The entertainment industry is filled with many individuals who have successfully followed their dreams and have made quite a life for themselves. Often, those seeking fame would have to travel near and far just to have the opportunity of a lifetime to become a successful actor, comedian, singer, and so much more. For our fellow Northerners, they can easily just look to their neighboring country for a life-changing opportunity.
It can sometimes be easy to tell just by a person’s accent what part of the world they might come from. That, however, can be kind of tricky for those that are coming up from the northern border of the United States, unless you specifically ask them to pronounce certain words that are a complete giveaway that they’re from Canada.
There are a lot of famous celebrities who many people might have assumed were born, raised, and grew up in the States. Some famous people from Canada are quite obvious and easy to know, while others just might shock you. Many celebs uprooted their lives from Canada and are living in the States for good, while some still have dual citizenship, and continues to live back and forth between the U.S. and Canada.
Let’s take a look a few famous stars who are actually from The Great White North.
20 Drake Is Originally From Toronto
Drake is without a doubt, one of the biggest names in the music industry. Before becoming known as the hip-hop megastar many people know and love as Drake, he was an ordinary kid from Toronto, Canada who had dreams of one day being a successful rapper. For some people, their first introduction to Drake was on the Canada based teen drama series, Degrassi: The Next Generation, where Drake, who then went by his government name, Aubrey Graham portrayed the role of Jimmy Books. As a kid, Drake would often split his time living in his hometown of Toronto and would spend his summers visiting his dad in Memphis, Tennesse.
19 Shay Mitchell Was Born In Mississauga
Actress and businesswoman Shay Mitchell is originally from Mississauga, Ontario, where she was born. At a young age, Shay and her family moved to Vancouver, British Columbia. As Shay got older, she decided to pursue a career in the entertainment industry, that would cause her to leave her beloved home in Vancouver. After deciding to follow her dreams, Shay has lived briefly in Hong Kong, Bangkok, and finally made Los Angeles, California her permanent place of residence after landing the leading role as Emily Fileds on Freeform’s Pretty Little Liars.
18 Justin Bieber Grew Up In Stratford
Justin Bieber was just a little kid growing up in Stratford, Ontario when he was posting videos of himself competing in local singing competitions and covering hit songs on his YouTube channel. Bieber’s YouTube channel gained notoriety when he was scouted by Scooter Braun, who eventually introduced Justin Biber to megastar, Usher Raymond, and the rest is history. Justin Bieber became a teen sensation after releasing his first album, My World. Justin Bieber now resides in California and is enjoying the married life with Hailey Baldwin.
17 Rachel McAdams Is From London
Actress Rachel McAdams was born and raised in London, Canada. As a child, McAdams’ love for acting began when she became involved with the Original Kids Theatre Company in her hometown. From there, Rachel McAdams attended York University where she was enrolled in the Drama program and immediately decided to pursue a professional career in acting. After having much success with her acting career, Rachel McAdams was inducted into Canada’s Walk of Fame. The actress has stated that she enjoys splitting her time working and living in both Canada and the U.S.
16 Ryan Reynolds Grew Up In Vancouver
Ryan Reynolds is considered to be one of the most famous actors from Canada who has successfully made a name for themselves in Hollywood. Ryan Reynolds was born and raised in Vancouver, British Colombia. Reynolds began his acting career at just the age of 13 when he starred in a short-lived Nickelodeon series, Hillside. As a young adult, Ryan Reynolds decided to drop out of college and move to Los Angeles with a friend to pursue his acting career. Reynolds was able to move from his hometown to the U.S. to work hard and have a successful career in Hollywood.
15 Nina Dobrev Was Raised In Toronto
Actress Nina Dobrev was born in Bulgaria and was raised in Toronto after her family decided to move to Canada when Nina was just a young girl. Nina Dobrev got her first big acting break on the teen drama series from Canada, Degrassi: The Next Generation where she starred as Mia Jones. Dobrev eventually left her job at Degrassi to pursue a bigger, and ultimately life-changing role as Elena Gilbert on The CW drama, The Vampire Diaries, which made Nina Dobrev a household name. Nina Dobrev now resides in Los Angeles, California.
14 Patrick J. Adams Was Born In Toronto
Many fans of the USA series, Suits admire actor Patrick J. Adamas for his role as Mike Ross on the drama series. Patrick J. Adams was born and raised in Toronto, Ontario. After graduating from high school, Patrick J. Adams decided to relocate to Los Angeles to attend the University of Southern California School of Dramatic Arts. After landing the role of Mike Ross on Suits, Patrick J. Adams was excited to learn that his new job would be filming back in his hometown of Toronto. Adams currently resides in Los Angeles with his wife, fellow actress Troian Bellisario and their daughter.
13 Sandra Oh Grew Up In Nepean
Actress and producer Sandro Oh was born and raised in Nepean, Ontario. Sandra Oh’s love for the performing arts started at a young age. She first started her career as a ballet dancer, and eventually transitioned into the acting world. Sandra Oh is mostly known for her role as Dr. Christina Yang on ABC’s medical drama, Grey’s Anatomy. Sandra Oh recently made history by becoming the first Asian woman to receive an Emmy nomination for best lead actress in a drama series for the BBC America show, Killing Eve.
12 Ryan Gosling Was Born In London
Actor Ryan Gosling was born in London, Ontario and grew up in Cornwall and Burlington. Ryan Gosling’s entertainment career began on the remake of Disney’s The Mickey Mouse Club alongside other future superstars, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, and Justin Timberlake. After The Mickey Mouse club ended, Ryan Gosling moved back to Canada where he continued to expand his acting career. Now, Ryan Gosling is one of the most recognized names in Hollywood. Ryan Gosling currently lives in Los Angeles with his girlfriend, actress Eva Mendes, and their two children.
11 Céline Dion Is From Québec
Céline Dion was born and raised in Charlemagne, Québec. Céline’s music career journey first started when she was just a teenager, and Céline has since had a phenomenal and remarkable career. One of Céline's most famous tunes is from the Titanic soundtrack, My Heart Will Go On, which won an Oscar award for Best Original Song. Céline Dion took her career to new heights when she began her Las Vegas residency back in 2003. After 15 years of a successful Las Vegas residency, Céline Dion will have her final show in Vegas on June 8, 2019.
10 Jim Carrey Was Born In Newmarket
Famous comedian and actor Jim Carrey was born in Newmarket, Ontario. Jim Carrey’s first big break as a comedian came when he starred on the sketch comedy show, In Living Color, along with other artists who would go on to have successful careers. From there, Carrey starred in a few films that became hits and classics for fans such as Ace Ventura, Dumb and Dumber, The Mask and How The Grinch Stole Christmas. Jim Carrey continues is work as an actor and has even expressed his love for paintings by showcasing a variety of paintings on social media that he painted himself.
9 Neve Campbell Hails From Guelph
Fans got familiar with actress Neve Campbel when she played Julia Salinger on the 90's drama series Party of Five. We all rooted for Neve as she feared for her life as Sidney Prescott in the Scream thriller franchise, and we loved her as Bonnie Harper in The Craft. Neve Campbell was born and raised in Guelph, Ontario. After all of her success with various tv shows and films, and was in constant demand, Neve Campbell decided to leave Hollywood and moved overseas for a while to get some peace and clarity away from the spotlight.
8 Avan Jogia Is A Vancouver Boy
Avan Jogia was born and raised in Vancouver. Avan became a familiar face to fans after he starred in the popular Nickelodeon show, Victorious as Beck Oliver, alongside stars such as Victoria Justice and Ariana Grande. He even captivated fans when he starred as the mysterious Danny Desai in the ABC Family short-lived drama, Twisted. Jogia decided to pursue a career in acting when he was just 17-years-old and decided to move away from home to Los Angeles, in order to make his dreams come true.
7 Nelly Furtado Was Born In Victoria
When singer Nelly Furtado released her debut album, Whoa Nelly, she became an instant star thanks to her song, I'm Like a Bird topping the charts. The single helped the singer win her first ever Grammy award. Her popular streak kept rising when she released her third studio album, Loose, where she teamed up with producer Timbaland and pop star, Justin Timberlake to create the hits, Maneater, and Say It Right, just to name a few. Following all of her success, Nelly Furtado took a brief hiatus from music to clear her mind from the hectic lifestyle of the entertainment industry. She made a return with her 2017 album, The Ride.
6 Seth Rogen Is From Vancouver
Vancouver’s Seth Rogen wears a lot of hats in the entertainment industry. Rogen is an actor, writer, director, comedian and so much more. Rogen as always had a love for comedy and writing. As a teenager, the Rogen was able to enter in the local Vancouver Amateur Comedy Contest where he won second place He’s responsible for a variety of comedy films such as Superbad, Pineapple Express, and Neighbors. His work on Superbad earned him a Canadian Comedy Award. Seth Rogen currently resides in Los Angeles with his wife Lauren.
5 Alessia Cara Was Raised In Brampton
Singer Alessia Cara grew up in Brampton, Ontario. As n aspiring artists, Alessia would often upload videos on her Youtube page of herself singing acoustic versions of a few popular songs. Her videos caught the attention of the historic label, Def Jam, and she was offered a record deal. Alessia's star power continued to rise after she released her first single, Here, which ultimately became a hit. Alessia has had much success since the release of her debut album, Know-It-All. In 2018, Alessia took home the Grammy Award for Best New Artist, and she was featured on Logic’s hit song, 1-800-273-8255.
4 Joshua Jackson Was Born In Vancouver
Former child actor, Joshua Jackson was born and raised in Vancouver. Joshua's first huge break in the acting industry was in one of the popular films from the 90s, Mighty Ducks and its two follow up films, where he starred as Charlie Conway. He continued to see success as an actor when he stared as Pacey Witter in the WB's Dawson Creek, which is considered a classic series for many people who grew up watching it while it was still on the air. Joshua Jackson is still a successful actor, and most recently starred in Showtime's The Affair.
3 Avril Lavigne Is From Napanee
Singer Avril Lavinge was just an ordinary girl from Napanee when she decided to follow her hopes and dreams of becoming a singer. In 2002, when she was just 17-years-old, Avril released her debut album, Let Go. The album became a hit thanks to a few hit songs like Sk8ter Boi and Complicated. Avril followed up the success of her first album when she released the hit song, Girlfriend. Avril Lavigne is currently preparing the release of her forthcoming album, Head Above Water.
2 Carly Rae Jepsen Is A BC Girl
Singer Carly Rae Jepsen was born and raised in Mission, British Columbia. Carly Rae Jepsen has always had a love for music and had dreams of being a successful artist. She even competed on Canadian Idol, Canada’s version of American Idol. After competing on Canadian Idol, Carly Rae Jepsen gained fame after releasing her song, Call Me Maybe. Call Me Maybe became a hit across the airwaves, and skyrocketed Jepsen’s music career. Following the success of Call Me Maybe, Carly Re Jepsen starts as Cinderella on Broadway, and she even sings the theme song to Netlfix’s Fuller House.
1 Emmanuelle Chriqui Was Born In Montreal
Actress Emmanuelle Chriqui was born in Montreal and relocated to Toronto with her family when she was a young girl. Chriqui began her acting career by staring in local commercials and was eventually able to get roles on a few television shows. One of Emmanuelle Chriqui’s most recognizable roles was on HBO’s Entourage where she played Sloan and reprised her role for the feature film. She also starred opposite Adam Sandler in the comedy, You Don’t Mess With The Zohan. In 2019, Emmanuelle Chriqui will star in the new FOX series, The Passage.
References: people.com, gq.com, usweekly.com,
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