These celebs are all American household names, but they didn't start out in America. Check out which of your favorites were actually born internationally!
Hugh Laurie
House fans are shocked to discover that the actor who plays the titular Dr. House sounds nothing like him. It’s clear from Hugh Laurie’s interviews that he is English and that he is a master at hiding his accent when acting.
Kiefer Sutherland
It’s probably hard for you to picture Jack Bauer being born anywhere besides America, but Kiefer Sutherland is actually doubly not American. Sutherland is a Canadian-British actor, film director, and producer who was born in London, England to Canadian parents.
Christian Bale
Christian Bale seems totally American, but his American accent is actually something he puts on for movies and interviews. Bale has been quoted to say that he was “born in Wales but he is not Welsh but English.” He is an English actor born in Haverfordwest in the United Kingdom.
Mila Kunis
Mila Kunis is an exotic beauty, but is known for her traditionally American role in “That ’70s Show.” While Kunis is an American actress, she emigrated to the US at the age of 7 from the Soviet Union. She was born in Chernivtsi, in the former Ukrainian SSR which is now just Ukraine.
Natalie Portman
Natalie was born in Jerusalem, Israel. She is an actress with dual Israeli and American citizenship. Her mother is American while her father is Israeli.
Jim Carrey
Jim Carrey is one of the biggest movie stars in Hollywood, but he’s actually from north of the border. He is a Canadian American actor, comedian, and producer born in Newmarket, Ontario.
Will Arnett
Arnett, famous as G.O.B. Bluth from “Arrested Development,” was born in Toronto. He moved to New York in 1990 to study acting and continue with his acting career.
Ryan Reynolds
Ryan Reynolds is one of the most well-known celebrities in America, but he is another Canadian import. The Vancouver-born actor starred in some soap operas in his native Canada before he moved on to pursue larger projects in America.
Rachel McAdams
Get in, loser, we’re going to the U.S. Regina George may be the blatant product of American materialism, but Rachel McAdams is a Canadian who was born in London. If you’re confused about how she can be Canadian and also born in London, it’s because she was born in the town of London, Ontario in Canada.
Keanu Reeves
Keanu Reeves has never been one to keep things simple. He is an American actor born in Beirut, Lebanon to an English born mother and an Hawaiian-born American father.
Seth Rogen
Seth Rogen has exploded as a celebrity comedian recently thanks to his high profile movies like “Knocked Up” and “Pineapple Express.” Rogen was actually born in Vancouver, British Columbia and then moved to L.A. for his breakout role in “Freaks and Geeks.”
Nathan Fillion
Fillion is another Canadian actor born in Edmonton, Alberta. He moved to New York in 1994 after working in several theatre, television and film productions in Canada. He soon gained fame and renown for his roles in Joss Whedon’s works (“Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” “Firefly,” and “Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog”), and is now probably best known for his starring role in “Caastle.”
Ryan Gosling
Ryan is a Canadian actor, musician, writer, and director. He was born in London, Ontario. He attended an open audition in Montreal in 1993 when he was 13 for a revival of Disney Channel’s Mickey Mouse Club. He got a two year contract as a Mouseketeer which prompted him to move to Orlando, Florida.
Drake
Born Aubrey Drake Graham, he is a Canadian recording artist, songwriter, rapper, and actor. He was born in Toronto, Ontario. Before he got signed to Lil Wayne’s Young Money Entertainment in 2009, a young Aubrey gained fame in both Canada and America for his role in the Canadian teen drama “Degrassi.”
Shania Twain
Country music is so closely entwined with American patriotism, that many fans are shocked to discover that Shania Twain is actually Canadian. Twain was born as Eilleen Regina Edwards in Windsor, Ontario.