Can You Guess the State From a Famous Movie Star Born There?

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By: Ian Fortey

6 Min Quiz

Image: Greg2600 via WikiCommons

About This Quiz

When we think of movies we generally think of Hollywood and, sometimes, New York. But Hollywood is just a small part of Los Angeles and very few actors started off there. They came from all over to make a name for themselves while others never even intended to get a star at all and kind of stumbled into the gig. However they got there, they started from all across the country. Every state has its stable of celebrities, those movie stars that you can claim as your hometown favorite if you're from the same neck of the woods. And sure, states like New York and California may have waaaaay more celebrities calling them home than a place like Alaska or Montana, but it's quality, not quantity, right? 

Now maybe you can listen to Woody Harrelson's voice and gauge where he comes from by his accent. Maybe you're a diehard fan of Timothee Chalamet and know where he was born. Heck, maybe you even grew up down the street from Anna Kendrick. If you're a fan of movies and celebrities, then let's see how well you are at identifying which state some of the biggest movie stars came from. Take the quiz and see!

He was the Fly and the Grandmaster. What steely state gave us Jeff Goldblum?

Hailing from West Homestead, Pennsylvania, Jeff Goldblum has been acting for decades now and is about as quirky as quirky gets. His very first role was as a thug who commits a home invasion, which is about 180 degrees from most roles you'd associate with him these days.

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Does Anna Kendrick like seafood? She might since she was born in which state?

Anna Kendrick was born in Portland, Maine. Her first acting role was in a little-seen musical called "Camp" that, aside from Kendrick herself, also featured Stephen Sondheim in a small role. So that was probably fun.

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In which state did Meryl Streep develop her acting chops?

Meryl Streep is originally from Summit, New Jersey. Word is she didn't have much interest in acting until she hit college and appeared in a production of "Miss Julie" that wowed audiences and convinced her to give acting a serious try.

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Which state did future Billy Batson from "Shazam!" Asher Angel call home?

Asher Angel was born in Phoenix, Arizona. As you might expect from an actor who is only in his teens, Angel started young. His first role was in the movie "Jolene" when he was just 5 years old. Now he's part of the DC Universe with "Shazam!" and he released a single in 2019.

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Norman Reedus fights zombies on "The Walking Dead." Where did he call home before the zombie apocalypse happened?

Norman Reedus was born in Hollywood, but the one in Florida, not California. He'd done many jobs including working in a motorcycle shop and making art before someone randomly saw him at a party and asked if he wanted to try acting.

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Lots of people have great Bill Murray stories. In what state did he start off?

Though people seem to run into him all over the world these days, Bill Murray started his life in Evanston, Illinois. Murray actually has three brothers who are also actors and a sister who's a nun.

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Winona Ryder is actually named after the town she was born in. But what was the state?

Winona Ryder was born in Winona, Minnesota and her parents really liked the town so they named their daughter after it. Ryder is her stage name, though, and she borrowed it from one of her dad's favorite musicians Mitch Ryder.

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Timothee Chalamet is just one of many huge names to come from which state?

The state of New York has produced more actors than you can shake a stick at including Timothee Chalamet, Robert de Niro, Sylvester Stallone, Christopher Walken, Lucille Ball and a few hundred others.

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Do you know what state dancer and actor Julianne Hough was from originally?

Not a lot of people know that Utah-native Julianne Hough started acting in Harry Potter back in 2001. They don't know it because she barely had a role in it but she was an extra! These days she's more well known for "Dancing with the Stars" and "America's Got Talent."

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Samuel L. Jackson doesn't have any accent from the state in which he grew up. Where was it?

Sam Jackson was raised in Chattanooga, Tennessee for much of his childhood, although he was born in Washington, D.C. After the death of Martin Luther King, Jr., Jackson attended the funeral as an usher and for a time was involved in the civil rights movement before his mother sent him to LA fearing for his safety.

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T'Challa may be from Wakanda, but where is Chadwick Boseman from?

Chadwick Boseman was born in Anderson, South Carolina. Boseman hit it pretty big as James Brown in the movie "Get on Up" but there's no doubt his turn as Black Panther in the MCU is his biggest role to date and he's set to come back for a sequel.

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Kylo Ren is from a galaxy far, far away, but where did Adam Driver grow up from age 7 onward?

Though he was born in California, Driver spent much of his childhood in Mishawaka, Indiana. When he was a kid, Driver said he was a bit of a weirdo and was one of those guys who started an actual Fight Club after seeing the movie in 1999.

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Before Zendaya was hanging out with Spider-Man, where was she calling home?

Born in Oakland, Zendaya's full name is Zendaya Maree Stoermer Coleman. In 2010, she got her big break on the Disney show "Shake It Up" where she got a chance to both act and dance alongside fellow child star Bella Thorne.

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Bad Santa himself Billy Bob Thornton comes from what state?

Billy Bob Thornton's accent hasn't changed much in Hollywood and comes straight from Hot Springs, Arkansas. He rocketed to fame when the movie he wrote, directed, and starred in called "Sling Blade" won awards back in 1996.

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Captain America Chris Evans can't come from the whole country. Where does he call home?

Chris Evans was born in Boston and is best recognized these days as Captain America. He actually has a long history in comic book movies, having played the Captain in 9 movies plus Johnny Storm of the Fantastic Four in two movies and also making an appearance in "Scott Pilgrim vs the World" and "Snowpiercer," both of which were graphic novels as well as the Vertigo comic adaptation "The Losers."

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From where do you think Chloe Grace Moretz hails?

Chloe Grace Moretz was born in Atlanta, Georgia. Her big break came in "The Amityville Horror" remake when she was just 8 years old. By 2010 she was cast as Hit-Girl in the movie "Kick-Ass" which rocketed her to fame.

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Johnny Depp seems pretty worldly but he did have a hometown. What state was it in?

Johnny Depp was not a kid who grew up in just one place, and apparently his family moved around so much he had at least 20 different homes during his childhood. But it had to start somewhere and when he was born, Depp was in Owensboro, Kentucky.

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The amazing Octavia Spencer hails from where originally?

Octavia Spencer comes from Montgomery, Alabama originally. Her first role was in the movie "A Time to Kill" and she'd actually been hired to work behind the scenes in casting but ended up asking director Joel Schumacher if she could audition for an on-camera role.

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As a fan of Amy Adams you know she was raised in which state?

Amy Adams was actually born in Italy. Her father was in the military and was stationed overseas. When they finally did settle in the United States, they went to Colorado and Adams spent most of her childhood there from the age of 8 onward.

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Glenn Close is one of the best actors working today. Where did she call home back in the day?

Glenn Close was born in Greenwich, Connecticut and has the dubious honor of being the actress with the most Academy Award nominations and no wins at seven. Of course, she also has three Emmys, three Tonys and three Golden Globes.

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Judge Reinhold was a staple of the 1980s. Where did he come from?

Back in the day, Judge Reinhold had a memorable role in "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" then went on to things like "Gremlins" and "Beverly Hills Cop." He also had a pretty memorable guest spot on "Seinfeld." And all of it started in Wilmington, Delaware.

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Do you know which state Maggie Q calls home?

Maggie Q, whose real name is Margaret Denise Quigley, was born in Honolulu, Hawaii. Q's mother is Vietnamese and she met her father while he was stationed in-country during the Vietnam War.

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If you feel like breaking bad, you could do it in Aaron Paul's home state. Where is it?

Aaron Paul was born in Idaho and got his first brush with fame on an episode of "The Price is Right." He appeared in the year 2000 and lost on the Dice Game and then overbid on his showcase by a mere $132.

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The legendary John Wayne came from which state originally?

Movie cowboy John Wayne was born Marion Robert Morrison in Winterset, Iowa back in 1907. Weirdly enough, his parents changed his middle named from Robert to Michael some years later when they had another son and decided to name him Robert.

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The HBO show "Barry" starring Bill Hader is pretty phenomenal. Where's Hader from?

Before his time on "Saturday Night Live" and then in HBO's "Barry," Bill Hader called Tulsa, Oklahoma, home. Hader has garnered critical acclaim for the show "Barry" including two Emmy awards and many more nominations.

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Do you know in which state Josh Duhamel was born?

Josh Duhamel was born in North Dakota back in 1972. Before he got into modeling and acting, he was a college football player and actually had plans to go to dental school and make a living fixing people's teeth.

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Ian Somerhalder was born where?

Best known for both "Lost" and "The Vampire Diaries," Ian Somerhalder was born in Louisiana and has apparently settled into the vampire theme pretty well. After 8 years on "The Vampire Diaries," he moved to Netflix's vampire show "V-Wars."

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Before she married Will Smith or was committing crimes in Gotham, where was Jada Pinkett-Smith from?

Born n Baltimore, Maryland, Jada Pinkett went to the Baltimore School for the Arts where she met and befriended Tupac Shakur. She married actor Will Smith back in 1997 and they have two kids together who have also done pretty well with their careers.

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Janelle Monae isn't just a singer, she's an actor, too. Where's she from?

Janelle Monae was born in Kansas City, Kansas. Initially known only for her singing, Monae has also made her mark in acting with movies like "Moonlight" and "Welcome to Marwen" among others.

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Oprah is pretty much the biggest celebrity ever. Where did she come from originally?

Though Oprah Winfrey has been around quite a bit in her day, she started life in rural Mississippi. She created an empire for herself built on nothing but her own talent and now has a net worth in the billions of dollars.

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How much do you know about where Adam Sandler grew up?

Though he was born in New York, from age 6 onward Adam Sandler was raised in New Hampshire. It was actually comedian and fellow SNL star Dennis Miller who first discovered Sandler performing standup and recommended him for "Saturday Night Live."

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From which state does Woody Harrelson hail originally?

Woody Harrelson was born in Midland, Texas, and had what you might call an atypical childhood. That was due to the fact his father, Charles Harrison, was a hitman convicted of assassinating federal judge John H Wood, Jr. back in 1979.

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Do you know the home state of the late, great Luke Perry?

Luke Perry was born in Ohio rose to fame on "Beverly Hills 90210" and then enjoyed a huge popularity resurgence later in life on "Riverdale." Tragically, Perry suffered a stroke at the age of 52 and passed away in 2019.

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Zach Galifianakis was great in "Between Two Ferns," but do you know which state he comes from?

Zach Galifianakis was born in North Carolina. His comedy career has been pretty impressive, but not a lot of people know he was once a writer for "Saturday Night Live." The reason most people don't know that is because he only had the job for two weeks.

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Do you know where Neil Patrick Harris was born?

Neil Patrick Harris hails from Alburquerque, New Mexico. He started acting in his teens getting his first role opposite Whoopi Goldberg in "Clara's Heart" and then, of course, his big break as "Doogie Howser M.D."

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Madonna may not live in America these days, but where did she get her start?

Madonna moved to New York when she was older but her childhood was spent in Michigan. She dropped out of college when she was 20 and headed to New York City for her big break. It obviously worked out pretty well for her.

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Do you know where legendary actor Dick Van Dyke came from?

Dick Van Dyke has been a Hollywood icon for over half a century now. His show "The Dick Van Dyke Show" set the bar for sitcoms all the way back in 1961 but he didn't start off in Hollywood. He was born in West Plains, Missouri in 1925.

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If you're a fan of Michelle Williams, you know where she was born, right?

Michelle Williams was born in Montana and got her big break on "Dawson's Creek." In more recent years she's made a mark not only in films like "Venom" but on Broadway as well and in the TV show "Fosse/Verdon."

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Willem Dafoe makes every role intense. Do you know his home state?

Willem Dafoe was born in a place called Appleton, Wisconsin. Both of his parents work in healthcare, his mother was a nurse and his father a surgeon, so they were rarely around, leaving Dafoe and his siblings to watch out for themselves.

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In what state was Jennifer Garner raised?

Though she was born in Texas, Garner's family moved to West Virginia when she was only three and she stayed there until heading to college in Ohio. In 2005, Garner married Ben Affleck and the two stayed together for several years. Their divorce was finalized in 2018.

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