.png)
Have you ever wondered: "Hmmm... Who's the most famous person from my home state?" Well, wonder no more.
We figured out the most famous person from every state in America, and some of the results might shock you...
Iowa: Ashton Kutcher
Kutcher has always been in the spotlight because of his good looks, lovable nature, and positive attitude. He was raised in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Not very many people end up leaving Cedar Rapids, because not that many people live in Cedar Rapids, to begin with.
A Face for Television
Kutcher's mother worked at Proctor & Gamble, and his father worked in a factory. His family was not particularly well off, but Kutcher ended up providing for them when he was picked up by a modeling agency when he turned 18. He won the Fresh Faces of Iowa modeling competition, and that eventually catapulted him into his acting career.
Arizona: Emma Stone
Arizona seems to be a hot spot for celebrities. While many have come before her, and some after, Emma Stone might just be the most famous person to pop-up from the hottest state in America.
The Beginning to the End
Stone grew up in Scottsdale, Arizona and lived there for the majority of her early career. She instantly popped off when she moved to Los Angeles, but she still comes back to Arizona from time to time. She isn't the only celebrity that came from the Grand Canyon State. Hailey Bieber and Jordin Sparks are two other transplants.
Illinois: Harrison Ford
Harrison Ford, more known as Han Solo and Indiana Jones, grew up in Chicago. He went to high school in the windy city and then decided to move to Wisconsin to further his education. You probably think he studied acting, right? Wrong! He studied English and philosophy.
A Jack of All Trades
Believe it or not, before Ford became an actor, he was actually a carpenter. Well, he was taking small roles in between working as a carpenter, but that's the job that paid the bills. That is until he got hired to be Han Solo. Ford is quite possibly the most famous person to come out of Illinois, but he's contending with Betty White and Walt Disney.
California: Meghan Markle
Markle wasn't always the "royalty" type. In fact, she lived an extremely down-to-earth life before she met Prince Harry. She grew up in Los Angeles, studied at Northwestern University, and she took tiny roles in TV shows and movies before she met her royal husband.
Off to the Races
It wasn't until Markle got a role on Suits that she started getting noticed a bit more. Fortunately for her, Prince Harry took notice of who she was. After that, she became a royal celebrity. Obviously there are a ton more famous people to come out of California, but on the world scale, Markle is the most famous by a long shot.
Conneticut: Seth MacFarlane
You might recognize the name Seth MacFarlane from the intro-credits on his hit TV shows Family Guy and American Dad. MacFarlane was born and raised in Kent Connecticut. He attended a private school that his parents both worked for his entire childhood.
Leaving Connecticut Behind
MacFarlane put his tenure in Connecticut behind him to pursue his acting career. That jump prompted his introduction into the voice acting world, and the rest is history. Other celebrities from Connecticut include Paul Giamatti, Glenn Close, and Katharine Hepburn.
Hawaii: Jason Mamoa
Mamoa had a strange life before he started modeling and acting. He is a native Hawaiian, his mother and father both lived in Honolulu for the beginning portion of his life. But, when his parents got divorced, he ended up moving to Iowa with his mother.
Back to the Big Island
Mamoa went to Colorado State University, and then he moved back to Hawaii to live with his father. He putzed around for about six months working odd jobs until he was spotted by a modeling agency. He was immediately offered a contract and his career exploded outward from there,
Florida: Ariana Grande
Grande is from Boca Raton, Florida. She grew up performing at the Fort Lauderdale Children's Theater until she eventually landed a deal with the Disney Channel. She's arguably the most popular pop-star in the world right now, so she definitely did something right to get here.
Headed Out West
Grande left Boca Raton when she was just 13 years old. When she moved to Los Angeles, her career started taking off pretty much immediately. All of the opportunities that she pursued over the years helped her plot a perfect path to get to where she is now.
Georgia: Julia Roberts
Julia Roberts grew up in the Hollywood of the southeast before that was even established. Her parents co-founded the Atlanta Actors and Writers Workshop, which inspired Roberts and many other prolific individuals to get involved with the industry.
From the Big Peach to the Big Apple
Roberts stuck around Atlanta for the beginning portions of her career, but she eventually took off for New York City to chase her dreams of being on the big screen. Roberts dreamed of being a veterinarian from a young age, but an opportunity to move to New York presented itself, she took the leap. Roberts's brother and sister were already living there, they put her up and helped her get her first role as an extra in "Blood Red," from there, her career took off.
Colorado: Tim Allen
Tim Allen was born in Denver, Colorado on June 13th, 1953. Just eleven years into his life, Allen's father passed away and his family moved to Michigan to restart their lives.
The Centennial State
Colorado has a special place in Tim Allen's heart because that is where he forged the majority of his childhood memories about his father. Later in his life, he learned to re-orient these feelings of longing and sorrow and focus on how beautiful these memories truly were. Tim Allen is by far the most famous person from Colorado, but Zachery Ty Brya, M. Scott Carpenter, and Lon Chaney are close contenders.
Alabama: Channing Tatum
Tatum was born on April 26th, 1980 in Cullman, Alabama. He lived in Cullman until he was six years old, and then his family moved him to Mississippi. Despite the fact that he spent the majority of his young life in Mississippi, he proudly wears the Alabama badge when discussing his upbringing.
Roll Tide
Tatum proudly supports the University of Alabama's sports teams. He travels back and forth when he can, but Alabama is a long way from Beverly Hills. In addition to Channing Tatum, Courtney Cox, Lionel Richie, and Octavia Spencer are all from Alabama as well.
Indiana: David Letterman
Letterman isn't known by the younger generations as much as he's known by older generations. This former talk show host was raised in Indianapolis, which is the capital of Indiana. His father was a florist, and his mother was a church secretary.
From Corn Fields to Palm Trees
Letterman attended Ball State University and he barely passed. Afterward, Letterman moved to LA and decided to pursue a career in television, which clearly worked out for him. Other contenders from Indiana include Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson, and James Dean.
Alaska: Jewel
Alaska doesn't have that many people that live in it, so naturally, there aren't a ton of celebrities that came from there. But, Jewel proudly came through the Anchorage, Alaska music scene to make her world-stage debut. Her family was even featured on an episode of Alaska: The Last Frontier.
It's a Simple Life
Jewel remembers her childhood as a magical experience in some of the most beautiful nature one could ever see. She remembers riding horses, fishing, and picking berries with her brothers and sisters. Not everybody gets to touch land that has been untouched by humans for centuries, and for that, Jewel is an extremely lucky person.
Delaware: Ryan Phillippe
Phillippe grew up in New Castle, Delaware. His mother owned a daycare center that she ran out of their house, and his father worked in a laboratory as a chemist. He lived in Delaware until he was 18, and when he graduated high school he packed up and took off to pursue a career in acting.
Slim Pickings
Although Phillippe was most famous in the late 90s to the early 2000s, there aren't very many famous people from Delaware, to begin with. So, despite the fact that Phillippe isn't as prolific as the other characters on this list, he is still the most famous person to come out of Delaware.
Idaho: Aaron Paul
Better known as Jesse Pinkeman from the legendary television show Breaking Bad, Paul started his life in the small town of Emmett, Ohio. He was raised and schooled there, but as soon as he graduated high school, he took off. Right after his graduation, Paul packed up his car and drove to Los Angeles to pursue a career in acting.
Hard Work Pays Off
Aaron Paul built a savings account while working through high school. His mother wasn't able to work as much as he did, and he didn't want to leave her behind, so he took her with him to Los Angeles. He's arguably the most important celebrity, and definitely the most important actor to ever come out of Idaho.
Arkansas: Billy Bob Thornton
Thornton spent a lot of his childhood moving around, but he was born and (basically) raised in Hot Springs, Arkansas. He was raised by his grandmother, in her tiny two-bedroom cabin that had no electricity or indoor plumbing whatsoever.
We Make Do
Thornton didn't have very much money when he was growing up, but that didn't stop him from mounting a career at the age of 37 when he co-wrote and starred in the 1992 thriller "One False Move." From there, he won countless more awards got some incredible opportunities thrown at him. One of those opportunities was marrying Angelina Jolie.
Maryland: Anna Faris
Faris was born in Baltomire, Maryland. Her father was a sociology professor and her mother was a special education teacher. Her family moved to Washington when she was quite young, but she still spent some formative years in Maryland.
Michigan: Kristen Bell
Several movie stars came from Michigan, but Kristen Bell totally has the most cred right now. Bell was raised outside of Detroit, but she left to attend NYU after high school. Some other famous Michiganders include Danny Brown, Stevie Wonder, Madona, and Diana Ross.
Louisiana: Reese Witherspoon
When people think about New Orleans, they think of Caujin food, dancing, Bourbon Street, drinking, hurricanes, and general madness. They don't usually think about Reese Witherspoon, who is the most popular celebrity to come out of the legendary port city. Some contenders for the title of most famous Louisiana natives are Lil Wayne and Frank Ocean.
Massachusetts: Mark Wahlberg
As you can see by the photo here, good ol' Marky Mark hasn't been eating as many burgers as he used to. If you didn't know already, Wahlberg is one of Boston's finest. He was born and raised in an impoverished family of nine. He struggled with drugs and imprisonment before he was able to break the pattern of poverty and hit the big screen.
Maine: Patrick Dempsey
Patrick Dempsey, the ER dreamboat, was born and raised in the great state of Maine. He was born in Lewiston, a tiny town near Buckfield (which is a slightly less tiny town), and lived there until he got his break. Believe it or not, Dempsey is an award-winning juggler. He placed second in an international juggling competition before he hit the big time.
New Jersey: Paul Rudd
Paul Rudd is from Passaic, New Jersey. He lived there until he was ten, and then he moved to Overland Park, Kansas. Rudd isn't the only famous Jersian, he's in a league with Bruce Springsteen, Bon Jovi, Meryl Streep, and Danny DeVito.
Kentucky: Johnny Depp
Depp was the youngest of four siblings in a family that moved around quite a bit. However, Kentucky was where he spent the majority of his childhood. George Clooney and Jennifer Lawrence are also from Kentucky, but Depp has them beat in screen time.
Minnesota: Chris Pratt
Everybody's favorite Guardian of the Galaxy is from none other than, Minnesota. When he was just three years old, his family moved him to Washington state. There, he gained an affinity for the Seattle Seahawks, and he started his acting career.
Mississippi: Oprah Winfrey
Oprah is arguably the most successful woman who has ever been in the entertainment industry. She was born in Kosciusko, Mississippi, and she had to overcome poverty, racism, inequality, and systemic oppression to get where she is today. She is worth roughly 2.5 billiion dollars.
Kansas: Kirstie Alley
Kirste Alley ran the game show circuit in the late 90s and early 2000s. She grew up in Witchita, Kansas, went to Kansas State University, and she dropped out her sophomore year when she got her first opportunity in the entertainment industry. She is one of the most famous people to ever work on a game show set.
North Carolina: Julianne Moore
Despite being from a military family, Moore found herself calling Fort Bragg, North Carolina home when she began her life. Moore moved 23 times before she turned 16. Then, she started picking up acting roles, and her career started popping off.
Montana: Michelle Williams
Michelle Williams was born in Kalispell, Montana. Her father was an author, and her mother stayed home and schooled her. Although Williams moved to San Diego when she was just nine years old, she prides herself on her beautiful memories of the scenic landscape of Montana.
Nebraska: Gabrielle Union
Contrary to popular belief, Nebraska isn't all cornfields and farms, there are people there too. Particularly, Gabrielle Union was one of those people. Union's family moved to California when she was nine, but she still considers herself a Cornhusker football fan.
New Hampshire: Mandy Moore
Mandy Moore was born in Nashua, New Hampshire. She started her career as a musician, but she had a great screen presence so she was hired as an actor multiple times over. She spent some of her childhood in Florida, but she still counts New Hampshire as her home state.
Ohio: John Legend
Legend was born in Springfield, Ohio (which is also where people theorize the Simpsons are from). Legend was homeschooled, but he went to high school when he was 12 and finished when he was just 16. Legend went to the Ivy League University of Penn. when he was 17, and he moved to California afterward.
Missouri: Brad Pitt
Brad Pitt was born in Oklahoma, but he traces all of his family roots back to Missouri. His family moved there when he was just five months old. Pitt was a journalist before he became an actor, and we're thankful he didn't stick with that profession.
Nevada: Matthew Gray Gubler
Nevada is a weird state, and Matthew Gray Gubler clearly soaked up some of that weirdness. He always dreamed of becoming a filmmaker, so when he got his opportunity to work in Hollywood on Criminal Minds, he snagged it. Gubler is from Las Vegas, Nevada, he lived there until he got picked up and moved to Hollywood, and he definitely earned his stripes.
Virginia: Sandra Bullock
Bullock was born in Arlington, Virginia. She moved around a ton because her father was in the military, so she never really got to call anywhere her "home." But, she eventually temporarily moved back after spending 12 years of her life living in Germany and Austria.
New York: Robert Downey Jr.
Downey got his start in New York City when he was a kid. He grew up in Manhattan, and his father helped him snag a ton of minor roles until his name was well-known enough that he started getting some big ones. He was one of the world's highest-paid actors in the past five years, despite the fact that people thought he was washed up 20 years ago.
Wyoming: Jim Beaver
They say Wyoming is beautiful, expansive, and truly devoid of human beings. Before beaver starred in Supernatural, he lived a quiet life in the Cowboy State. After Beaver graduated from college, he moved to Texas, but he happily lived most of his life in one of the most beautiful places on Earth.
West Virginia: Brad Paisley
Paisley was born into a poor family in glen Dale, West Virginia. His father worked as a desk clerk for the Department of Transportation, and his mother was a teacher at an elementary school. Paisley got his career rolling when he was very young, and he is the youngest person to be inducted into the Jamboree USA Hall of Fame.
New Mexico: Demi Lovato
Lovato was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Her mother was a former cheerleader for the Dallas Cowboys, and when she divorced Demi's father, she moved back to Dallas with Demi in tow. In addition to Lovato, Neil Patrick Harris is also one of those famous folks from the Land of Enchantment.
North Dakota: Josh Duhamel
Not much is known about North Dakota, but we do know that John Duhamel is from there. Duhamel sings North Dakota's praise, and he especially cares about his former football team, the Minot State Beavers. Even though he moved out to Hollywood, Duhamel has a soft spot for his home state.
Oklahoma: Blake Shelton
Shelton loves to show his pride for the Sooner State. He was born in Oklahoma but moved to Tennessee when he was 17 to sing in the town where country music is sung the loudest. He actually still has some property in Oklahoma, he even owns a bar there.
Vermont: Damon Wayans Jr.
When you think Vermont, you probably think about maple syrup, Bernie Sanders, Ben and Jerry's, and New Girl star Damon Wayans Jr. He recently starred in a movie called Let's Be Cops, and he has been soaking up more screen time as his career turns over into his post- New Girl chapter.
Wisconsin: Mark Ruffalo
You won't like him when he's angry, or, maybe you will. Mark Ruffalo is from Wisconsin! Despite the enormous football support in the cheesehead state, Ruffalo actually was more into wrestling. When Ruffalo was turning 14, his parents moved him to Virginia, but he still considers himself a Wisconson boy.
Pennsylvania: Taylor Swift
Swift's family owned a Christmas tree farm in Reading, Pennsylvania. Her family eventually moved her to Nashville when she was 14 to help her chase her music career. Along with Taylor Swift, Joe Biden, Tina Fey, and Bradley Cooper are all from the Quaker State.
South Carolina: Chadwick Boseman
The star of Marvel's Black Panther, Chadwick Boseman, was born in small-town South Carolina. He was obsessed with acting his whole life, he even wrote and directed his very own two-act play in high school. He attended Howard University and was picked up for his incredible knowledge of the craft. South Carolinians pride their former resident on his incredible achievements.
South Dakota: Bob Barker
If you've ever watched reruns of The Price is Right with your elderly family or friends (our demographic is pretty young, no offense if you were around for Bob Barker's heyday), then you know of Bob Barker. He was raised on a reservation in South Dakota, he loved playing sports, and he loved going to school. Along with Bob Barker, January Jones, and Amy Hill are both from South Dakota as well.
Oregon: Ty Burrell
Ty Burrell is really exactly who he appears to be on television. He is a normal guy from Oregon, he played football, got a degree, and tried to live out his life there. When things proved to be just a bit too boring for him, he moved out to California, and the rest is history.
Utah: Julianne and Derek Hough
Not too many celebrities come out of Utah, so naturally, these two celebrities got a boost by their politician father who was the closest thing Mormon Utah inhabitants had to a community celebrity. They grew up Mormon, but they eventually stopped living the lifestyle to become big-time celebrities. Other Utah celebrities include Marie Osmand and Rosanne Barr.
Rhode Island: Debra Messing
Rhode Island is the smallest state in America, but Debra Messing made it seem a lot larger with her huge personality. In 1986, she was crowned Miss Junior Rhode Island, which was her first stepping stone towards a career in acting. When she turned 18, she shipped out to Hollywood and quickly hit the red carpet.
Tennessee: Justin Timberlake
There is a reason why Justin Timberlake has music in his soul, he was born in Tennessee. He was raised in Memphis and was inspired by predominately black gospel and blues musicians. Timberlake once lived in California, but his time soaking up the sun in Los Angeles got replaced recently when he and his wife, Jessica Biel, moved back to his home state of Tennessee.
Texas: Beyonce
Beyonce grew up in Houston, Texas (which was where she first started singing and dancing). Her mother was from Louisiana, her father was from Alabama, and Beyonce embodies both of their spitfire spirits in one Texas-sized personality package. She was always a shining star, and her friends and teachers from back then are not supposed that shes one of the most prolific singers who ever lived.
Washington: Jeffery Dean Morgan
Morgan grew up in Seattle (and he'd never let anyone forget it). He was the captain of his high school football team, and honestly, he's still riding that high long into his successful acting career. He was actually on the fast track to becoming a professional basketball player, but a torn ACL stumped those dreams, which eventually turned him into the actor he is today.