A White House envoy and TV show creator returned to his old school in Chadwell Heath.
Mark Burnett, who was appointed as the US special envoy to the UK by President Donald Trump in February, visited The Warren School to meet with students and staff.
He was given a tour of the school by the head boy and head girl, before meeting with school leaders.
Mr Burnett, an award-winning Hollywood producer, entrepreneur and author who created TV show The Apprentice, spoke to pupils about his career and shared his experiences of the school.
He said: "I had a great education here at The Warren School and that, coupled with the friends I made here who have been with me for decades, has been important to my professional success.
"It was here that I learned to persevere.
"In Hollywood, when one person said ‘no,’ I didn’t take it as a rejection.
"To me, no stood for ‘N.O.’ … next opportunity."
Mr Burnett's talk was followed by a question and answer session, where pupils had the chance to ask him about his career and experiences.
The school said the visit was "inspiring" for the students and gave them "food for thought".
A spokesperson said: "The school community were thrilled to see an ex-student with so many outstanding accomplishments."
Mr Burnett was born and raised in London before moving to the United States.
He has won 13 Emmy awards, 12 Critic’s Choice awards, ten People’s Choice awards, and five Producer’s Guild of America accolades.
He served as chairman of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer’s Worldwide Television Group until 2022, overseeing scripted television shows including Fargo, The Handmaid's Tale, and Vikings.
His work has been recognised by Time magazine, who has named him one of the most influential people in the world.
