You’ll Be Shocked to Learn Where These 12 Famous Celebrities Are Actually From
Most fans feel like they know everything about their favorite celebrities, from their breakout roles to their dating histories. But one detail often slips under the radar: where they were actually born. Some of the biggest names in Hollywood started life in places you’d never expect. Here are 15 that might catch you off guard.
Freddie Mercury – Zanzibar, Tanzania
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Before becoming Queen’s legendary frontman, Freddie Mercury was Farrokh Bulsara, born in 1946 on the island of Zanzibar. His British-Indian parents had relocated there for his father’s job. He spent part of his childhood in India before political unrest pushed the family to settle in London.
Natalie Portman – Jerusalem, Israel
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Natalie Portman, known for her roles in Black Swan and Star Wars, was actually born in Jerusalem in 1981. She has maintained strong ties to Israel and still visits often. Her birth name? Natalie Hershlag—Portman is her grandmother’s maiden name, adopted as a stage name early in her career.
Keanu Reeves – Beirut, Lebanon
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It’s hard to picture Neo from The Matrix growing up anywhere but Toronto, yet Keanu Reeves originally belonged to Beirut. His British mother and Hawaiian-Chinese father were briefly based there before splitting up. Keanu’s childhood included stops in Australia and New York before settling in Canada.
Nicole Kidman – Honolulu, Hawaii
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Though she’s often seen as the face of Australian cinema, Nicole Kidman was born on U.S. soil in 1967. Her Australian parents lived there temporarily while her father conducted research. The family moved back to Sydney when she was four. Kidman has dual citizenship, but grew up fully immersed in Australian culture.
Mila Kunis – Kyiv, Ukraine
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Mila Kunis’ family, of Jewish heritage, left during a wave of emigration in the early ’90s. She has said she learned English by watching The Price Is Right. That, along with her acting chops, helped her land roles in That ’70s Show and beyond.
Kiefer Sutherland – London, England
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Jack Bauer might be a symbol of American patriotism on 24, but Kiefer Sutherland was born in London. His parents, both Canadian actors, were working in the UK then. After a few years, his mother moved Kiefer and his twin sister to Toronto following a divorce.
Joaquin Phoenix – San Juan, Puerto Rico
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Before his Oscar-winning turn as Joker, Joaquin Phoenix was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in 1974. His American parents traveled to Latin America as members of the Children of God religious movement. The family eventually left the group and resettled in Los Angeles.
Amy Adams – Vicenza, Italy
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Amy Adams doesn’t carry a hint of a foreign accent, but she was born in Vicenza, Italy, in 1974 while her father was stationed there with the U.S. officers. Adams moved to Colorado with her family as a child and eventually discovered her love for performing through ballet and local theater.
Tommy Lee – Athens, Greece
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His mom was Miss Greece 1957, and his dad was an American serviceman. The family moved to the U.S. shortly after he was born. Tommy would later drop his surname “Bass” and fully embrace the hard-partying, tattooed L.A. lifestyle, but his Mediterranean roots remain part of the story.
Emma Watson – Paris, France
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Emma Watson’s crisp British accent made her the perfect Hermione Granger, but she originally came from Paris. She returned to England when she was five, but has since mentioned that she still feels a special connection to Paris, even if most fans assume she’s British through and through.
Hugo Weaving – Ibadan, Nigeria
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His father was a seismologist, so the family moved often—to the UK, South Africa, and Australia. Weaving’s multicultural childhood gave him a flexible sense of identity that’s reflected in the range of characters he’s portrayed, like in The Matrix and The Lord of the Rings.
Lupita Nyong’o – Mexico City, Mexico
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Born in Mexico City in 1983 to Kenyan parents, she was named after the Virgin of Guadalupe. The family returned to Kenya when she was three, where she grew up before studying film in the U.S. She’s fluent in Spanish and considers herself Kenyan-Mexican.
Mischa Barton – London, England
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Before her teen drama fame, she had small roles in Notting Hill and The Sixth Sense. Yet even before that, her early years were filled with tea growing up in London. Her family moved to New York when she was five.
Gene Simmons – Haifa, Israel
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Long before he stuck out his famously long tongue, Gene Simmons was born Chaim Witz in Haifa, Israel, in 1949. He moved to New York City with his mother at age eight. His name changed to Eugene Klein, and eventually, Gene Simmons.
Charlize Theron – Benoni, South Africa
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Charlize Theron’s American accent is so polished that many forget she was born in Benoni, South Africa. Her first language was Afrikaans, and she didn’t learn English until her teens. Theron moved to the U.S. to pursue modeling and later acting.