ever-humble Kumar also credited his early education for where he is now.
“All my success has always been through my parents. I’ve always touched their feet every morning before work,” he said.
Chopra, the cousin of crossover actress Priyanka, echoed his words, adding that education starts from when you’re just a baby. But don’t ask her what her worst subject was when she was in school — she was too studious for that.
“I was a good student, so you’re asking the wrong person. My favourite subjects were economics, English and math,” she said.
