Columbia University in popular culture

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Columbia University in New York City, New York, as one of the oldest universities in the United States, has been the subject of numerous aspects of popular culture. This is a partially sorted list of Columbia's representation in various films and television programs.

Film[]

Movies making reference to Columbia and/or featuring scenes shot on Columbia's campus include:

Scarlett Johansson at Columbia University during the shooting of The Nanny Diaries.
One of the fountains at Columbia University

Music[]

  • The music video for the Fugees' single "Nappy Heads" (recorded in 1992 but not released until 1994) was partially shot on the steps of Low Library of Columbia University, where one of the members, Lauryn Hill, was a student.[7]
  • Recording artist Nellie McKay released a song on her second album Pretty Little Head (2006), entitled "Columbia Is Bleeding", alleging animal abuse as part of the practice of animal testing at Columbia University.[8]

Fictional Columbians[]

Character Appearances Notes Source
Grace Adler Will & Grace; portrayed by Debra Messing Graduate of Columbia College. In the show, she and Will Truman met at a party in Carman Hall. [9]
Meg Altman Panic Room, directed by David Fincher; portrayed by Jodie Foster Attends Columbia in the film [10]
Andie Anderson How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, directed by Donald Petrie; portrayed by Kate Hudson Graduate of Columbia Journalism School [10]
Nate Archibald Gossip Girl; portrayed by Chace Crawford Attends Columbia in the show [9]
Paul Armstrong Just Cause, directed by Arne Glimcher; portrayed by Sean Connery Graduate of Columbia Law School [11]
Radhika Banerjee Singh Ta Ra Rum Pum, directed by Siddharth Anand; portrayed by Rani Mukerji Is majoring in music at Columbia University when she meets Rajveer Singh (portrayed by Saif Ali Khan) [10]
Zoe Barry Something's Gotta Give, directed by Nancy Meyers; portrayed by Frances McDormand Professor of women's studies
Bender Futurama; voiced by John DiMaggio Attends "Columbiac University" in the episode "Free Will Hunting" [12]
Naomi Bennett Private Practice; portrayed by Audra McDonald Graduate of the College of Physicians and Surgeons [9]
Sam Bennett Private Practice; portrayed by Taye Diggs Graduate of the College of Physicians and Surgeons [9]
Serena Benson Law & Order: Special Victims Unit; portrayed by Elizabeth Ashley Graduate of either Columbia College or Barnard College [13]
Charles Bigelow Strange Invaders, directed by Michael Laughlin; portrayed by Paul Le Mat Professor
Matt Camden 7th Heaven; portrayed by Barry Watson Attends the College of Physicians and Surgeons in the show [9]
Billy Campbell Apartment, by Teddy Wayne Attends the School of Arts in the book, along with the unnamed narrator [14]
Alexis Castle Castle; portrayed by Molly Quinn Attends Columbia in the show [9]
Richard Cooper I Think I Love My Wife, directed by Chris Rock; portrayed by Chris Rock An MBA degree from Columbia can be seen hanging in his office. [10]
Ken Cosgrove Mad Men; portrayed by Aaron Staton Graduate of Columbia [15]
Kevin Cozner Brooklyn Nine-Nine; portrayed by Marc Evan Jackson Professor of classics [16]
Daredevil/Matt Murdock Marvel Comics Valedictorian of his class at Columbia Law School [17]
Jessica Darling The Jessica Darling books, by Megan McCafferty Attends Columbia in the books [18]
Finn DeTrolio The Sopranos; portrayed by Will Janowitz Attends Columbia in the show, studying dentistry
Jack Duluoz Vanity of Duluoz, by Jack Kerouac Attends Columbia College in the book, which is based on Kerouac's own time at the university
Marshall Emerson For Kings and Planets, by Ethan Canin Attends Columbia in the book [19]
Marshall Eriksen How I Met Your Mother; portrayed by Jason Segel Graduate of Columbia Law School [9]
F. Scott Feinstadt P.S., directed by Dylan Kidd; portrayed by Topher Grace Is accepted at the School of Arts following an affair with an admissions officer [10]
Archie Ferguson 4 3 2 1, by Paul Auster Attends Columbia around the 1968 protests [20]
Dr. Joel Fleishman Northern Exposure; portrayed by Rob Morrow Graduate of the College of Physicians and Surgeons [9]
Marco Stanley Fogg Moon Palace, by Paul Auster Attends Columbia College in the book [21]
Eric Foreman House; portrayed by Omar Epps Studied biochemistry at the university on a full scholarship [9]
Gabriel the Devil Hunter Marvel Comics Is described as "a scholar at Columbia University" [22]
Ana García Real Women Have Curves, directed by Patricia Cardoso; portrayed by America Ferrera Is accepted at Columbia with a full scholarship in the film [10]
Ross Geller Friends; portrayed by David Schwimmer Holds a PhD in paleontology from Columbia [23]
Sarah Glass 7th Heaven; portrayed by Sarah Danielle Madison Attends the College of Physicians and Surgeons in the show [9]
Stanley Goodspeed The Rock, directed by Michael Bay; portrayed by Nicolas Cage Graduate of Columbia College [10]
Lucas Goodwin House of Cards, portrayed by Sebastian Arcelus A Columbia degree can be seen hanging in his office. [24]
Alexander Hartdegen The Time Machine, directed by Simon Wells; portrayed by Guy Pearce Professor of applied mechanics and engineering [25]
Dave Hodgman The First Time, directed by Jonathan Kasdan; portrayed by Dylan O'Brien In the film, Hodgman is a high school senior slated to attend Columbia in the fall.
Beatrice Horseman BoJack Horseman; voiced by Wendie Malick Graduate of Barnard College [26]
Alice Howland Still Alice, directed by Richard Glatzer and Wash Westmoreland; portrayed by Julianne Moore Professor of linguistics [27]
Linda Jackson Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues, directed by Adam McKay; portrayed by Meagan Good Graduate of Columbia Journalism School
Rosie Jarman The Rosie Project, The Rosie Effect, and The Rosie Result, by Graeme Simsion Attends the College of Physicians and Surgeons in The Rosie Effect [28]
Jess Jordan Succession; portrayed by Juliana Canfield Graduate of Columbia Law School
Willie Keith The Caine Mutiny, by Herman Wouk At the beginning of the book, is a student at the Columbia University Midshipmen's School, which operated during World War II [29]
Mindy Lahiri The Mindy Project; portrayed by Mindy Kaling Graduate of the College of Physicians and Surgeons [30]
Gregory Larkin The Mirror Has Two Faces, directed by Barbra Streisand; portrayed by Jeff Bridges Professor of mathematics [27]
Karen Wagner Leland The Detective, directed by Gordon Douglas; portrayed by Lee Remick Professor [27]
Thomas "Babe" Levy Marathon Man, directed by John Schlesinger; portrayed by Dustin Hoffman Is a PhD student at Columbia in the film [10]
Veronica Lodge Riverdale; portrayed by Camila Mendes Graduate of Barnard College [31]
Kim Joo-won Secret Garden; portrayed by Hyun Bin Graduate of Columbia [32]
Justice/Vance Astrovik Marvel Comics Attends Columbia, and re-enrolls after going to jail for killing his father [33]
Carl Luce The Catcher in the Rye, by J. D. Salinger Columbia College student and former classmate of Holden Caulfield [34]
Dinah Madani The Punisher; portrayed by Amber Rose Revah Holds a master's degree in Islamic studies from Columbia [35]
Veronica Mars Veronica Mars; portrayed by Kristen Bell Attends Columbia Law School in the show [36]
Tracy McConnell How I Met Your Mother; portrayed by Cristin Milioti Studied economics at Columbia [9]
Joy Meachum Iron Fist; portrayed by Jessica Stroup Graduate of Columbia Law School [37]
Mister Fear/Larry Cranston Marvel Comics Professor at Columbia Law School, under the name Harold Cranstone [38]
Lucrecia Montesinos Hendrich Elite; portrayed by Danna Paola Attends Columbia in the show [39]
Addison Montgomery Grey's Anatomy; portrayed by Kate Walsh Graduate of the College of Physicians and Surgeons [9]
Rose Morgan The Mirror Has Two Faces, directed by Barbra Streisand; portrayed by Barbra Streisand Professor of English literature [27]
Michael Moscovitz The Princess Diaries, by Meg Cabot Attends Columbia in the books [10]
Ted Mosby How I Met Your Mother; portrayed by Josh Radnor Becomes a professor of architecture in the show
Elektra Natchios Marvel Comics; Daredevil, directed by Mark Steven Johnson; portrayed by Jennifer Garner Graduate of Columbia Law School [10]
Foggy Nelson Marvel Comics; Daredevil, directed by Mark Steven Johnson; portrayed by Jon Favreau Graduate of Columbia Law School [10]
Roland Nilson The Switch, directed by Will Speck and Josh Gordon; portrayed by Patrick Wilson Professor of English
Erica Noughton Nip/Tuck; portrayed by Vanessa Redgrave Holds a PhD in clinical psychology from Columbia
Harry Osborn Spider-Man, Spider-Man 2, and Spider-Man 3, directed by Sam Raimi; portrayed by James Franco Attends Columbia in Spider-Man 2 and Spider-Man 3 [40]
Mitchell Pritchett Modern Family; portrayed by Jesse Tyler Ferguson Graduate of Columbia Law School [9]
Quiet Man Marvel Comics Attended Columbia [41]
Clare Quilty Lolita, by Vladimir Nabokov Attended Columbia [42]
Wendell Rand Iron Fist; portrayed by David Furr Graduate of Columbia [37]
Erin Reagan Blue Bloods; portrayed by Bridget Moynahan Graduate of Columbia [43]
Nicky Reagan-Boyle Blue Bloods; portrayed by Sami Gayle Attends Columbia in the show [43]
Esteban Reyes Weeds; portrayed by Demián Bichir Graduate of Columbia [9]
Jamie Ross Law & Order and Law & Order: Trial by Jury; portrayed by Carey Lowell Graduate of Columbia Law School [9]
Artur Sammler Mr. Sammler's Planet, by Saul Bellow Lectures at Columbia in the book [44]
Kimmy Schmidt Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt; portrayed by Ellie Kemper Attends, and is expelled from, Columbia in the show [9]
Carol Seaver Growing Pains; portrayed by Tracey Gold Attends Columbia in the show [9]
Mark Sloan Grey's Anatomy; portrayed by Eric Dane Graduate of the College of Physicians and Surgeons [9]
Mister Fantastic/Reed Richards Marvel Comics Holds a doctorate from Columbia [45]
Edward H. Simpson Jurassic Park, by Michael Crichton Emeritus professor of zoology [46]
Ollie Slocumb Igby Goes Down, directed by Burr Steers; portrayed by Ryan Phillippe Attends Columbia as an economics major in the film [10]
Nadia Shanaa Elite; portrayed by Mina El Hammani Attends Columbia in the show [39]
Juliet Sharp Gossip Girl; portrayed by Katie Cassidy Attends Columbia in the show [47]
Jack Shephard Lost; portrayed by Matthew Fox Graduate of Columbia
Derek Shepherd Grey's Anatomy; portrayed by Patrick Dempsey Graduate of the College of Physicians and Surgeons [9]
Meadow Soprano The Sopranos; portrayed by Jamie-Lynn Sigler Attends Columbia College in the show [9]
Jessie Spano Saved by the Bell; portrayed by Elizabeth Berkley Attends Columbia in the show's spinoff, Saved by the Bell: The College Years [9]
Egon Spengler Ghostbusters; portrayed by Harold Ramis Professor of parapsychology at Columbia before forming the Ghostbusters [48]
Spider-Man/Peter Parker Spider-Man, Spider-Man 2, and Spider-Man 3, directed by Sam Raimi; portrayed by Tobey Maguire Acquires his powers at a Columbia laboratory, and later attends the university in Spider-Man 2 and Spider-Man 3 [27]
Gwen Stacy Spider-Man 3, directed by Sam Raimi; portrayed by Bryce Dallas Howard Attends Columbia in the film
Ray Stantz Ghostbusters; portrayed by Dan Aykroyd Professor of parapsychology at Columbia before forming the Ghostbusters [48]
Richard Stone Jurassic Park, by Michael Crichton Head of the Tropical Diseases Laboratory of the Columbia University Medical Center [46]
Doctor Strange Marvel Comics Graduate of the College of Physicians and Surgeons; resident at the NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital for five years [49]
David Strom The Time of Our Singing, by Richard Powers Is a physicist at Columbia [50]
Stanley Sweetheart The Magic Garden of Stanley Sweetheart, directed by Leonard Horn; portrayed by Don Johnson Attends Columbia in the film [10]
Lance Sweets Bones; portrayed by John Francis Daley Holds doctorates in clinical psychology and behavioral analysis from Columbia [51]
Oluwakemi "Kemi" Talbot Veep; portrayed by Toks Olagundoye Graduate of Columbia College and Columbia Law School [52]
Orno Tarcher For Kings and Planets, by Ethan Canin Attends Columbia in the book [19]
Don Tillman The Rosie Project, The Rosie Effect, and The Rosie Result, by Graeme Simsion Visiting professor at the College of Physicians and Surgeons [28]
Will Truman Will & Grace; portrayed by Eric McCormack Graduate of Columbia College [9]
Val Tyler What I Like About You; portrayed by Jennie Garth Holds a degree in public relations from Columbia [9]
Serena van der Woodsen Gossip Girl; portrayed by Blake Lively Attends Columbia in the show [9]
Iris Vegan The Blindfold, by Siri Hustvedt Is a graduate student at Columbia in the book [53]
Peter Venkman Ghostbusters; portrayed by Bill Murray Professor of parapsychology at Columbia before forming the Ghostbusters [48]
Blair Waldorf Gossip Girl; portrayed by Leighton Meester Attends Columbia in the show [9]
Adam Walker Invisible, by Paul Auster Attends Columbia in the book, and befriends political science professor Rudolf Born
Mara Waters The Au Pairs, by Melissa de la Cruz Decides to attend Columbia in the book
Abe Weissman The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel; portrayed by Tony Shalhoub Tenured professor at the university [54]
Iris West DC Comics Graduate of Columbia
James Wilson House; portrayed by Robert Sean Leonard Graduate of the College of Physicians and Surgeons [9]
Lee Wing Marvel Comics Professor of Oriental studies [55]
Frank Wheeler Revolutionary Road, by Richard Yates Described as an "intense, nicotine-stained, Jean-Paul Sartre sort of man" while a student [56]
Professor X Marvel Comics Holds a PhD in anthropology from Columbia; professor of biology [57]
Boris Yelnikoff Whatever Works, directed by Woody Allen; portrayed by Larry David Professor of physics [58]
Leopold York Marvel Comics Professor of law [59]
Rachel Zane Suits; portrayed by Meghan Markle Attends Columbia Law School in the show [9]
Toby Ziegler The West Wing; portrayed by Richard Schiff Professor at Columbia, following his dismissal by President Josiah Bartlet [60]

References[]

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