But not everyone was born in New York.
So here’s a bunch of celebrities who grew up in small towns across America — with no nepotism in sight — and still went on to become famous. They will be local heroes forever.
1.
January Jones is from Sioux Falls, South Dakota and grew up in Hecla. The population of Hecla is 193 people.
2.
Matthew Fox grew up in Crowheart, Wyoming on the Wind River Indian Reservation. It has a population of 141 people.
3.
Viola Davis grew up in St. Matthews, South Carolina. It has 2,400 inhabitants.
4.
Michelle Monaghan is from Winthrop, Iowa. It has 1,025 inhabitants.
5.
Patrick Dempsey is from Turner, Maine. It has 5,816 inhabitants.
6.
Kristen Wiig grew up in Canandaigua, New York. It has 10,241 inhabitants.
seven.
John Corbett was born in Wheeling, West Virginia. It has 27,046 inhabitants.
8.
John Legend is originally from Springfield, Ohio. It has a population of 58,957,
9.
Megan Fox grew up in Rockwood, Tennessee. It has 5,446 inhabitants.
ten.
Pink is from Doylestown, Pennsylvania. It has 8,282 inhabitants.
11.
Halle Berry grew up in Oakwood, Ohio. It has 8,958 inhabitants.
12.
Josh Duhamel is from Minot, North Dakota. It has 47,834 inhabitants.
13.
Octavia Spencer is originally from Montgomery, Alabama. It has 200,603 inhabitants.
14.
Mary Steenburgen is from Newport, Arkansas. It has 7,552 inhabitants.
15.
Jessica Lange is from Cloquet, Minnesota. It has 11,994 inhabitants.
16.
Hilary Swank was born in Nebraska but raised in Bellingham, Washington. It has 90,821 inhabitants.
She lived in a trailer park with her mother, who was a secretary, and her father, who was a chief master sergeant in the Oregon Air National Guard.
17.
Chrissy Teigan was born in Delta, Utah but grew up in Snohomish, Washington. It has a population of 10,141.
18.
Charles Melton was born in Alaska, but grew up in Manhattan, Kansas (after some time in South Korea). Manhattan has a population of 55,045.
19.
Gabrielle Union is originally from Omaha, Nebraska. It is large by Nebraska standards with a population of 486,051.
20.
Brad Pitt grew up in Springfield, Missouri. It has 167,601 inhabitants.
21.
Jennifer Lawrence grew up in Indian Hills, Kentucky. It has 3,011 inhabitants.
22.
Chris Pratt grew up in Virginia, Minnesota. It has 8,421 inhabitants.
23.
Leighton Meester was born in Fort Worth, Texas while her mother was serving a prison sentence. She then grew up in Marco Island, Florida. It has 17,930 inhabitants.
24.
Channing Tatum was born in Alabama, but grew up in Pascagoula, Mississippi. It has 21,732 inhabitants.
25.
Matthew McConaughey grew up in Uvalde, Texas. It has 16,122 inhabitants.
26.
Sarah Silverman grew up in Bedford, New Hampshire. It has 21,203 inhabitants.
27.
Mark Ruffalo grew up in Kenosha, Wisconsin and as a teenager lived in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Kenosha has a population of 99,767.
28.
Jennifer Garner grew up in Charleston, West Virginia. It has 47,273 inhabitants.
29.
And finally, Oprah. She grew up in Kosciusko, Mississippi. It has 6,778 inhabitants.
Her mother was a cleaning lady who had her when she was 18. The rest is history.
So to everyone in any city that isn’t New York, LA, or Chicago. YOU HAVE A CHANCE.
