We all know that the Kennedys and the Wahlberg brothers are Massachusetts stock, but there are definitely a few other famous people from Massachusetts! Check out this list of celebrities in Massachusetts: they were all born and bred in the Bay State!
Funnyman Steve Carell was born at Emerson Hospital in Concord and raised in nearby Acton. He came from humble beginnings: his father was an electrical engineer and his mother was a psychiatric nurse. He's had a number of huge roles, including "The Office" (who could forget Michael Scott?) and "Despicable Me." He actually got his working career started as a mail carrier in Littleton!
Massachusetts sure turns out some funny people! Amy Poehler was born in Newton to two high school teachers. Her brother, Greg Poehler, is also a producer and actor. She grew up in Burlington and graduated from Burlington High School. She graduated from Boston College just a few years later. She has earned a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for her roles in hits like "Saturday Night Live" and "Parks and Recreation."
Bette Davis, whose name is practically synonymous with early Hollywood, was born Ruth Elizabeth Davis in 1908. She remained in Massachusetts in her early years, attending a boarding school in Lanesborough. She played in over 100 roles and won two Academy Awards.
Fans of "The Office" have a lot to thank Massachusetts for! Not only are we the birthplace of Michael Scott, but Jim Halpert is from here too. John Krasinski has remained in the news even after The Office's finale. He produced, acted in, and directed the hit "The Quiet Place" and its sequel and is starring in Amazon's "Jack Ryan." He actually attended high school with B.J. Novak, who plays Ryan on The Office (and was also born in Massachusetts!)
Chloë Sevigny is an actress and model who was nominated for an Academy Award in her "Boys Don't Cry" role. She also played in "American Psycho" and the hit TV show "Big Love" on HBO. Her family moved to an affluent area of Connecticut when she was young. Though she didn't stay in Springfield long, she's still one of the biggest celebrities in Massachusetts!
Dr. Seuss is undoubtedly one of the most famous people from Massachusetts. His father worked for Springfield's public park system, and young Theodor Seuss Geisel was raised in the area. His first children's book "And To Think That I Saw It On Mulberry Street" refers to a real-life Mulberry Street that was close to his childhood home.
Yet another comedian on our list of celebrities in Massachusetts, Conan O'Brien was born in Brookline. His father was a professor of medicine at Harvard and his mother was an attorney and partner at a Boston law firm. Conan attended Brookline High School, where he served as the managing editor of the school's newspaper, "The Sagamore." He must've really liked the Bay State, because he ended up attending (and graduating from) Harvard. He was one of "Time" magazine's 100 most influential people of the year in 2010.
Leonard Nimoy was born in the West End of Boston to Jewish immigrants from Iziaslav, Ukraine. His parents left their homeland separately and the two did not reunite until they reached the United States. His father owned a barbershop in the Mattapan section of Boston. Nimoy took drama classes at Boston College, where he honed his skills he would later use as Spock in "Star Trek."
Rob Zombie was born in Haverhill, though his name at the time was the decidedly-less intimidating Robert Cummings. He graduated from Haverhill High School and lived in Boston for a little while before moving to New York City to attend the Pratt Institute. It was there that he formed the band White Zombie.
Jack Kerouac was born in Lowell to French-Canadian parents. He spoke French until he learned English at age six. His novel "On the Road" made him one of the main authors in the Beat movement.
Billy Squier was born in Wellesley and attended Wellesley High School. His first public performance was at a Boston nightclub called the Psychadelic Supermarket. His run of success as a 1980s rock musician was pretty incredible. He had five Top 10 Mainstream Rock hits (two of them number ones) in the period between 1981 and 1984.
Uma Thurman was born in Boston but grew up mostly in Amherst. She had a really interesting childhood: her father was a former Buddhist monk and her mother was a high-fashion model born in Mexico City. Uma attended high school in Massachusetts, but dropped out before graduating to pursue her acting career. That was a choice that could have gone poorly, but she ended up being one of the biggest names in Hollywood.
There are truly a number of great famous people from Massachusetts! If you know of any other celebrities in Massachusetts, share them in the comments. We always love hearing Massachusetts trivia.
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