Canada is not just the country where maple syrup comes from—it is also the home of these 40 celebrities who made it big in Hollywood. Just when you thought these stars were homegrown, they actually grew up somewhere else—that somewhere else being the United States’ nice northerly neighbor.
Americans have since embraced them as one of their own. These celebrities proved that, although maple syrup runs in their blood, they also have what it takes to conquer the land of the free and the home of the brave.
Read on and find out who these Canadians are, and who made it big in Hollywood.
Ace Ventura’s Jim Carrey
Jim Carrey always wanted to go to America. When he was ten years old, he wrote a letter and sent it to American comedian Carol Burnett. He wanted Burnett to include him on her popular program, The Carol Burnett Show. Carrey described himself as great at “doing impressions.” Though his wish didn’t come true, Carrey fulfilled his dream later on.
Born in Newmarket, Ontario, Carrey had to do bit parts in movies before he was able to bag the starring role in the 1994 movie, Ace Ventura: Pet Detective. He went on to star in Dumb and Dumber, as well as The Mask, which established him as a star. He also received two Golden Globes and was later inducted into the 2004 Canadian Hall of Fame.
Dwyane “The Canadian” Johnson
Who knew “The Rock” was actually Canadian? Though he was not born in Canada, he was able to acquire Canadian citizenship back in 2009. His father was a native of Nova Scotia.
Johnson also has degrees in physiology and criminology, which means he knows how to break you, but presumably how to not break you to the point of it being illegal. Prior to becoming a wrestler, he was a professional football player. He decided to veer into acting and has been seen in a slew of popular movies.
Céline Dion’s Heart Will Go On
Anyone who hasn’t heard the song, “My Heart Will Go On,” probably lives under a rock. This iconic music from the movie Titanic was sung by an equally well-known singer. That heart, and voice, were originally grown in the north.
Celine Dion is the voice behind this haunting love song. Though it is easy to mistake her for French because she comes from the French-speaking Canadian province, Quebec, she is a true-blooded Canadian. She is currently raising her sons to be French speakers.
Justin Bieber Is Not A Kid Anymore
Justin Bieber made the entire world fall in love with him due to his hit song “Baby” in 2010. His hometown is Stratford, Ontario. His love for Canada is evident when he declared in a Rolling Stone interview that it is “the best country in the world.”
Though he currently calls Los Angeles home, as he lives there with his model wife, Hailey Baldwin, he still retains his lakeside estate near his hometown. The couple stayed in Bieber’s Canadian estate in the spring of 2020.
Baywatch’s Pamela Anderson
Despite looking like an all-American girl, Pamela Anderson is a true-blooded Canadian. Born in Ladysmith, British Columbia, Anderson has been seen in Playboy magazine numerous times. She still holds the record for having appeared on the most Playboy covers.
Since she appeared wearing a red bathing suit in Baywatch from 1992 to 1997, her popularity soared. She captured the attention of worldwide fans. Besides Baywatch, she also appeared in V.I.P. and Home Improvement. She is now both an American and Canadian citizen. She currently resides on Vancouver Island.
The Great Wayne Gretzky
Known as “The Great One”, hockey player Wayne Gretzky is considered to be “the best” according to his fellow players, sportswriters, and even the NHL. Gretzky played for four teams across 20 seasons from 1979 until 1999.
He was the first to rank in NHL’s history as the player with the most assists and goals. Upon his retirement in 1999, he held 61 NHL records. Gretzky is a native of Brantford, Ontario—the same place where his hockey journey began, where he practiced on a rink in his backyard.
Elisha Cuthbert Is The Girl Next Door
Cuthbert is best known for starring in the rom-com movie with a cult following, The Girl Next Door. She also starred in 24, the iconic post-9/11 action drama series. This Calgary, Alberta native went to Los Angeles when she was 17 to fulfill her Hollywood dreams.
Prior to appearing in 24 as Kim Bauer, she also worked as a model. Her beauty has allowed her to score and rank high on the list of Hollywood’s most beautiful people. Who would have guessed she was from Canada?
The Cool Keanu Reeves
Whether you are a fan or not, you will surely find something to like about Keanu Reeves. This celebrity is famous for being humble. Born in Beirut to an American father and English mother, Reeves began acting when he was a child. His first movie role was in 1985.
It was in the movie Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure that he became a heartthrob. However, he established worldwide fame when he starred in the movies Speed and The Matrix. He is now best known for his role in the action-packed John Wick.
Hockey Great Carey Price
Carey Price, just like his father Jerry Price, is an ice hockey goaltender. Carey is from Vancouver and has been described by his colleagues and the staff of EA Sports as being the best hockey player in the world. A lot of people believe he was born to play the game.
Carey Price is currently playing for NHL’s Montreal Canadiens and has represented the country in international competitions. He was awarded a gold medal in the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics. He also won the first-ever 2016 World Cup of Hockey Championship.
Lost’s Evangeline Lilly
Evangeline Lilly is from Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta. She became famous when she played the role of Kate Austen in the “mystery box” series, Lost. The role also helped her gain a nomination from the Golden Globe and the Screen Actors Guild.
She started when the Ford Modelling Agency found her walking on the streets of Kelowna. Though Lost made her famous, she was initially reluctant to accept the role. However, the series went on to receive 10 Primetime Emmy awards.
Cyclist And Skater Clara Hughes
Clara Hughes is not just a cycling expert or a speed skater, she is also an Olympic medalist. This Manitoba native is the only Canadian athlete to win summer and winter Olympic medals. What an incredible breadth of talent!
She was also given the title of “Female Athlete of the Year” in 2004. After two years, she was awarded the International Olympic Committee’s Sport and Community Trophy. In 2015, she entered Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame.
Seth Rogen
Comedian Seth Rogen is popular for starring in the blockbuster movies Superbad, Neighbors, and Knocked Up. Hailing from Vancouver, British Columbia, Rogen started his comedy career early—presumably because there isn’t much to do in Canada otherwise.
At the young age of 16, he was the winner of the Vancouver Amateur Comedy Contest. He then moved to Los Angeles along with his family to support his burgeoning career. Thanks to Judd Apatow, Rogen’s skills were fully developed by the time he appeared in the movie Freaks and Geeks.
Oscar Winner Anna Paquin
Anna Paquin holds the record as the second youngest Oscar-awardee thanks to her role as Flora McGrath in the 1993 movie The Piano. Born in Manitoba, Paquin’s mother was of Kiwi descent.
Though she received a much-coveted award at such an early age, she became extremely famous as an adult when she played the role of Rogue in the popular X-Men franchise. Her performance was both critically acclaimed and loved by audiences. Other movies she appeared in include The Good Dinosaur, Jane Eyre as well as Amistad.
Hollywood Royalty Kiefer Sutherland
Kiefer Sutherland is a Hollywood royalty thanks to his actor father, Donald Sutherland, and actress mother Shirley Douglas. Though born in London, England, Kiefer grew up in Toronto. He attended one of Canada’s most expensive private schools, St. Andrews College.
Sutherland appeared in a ton of hit movies during the 1980s all through the 1990s. But it was in 2001 when he played the character of Agent Jack Bauer for the series 24 where he received $250,000 for each episode.
Hollywood Hunk Ryan Reynolds
Actor Ryan Reynolds is from Vancouver, British Columbia. Despite being a Hollywood A-list celebrity because of his box office hit movies such as Green Lantern and Deadpool, he still holds Canada close to his heart.
He was romantically involved with Canadian singer Alanis Morissette for five years before marrying Scarlett Johansson. Reynolds and Johansson later divorced. The actor decided to wed model Blake Lively in 2012. This Canadian hunk is considered one of the most handsome men alive.
Singer Alanis Morissette
Alanis was dubbed the “Queen of Alternative-Rock Angst” by Rolling Stone. Though hailing from Ottawa, it was in 2005 that she decided to relocate to Los Angeles to release her album, Jagged Little Pill. In the same year, the singer was given American citizenship but also retained her Canadian citizenship.
Alanis Morisette had a relationship with Canadian Ryan Reynolds after the pair met in 2002 at Drew Barrymore’s birthday. The couple’s relationship ended in 2007. Currently, she is married to American hip-hop artist Mario “Souleye” Treadway.
Charming Canadian Ryan Gosling
Actor Ryan Gosling was actually raised in Ontario, Canada. Prior to charming everyone in the movie The Notebook, he was a child actor. He started working professionally when he was 13 years old along with Justin Timberlake and Britney Spears as part of the crew of Disney’s The All-New Mickey Mouse Club.
At a young age, he moved to Florida with his family after being accepted by Disney. Though Canadian, he had to work hard to shake off his Canadian accent as he believed it gave people the impression he was not “tough”.
The Transformative Elliot Page
Though Page has since transitioned to become a man, many still know him as the character Vanya in the American series, The Umbrella Academy. He is also best remembered for his role in the film, Juno.
Page hails from Nova Scotia and began acting when he was 12 years old. His first memorable role was in the Canadian television series Pit Pony. Currently, Page is married to Emma Portner, a choreographer. They reside in Los Angeles.
Hockey Player Sidney Crosby
It seems Canada is where great hockey players are born. Sidney Crosby is considered the youngest captain in the history of the National Hockey League ever to receive the Stanley Cup. Crosby considers Nova Scotia to be his hometown.
He has been playing hockey since he was two years old. He also became a Triple Gold Cup member in 2015 after he became the sole player who led three winning sides.
Comedy Dynamite Will Arnett
Emmy-nominated actor Will Arnett comes from Toronto, Ontario. He has been seen in the critically acclaimed television series, Arrested Development, as well as The Lego Movie. For his voice acting work in BoJack Horseman, he was given an Annie Award in 2018.
It was in 1990 when he went to New York to study acting. Despite holding both Canadian and American citizenship, he has a strong northern heart, as he still cheers for his hometown teams the Maple Leafs, Raptors, and the Blue Jays.
Director James Cameron
James Cameron is considered to be one of the most accomplished Canadians thanks to his box office hit movies Avatar, Titanic, and the classic, The Terminator. His run of movies is, to put it lightly, household titles.
Titanic and Avatar are two of the world’s highest-grossing movies. Time magazine also hailed Cameron as one of the world’s most influential people. In 2019, his home country appointed him as a Companion of the Order of Canada.
Proud Canadian Michael J. Fox
Although you might not know it, Back to the Future actor Michael J. Fox hails from Alberta. Though Canadian, he holds dual citizenship and is currently living in New York City.
He is proudly Canadian and expressed this sentiment publicly when he was given the opportunity to speak at the 2010 Winter Olympics closing ceremony in Vancouver. In the same year, he was also honored by British Columbia’s Burnaby city with the “Freedom of the City'' award.
Talented Canadian Shawn Mendes
When Ontario native Shawn Mendes started sharing his song covers on the video-sharing app Vine in 2013, little did he know that it would lead to his stardom and his first studio album, Handwritten. At that time, Mendes was only 18.
The Senorita singer’s album bagged the top slot on the Billboard 200 making him the youngest ever artist to receive the honor since fellow Canadian Justin Bieber. Since 2019, Mendes has been nominated for three Grammy awards.
Pretty Little Shay Mitchell
A lot of people know Shay Mitchell as Emily Fields in the popular cult series Pretty Little Liars. Originally from Mississauga, Ontario, Mitchell was ten years old when she relocated to British Columbia.
Though Mitchell is currently living in Los Angeles, she makes it a point to regularly visit her childhood home. She also documented her Canadian vacation in August 2019 through her various social media outlets.
Canadian Rapper Drake
Before he became the rapper known to most of us as Drake, he was Aubrey Drake Graham from Toronto, Ontario. Though he is a singer-songwriter now, he was originally just another kid from Canada.
As a child, he was able to bag an acting job as Jimmy on Degrassi: The Next Generation. Drake’s character in the series was always seen in melodramatic situations. Watching him on the show now is a real blast from the past!
Singer Alessia Cara
Born and raised by Italian parents in Brampton, Ontario, Alessia Cara is a four-time Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter. She was also awarded Best New Artist in 2018. Her song, “Here” also took the sixth spot on the Best Songs of 2015 list by Billboard.
During the 2020 Juno Awards, Cara received the most nominations including Artist and Album of the Year. It seems Canada is in no short supply of artistic talent!
Comedian Eugene Levy
Eugene Levy is a much-loved comic who came from Hamilton, Ontario. Prior to playing the role of Johnny Rose, the millionaire and bankrupt father on the series Schitt’s Creek, he was Mr. Levenstein in the adult comedy movie series American Pie.
Eugene Levy has had a lengthy career that spanned 60 films. He created Schitt’s Creek with his son, Daniel. Besides owning properties in Canada, he also has properties in Florida, LA, and St. Augustine.
Canadian Trekkie William Shatner
William Shatner is most recently known for his role as Denny Crane in the ABC series, The Practice, and its spin-off, Boston Legal. However, prior to this role, he was T.J. Hooker in the series of the same name.
However, his most iconic role was as Captain James T. Kirk, the USS Enterprise captain in Star Trek: The Original Series. Shatner is a Montreal native who received his Bachelor of Commerce degree from Canada’s McGill University.
The Adorable Canadian Michael Cera
Michael Cera shot to Hollywood stardom thanks to his role in the critically acclaimed comedy series Arrested Development, along with fellow Canadian, Will Arnett. Prior to this role, he was in the 1999-2001 Canadian series I Was a Sixth-Grade Alien.
Hailing from Brampton, Ontario, he usually teams up with other Canadian celebrities such as Seth Rogen. He was also in Juno and played the love interest of the titular character. His most recent work was as a voice actor in the 2021 animated movie, Blazing Samurai.
Canadian Genius Mike Myers
Mike Myers is of the Saturday Night Live alumni and a much-loved Hollywood comedian. He is also Canadian and hails from Scarborough, Ontario. His multiple movie roles were in the box office hits Shrek and Wayne’s World. He is also best known for playing the international man of mystery in Austin Powers.
Though he currently resides in New York City, he honors his Canadian roots. He is involved with Artists Against Racism, a Canadian charity. He also wrote a book titled “Canada,” to describe his relationship with his home country.
Singer Shania Twain
Shania Twain is living proof that country stars don’t need to come from Nashville, Tennessee, as she hails from Canada. Born in Windsor, her professional success has prompted the authorities in the city of Timmins to name a street after the singer.
She was also given the fabled keys to the city. Plus, the city built the Shania Twain Center in her honor. Though the center merely lasted until 2013, the honor still remains. She was also the recipient of Canada’s second highest order of merit.
The Gorgeous Rachel McAdams
Besides being beautiful, Rachel McAdams is a talented and critically-acclaimed actress. Hailing from London, Ontario, the actress starred alongside Ryan Gosling in the movie The Notebook and even ended up in a similar relationship with the actor.
Though she prefers to remain in her hometown, she also loves being in America, especially Los Angeles. When she is in Canada, she can’t help but miss LA. But when in LA, she always craves her Canadian hometown. Because she earns Hollywood money, she gets the best of both worlds.
Taylor Kitsch Is Not From Texas
Though the character Tim Riggins is a heart collector from Texas—actor Taylor Kitsch who played the role is not. Kitsch is actually from Kelowna, British Columbia. His entire family moved to Vancouver when he was a child. Growing up, he did what regular Canadians did: he played ice hockey.
He then went to New York to pursue acting In 2002. After four years, he went to Los Angeles and bagged the role in NBC’s Friday Night Lights ultimately changing the trajectory of his career and his life forever.
Nina Dobrev Is Bulgarian
Though born in Bulgaria, Nina Dobrev’s family immigrated to Toronto, Ontario when she was only two years old. As luck would have it, she was able to star in Degrassi: The Next Generation, a Canadian teen soap opera.
Later on, she made it to Hollywood and was able to impress audiences in The Vampire Diaries. As well as acting, Nina also works as a model. Like one of the ageless vampires in the show, she has somehow managed to retain her good looks throughout the years.
How We Met Cobie Smulders
It would be impossible to imagine watching How I Met Your Mother without Cobie Smulders, who played the witty Canadian reporter Robin Scherbatsky. She seemed to fit the role easily, but there’s no mystery. She is Canadian herself.
The Avengers actress reportedly received her green card and will be getting her United States citizenship. However, there’s little news on how that process is going. Maybe someday soon she will be able to live in NYC, just like Robin.
Singer Bryan Adams
A lot of people can’t forget the iconic song “Summer of ‘69” and its singer Bryan Adams. The rocker included the song in his 1984 album titled Reckless. But not many know that he is from Kingston, Ontario.
The composer, guitarist, record producer, and singer started in the music industry when he was 15 years old. Initially, he was a vocalist for the Sweeney Todd band. When he went solo, he enjoyed international recognition and started to tour the world.
Suits’ Patrick Adams
If you watch the legal drama series, Suits, you will recognize the terrific Patrick Adams as the actor who plays Mike Ross. Prior to bagging the role that changed his life and Hollywood career, he lived and grew up in Toronto.
He pursued his Hollywood dreams by moving there right after high school. He then studied at the University of Southern California where he received his BFA. His outstanding performances eventually earned him a Jack Nicholson award in 2004.
Songwriter Joni Mitchell
Rolling Stone magazine hailed singer-songwriter, Joni Mitchell, as “one of the greatest songwriters ever.” Hailing from Fort Macleod, Alberta as Roberta Joan Mitchell, AllMusic described her as, “the most important and influential female recording artist of the late 20th century.”
Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Joni Mitchell also has nine Grammy Awards under her musical belt. Born in 1943, her career successes are sure to make any Canadian’s heart swell with pride. She’s one of the greats!
Comedian Tommy Chong
Who knew that Tommy Chong, from the Cheech & Chong movies and comedy albums, is actually from Canada? Besides being a comedian, this Canadian-American musician, writer, activist, and director is a native of Edmonton, Alberta. Born in 1938, his father was a Chinese-Canadian immigrant while his mother was Scottish-Irish.
His face has been very much associated with Leo, the character he played on the sitcom, That ‘70s Show. Though Canadian through and through, he eventually became a naturalized American citizen in the 1980s.
Model And Actress Emmanuelle Chriqui
What happens when a Moroccan and a Canadian meet and have an incredibly talented baby? You get Emmanuelle Chriqui. She is best known for playing Sloan McQuewick in HBO’s Entourage. She was also in the Adam Sandler comedy, Don’t Mess with the Zohan as well as in The Mentalist as Lorelei Martins.
She was on top of the May 2010 AskMen.com list of Most Desirable Women. Her first acting gig was in a McDonald’s commercial when she was only ten years old. During the mid-1990s, she went to Vancouver to pursue further acting roles. She then appeared in the series Are You Afraid of the Dark?, Psi Factor: Chronicles of the Paranormal, and Once A Thief.