Malala, Oprah, Spielberg surprise graduates on John Krasinski's show

Get your cap and gown on, get your smile ready, you’re graduating, Class of 2020! We Love John Krasinski here at AfterBuzz TV! John continues to make Some Good News around the world come to life – this week with a graduation for the class of 2020! 

US actor and filmmaker John hosted another episode of Some Good News with some of the major celebrities ready to toast the Class of 2020 on all of their accomplishments. Oprah, Steven Spielberg, Malala Yousafzai, Jon Stewart, Samuel L. Jackson and Ryan Reynolds appeared on this week’s episode to toast the graduates. 

SGN always highlights some of the good news around the world. Some of the favorites this week included…

An 8-year-old celebrating his birthday who loved Jeeps got a neighborhood parade for his big day. The Olympics might have been cancelled, but a few kids in their backyard made their own ski lift to enjoy. An elderly man took to new heights to see his wife of 61 years as she stayed in a nursing home. Love conquers all! 

We had a dramatic reenactment by Samuel L. Jackson of these young girls shouting compliments to their neighbors…it was so sweet and made even better with his special appearance. Ryan Reynolds gave a weather report “it’s pretty good” as he looked up to the sky with trees surrounding him. Still wondering, what happened to Brad Pitt and Robert De Niro? 

The montage of graduates, young and old, from around the world, from first graders to senior citizens, celebrating their accomplishments and wearing their cap and gown was wonderful. With his cap and gown on, some decorations around him, John called on his class speakers to share their speeches filled with messages of reflection, re-evaluation of who we are as people, and leading by example. 

The commencement conversations were the highlight of the episode with Oprah, Steven Spielberg, Jon Stewart, and Malala Yousafzai all giving inspiring messages of hope, striving and following one’s dreams, and continuing to be strong in the face of adversity and fear.

Steven Spielberg 

Oscar-winning filmmaker and director shared the importance of following your dreams no matter what: 

“A dream is going to test your resolve…The real dream is something that not only hangs on to you but you will hang on to it. It will power you through every obstacle that people and environment will throw against you….if we’re in service of our dreams versus our dreams being in service to us it becomes something greater and allows us to be game and it allows us to get over our fear…” 

In addition he shared that, “One of the things this moment is teaching us is that truly anything is possible. Imagination and innovation is what gets us to the other side.” 

Malala Yousafzai

Nobel Laureate, activist and a 2020 graduate herself, she reminded the graduates to, “Believe in your voice, continue speaking. Don’t give up. Society tries to define us and tries to limit us… do not listen to that. Ignore all of that and believe in yourself and continue what you strongly believe in and what you want to do.” 

Oprah 

Speaking to the first youth poet laureate, Harvard graduate Amanda Gorman (she’s incredible!), Oprah shared a story of one of her first jobs as a 22-year old reporter in Baltimore and how she found her home at a local talk-show after much frustration and rejection. Her takeaway was that…“I believe that failure is an opportunity to move yourself in a different direction. It gets better because you learned the lessons from the first time.”

Quoting Maya Angelou at the end, Oprah shared, “God put a rainbow in the clouds… when it’s really dark and dreary on the ground and you get in the plane and within three minutes you shoot above the clouds and you see that the sun was always there…” 

Jon Stewart 

Comedian and former The Daily Show host appeared and gave the trifecta of John’s advice on how to approach post-graduation life. One must “stop completing things and start living them” and you must believe that you are the captain of your own ship and will write your own story! Jon Stewart shared that you must, “let no opportunity be too small for your time and let no opportunity be too big for your possibilities.” What incredible words of wisdom from our commencement speakers! 

Beautiful commencement speeches, once in a lifetime conversations and advice from some of the most celebrated artists, activists and inspirational stars, this is a graduation that will be remembered forever. Wishing the best for the Class of 2020 and remember the sun is always shining above the clouds.