Admiring and envying the world’s biggest stars is easy to do on Instagram. From A-list movie stars and major musicians to pro ball players and comedians who landed their own sitcoms, there’s no shortage of evidence of just how good the good life is. They post pictures of themselves with other big shots on rooftop bars, at exclusive clubs, at backstage parties, and at restaurants where regular people can’t get a reservation.
But the vast majority of these celebrities were born and raised outside of Hollywood, finding their way to the bright lights and big money of superstardom from obscure beginnings in regular small towns or cities across the country.
Stacker compiled a list of actors that were born in Massachusetts from IMDb’s most popular list. For each actor, we included a movie poster image from a film he is known for (all movie poster images from OMDb). Keep reading to see which favorite actors are from your home state.
Jeremy Strong
OMDb
– Born: Boston, Massachusetts (12/25/1978)
– Known for:
— Jerry Rubin in “The Trial of the Chicago 7” (2020)
— Vinny Daniel in “The Big Short” (2015)
— Dale Palmer in “The Judge” (2014)Matt Damon
Kevin Winter // Getty Images
– Born: Boston, Massachusetts (10/8/1970)
– Known for:
— Will in “Good Will Hunting” (1997)
— Mark Watney in “The Martian” (2015)
— Colin in “The Departed” (2006)John Krasinski
OMDb
– Born: Newton, Massachusetts (10/20/1979)
– Known for:
— Jack Ryan in “Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan” (2018-2022)
— Lee Abbott in “A Quiet Place” (2018)Hamish Linklater
OMDb
– Born: Great Barrington, Massachusetts (7/7/1976)
– Known for:
— Porter Collins in “The Big Short” (2015)
— Cal Zapata in “Battleship” (2012)
— Leonard in “Fantastic Four” (2005)Steve Carell
Frazer Harrison // Getty Images
– Born: Concord, Massachusetts (8/16/1962)
– Known for:
— Michael Scott in “The Office” (2005-2013)
— Andy in “The 40-Year-Old Virgin” (2005)
— John du Pont in “Foxcatcher” (2014)Chris Evans
Gage Skidmore // Flickr
– Born: Boston, Massachusetts (6/13/1981)
– Known for:
— Steve Rogers in “The Avengers” (2012)
— Captain America in “Captain America: The First Avenger” (2011)
— Steve Rogers in “Captain America: Civil War” (2016)Mark Wahlberg
Eva Rinaldi // Flickr
– Born: Dorchester, Boston, Massachusetts (6/5/1971)
– Known for:
— Dignam in “The Departed” (2006)
— Producer in “The Fighter” (2010)
— Eddie Adams in “Boogie Nights” (1997)Anthony Michael Hall
OMDb
– Born: West Roxbury, Massachusetts (4/14/1968)
– Known for:
— Greg Pulver in “War Machine” (2017)
— Gary L. Smith in “Live by Night” (2016)
— Jack in “Foxcatcher” (2014)Kurt Russell
Gage Skidmore // Flickr
– Born: Springfield, Massachusetts (3/17/1951)
– Known for:
— John Ruth in “The Hateful Eight” (2015)
— Snake Plissken in “Escape from L.A.” (1996)
— David Grant in “Executive Decision” (1996)James Spader
OMDb
– Born: Boston, Massachusetts (2/7/1960)
– Known for:
— Raymond ‘Red’ Reddington in “The Blacklist” (2013-2021)
— Alan Shore in “Boston Legal” (2004-2008)
— Graham in “Sex, Lies, and Videotape” (1989)Neal McDonough
OMDb
– Born: Dorchester, Massachusetts (2/13/1966)
– Known for:
— Fletcher in “Minority Report” (2002)
— Timothy ‘Dum Dum’ Dugan in “Captain America: The First Avenger” (2011)
— Frank Gordon in “Timeline” (2003)Steven Van Zandt
OMDb
– Born: Winthrop, Massachusetts (11/22/1950)
– Known for:
— Silvio Dante in “The Sopranos” (1999-2007)
— Frank Tagliano in “Lilyhammer” (2012-2014)
— Music Department in “Nine Months” (1995)Jake Lacy
OMDb
– Born: Greenfield, Massachusetts (not available)
– Known for:
— Richard Semco in “Carol” (2015)
— Brett Wyden in “Rampage” (2018)
— Forde in “Miss Sloane” (2016)Edward Norton
OMDb
– Born: Boston, Massachusetts (8/18/1969)
– Known for:
— Lionel Essrog in “Motherless Brooklyn” (2019)
— Father Brian Finn in “Keeping the Faith” (2000)
— Aaron in “Primal Fear” (1996)Joe Keery
OMDb
– Born: Newburyport, Massachusetts (4/24/1992)
– Known for:
— Steve Harrington in “Stranger Things” (2016-2022)
— Trust Fund Cole in “Molly’s Game” (2017)
— Jackson in “Slice” (2018)John Cena
OMDb
– Born: West Newbury, Massachusetts (4/23/1977)
– Known for:
— Steven in “Trainwreck” (2015)
— Danny Fisher in “12 Rounds” (2009)
— Peacemaker in “The Suicide Squad” (2021)Rob Delaney
OMDb
– Born: Boston, Massachusetts (1/19/1977)
– Known for:
— Rob Norris in “Catastrophe” (2015-2019)
— Peter in “Deadpool 2” (2018)
— Jeff McKenzie in “Home Sweet Home Alone” (2021)Bill Burr
OMDb
– Born: Canton, Massachusetts (6/10/1968)
– Known for:
— Frank Murphy in “F Is for Family” (2015-2021)
— Ray Bishop in “The King of Staten Island” (2020)
— Detective Walsh in “Date Night” (2010)Jason Mantzoukas
OMDb
– Born: Nahant, Massachusetts (12/18/1972)
– Known for:
— Nadal in “The Dictator” (2012)
— Scarecrow in “The Lego Batman Movie” (2017)
— Frank in “The House” (2017)John Michael Higgins
OMDb
– Born: Boston, Massachusetts (2/12/1963)
– Known for:
— Terry Bohner in “A Mighty Wind” (2003)
— John in “Pitch Perfect” (2012)
— Scott Donlan in “Best in Show” (2000)Casey Affleck
Bex Walton // Wikimedia Commons
– Born: Falmouth, Massachusetts (8/12/1975)
– Known for:
— Patrick Kenzie in “Gone Baby Gone” (2007)
— Lee Chandler in “Manchester by the Sea” (2016)
— Robert Ford in “The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford” (2007)Jeffrey Donovan
OMDb
– Born: Amesbury, Massachusetts (5/11/1968)
– Known for:
— Michael Westen in “Burn Notice” (2007-2013)
— Captain J.J. Jones in “Changeling” (2008)
— Steve Forsing in “Sicario: Day of the Soldado” (2018)Bo Burnham
OMDb
– Born: Hamilton, Massachusetts (8/21/1990)
– Known for:
— Writer in “Inside” (2021)
— Writer in “Eighth Grade” (2018)
— Ryan in “Promising Young Woman” (2020)Ray Bolger
John Franks // Getty Images
– Born: Dorchester, Massachusetts (1/10/1904)
– Died: 1/15/1987– Known for:
— Hunk’ in “The Wizard of Oz” (1939)
— Barnaby Barnicle in “Babes in Toyland” (1961)
— Charley Wykeham in “Where’s Charley?” (1952)Matthew Perry
OMDb
– Born: Williamstown, Massachusetts (8/19/1969)
– Known for:
— Chandler Bing in “Friends” (1994-2004)
— Matt Albie in “Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip” (2006-2007)
— Oz Oseransky in “The Whole Nine Yards” (2000)Tom Everett Scott
OMDb
– Born: East Bridgewater, Massachusetts (9/7/1970)
– Known for:
— Guy Patterson in “That Thing You Do!” (1996)
— Michael Brantley in “Boiler Room” (2000)
— Jason in “Because I Said So” (2007)B.J. Novak
OMDb
– Born: Newton, Massachusetts (7/31/1979)
– Known for:
— Ryan Howard in “The Office” (2005-2013)
— Pfc. Smithson Utivich in “Inglourious Basterds” (2009)
— Robert Sherman in “Saving Mr. Banks” (2013)Ben Foster
OMDb
– Born: Boston, Massachusetts (10/29/1980)
– Known for:
— Tanner Howard in “Hell or High Water” (2016)
— Charlie Prince in “3:10 to Yuma” (2007)
— Staff Sergeant Will Montgomery in “The Messenger” (2009)Robert Goulet
OMDb
– Born: Lawrence, Massachusetts (11/26/1933)
– Died: 10/30/2007– Known for:
— Quentin Hapsburg in “The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear” (1991)
— Robert Goulet in “Scrooged” (1988)
— Maxie Dean in “Beetlejuice” (1988)David Morse
OMDb
– Born: Hamilton, Massachusetts (10/11/1953)
– Known for:
— Brutus ‘Brutal’ Howell in “The Green Mile” (1999)
— Colonel Reed in “The Hurt Locker” (2008)
— Ted Arroway in “Contact” (1997)Jonathan Tucker
OMDb
– Born: Boston, Massachusetts (5/31/1982)
– Known for:
— Jeff in “The Ruins” (2008)
— Tim Weiner in “The Virgin Suicides” (1999)
— Dennis Kelly in “Hostage” (2005)Michael Beach
OMDb
– Born: Roxbury, Massachusetts (10/30/1963)
– Known for:
— Jesse (Manta’s Father) in “Aquaman” (2018)
— Frank Hunt in “If Beale Street Could Talk” (2018)
— Miles in “Soul Food” (1997)Jack Haley
OMDb
– Born: Boston, Massachusetts (8/10/1897)
– Died: 6/6/1979– Known for:
— Hickory’ in “The Wizard of Oz” (1939)
— Jack Carroll in “Vacation in Reno” (1946)
— Steve Kimball in “Sing Your Way Home” (1945)Matt LeBlanc
Thomas Atilla Lewis // Wikimedia Commons
– Born: Newton, Massachusetts (7/25/1967)
– Known for:
— Joey Tribbiani in “Friends” (1994-2004)
— Don West in “Lost in Space” (1998)
— Matt LeBlanc in “Episodes” (2011-2017)Eli Roth
OMDb
– Born: Boston, Massachusetts (4/18/1972)
– Known for:
— Producer in “Cabin Fever” (2002)
— Thanks in “Inglourious Basterds” (2009)
— Producer in “Grindhouse” (2007)Donnie Wahlberg
OMDb
– Born: Boston, Massachusetts (8/17/1969)
– Known for:
— Eric Matthews in “Saw II” (2005)
— Cubby Barnes in “Ransom” (1996)
— Duddits in “Dreamcatcher” (2003)Finn Wittrock
OMDb
– Born: Lenox, Massachusetts (10/28/1984)
– Known for:
— Dandy Mott in “American Horror Story” (2014-2021)
— Mac in “Unbroken” (2014)
— Jamie Shipley in “The Big Short” (2015)Alessandro Nivola
OMDb
– Born: Boston, Massachusetts (6/28/1972)
– Known for:
— Dickie Moltisanti in “The Many Saints of Newark” (2021)
— Anthony Amado in “American Hustle” (2013)
— Dovid Kuperman in “Disobedience” (2017)Michael Chiklis
OMDb
– Born: Lowell, Massachusetts (8/30/1963)
– Known for:
— Vic Mackey in “The Shield” (2002-2008)
— The Thing in “Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer” (2007)
— Dell Toledo in “American Horror Story” (2014-2015)Scott Wolf
OMDb
– Born: Boston, Massachusetts (6/4/1968)
– Known for:
— Dr. Scott Clemmens in “The Night Shift” (2014-2017)
— Tom Bishop in “Meet My Valentine” (2015)
— Donnie Ryan in “Perception” (2013-2015)Leonard Nimoy
Sunset Boulevard // Getty Images
– Born: Boston, Massachusetts (3/26/1931)
– Died: 2/27/2015– Known for:
— Spock in “Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home” (1986)
— Spock in “Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country” (1991)
— Spock Prime in “Star Trek” (2009)Scott Grimes
OMDb
– Born: Lowell, Massachusetts (7/9/1971)
– Known for:
— Steve Smith in “American Dad!” (2005-2022)
— Brad Brown in “Critters” (1986)
— Birdie’ Burns in “Mystery, Alaska” (1999)H. Jon Benjamin
OMDb
– Born: Worcester, Massachusetts (5/23/1966)
– Known for:
— Sterling Archer in “Archer” (2009-2021)
— Can of Vegetables in “Wet Hot American Summer” (2001)
— Trainer in “Not Another Teen Movie” (2001)John Cazale
mptvima
– Born: Boston, Massachusetts (8/12/1935)
– Died: 3/13/1978– Known for:
— Sal in “Dog Day Afternoon” (1975)
— Fredo in “The Godfather” (1972)
— Fredo Corleone in “The Godfather: Part II” (1974)Bill Camp
OMDb
– Born: Massachusetts (10/22/1964)
– Known for:
— Radburn in “12 Years a Slave” (2013)
— Crazy Man in “Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)” (2014)
— Detective Garrity in “Joker” (2019)