Actors' and actresses' careers are made or broken by how well they are able to impersonate someone else for the entertainment of others. Some are so good at masking their true selves, that even the most avid film fan is unable to decipher where some of these celebrities originally came from. A lot of fans come to the conclusion that most performers have American roots. It will come as quite a surprise that the majority of the following 40 celebrities actually come from America's neighbor to the north, with a handful coming from even further than that.
1. 'Somebody Stop Him, Eh'
Jim Carrey's arrival on the comedy scene could be pinpointed to his reoccurring role on the Wayans' sketch comedy show, 'In Living Colour' (1990-1994), however, it was not until he began appearing on the big screen that people truly took notice.
Born in Newmarket, Ontario, one of Toronto's northern suburbs, most people actually think that Jim Carrey is American through-and-through, but he did in fact grow up north of the border. When he was 17 years old, Jim moved to Los Angeles in order to pursue a career in comedy. It was not until 2004 that Jim Carrey gained his American citizenship.
2. 'Just Dropping In'
Although he rose to stardom portraying the all-American, friendly neighbourhood Spiderman, many people are unaware that Tom Holland is in fact not American at all.
Thomas Stanley Holland was born and raised in London, England. Throughout his school years, Tom was bullied on account of his passion for dancing, but it did not stop Holland from honing his craft and developing a near-perfect American accent that has had audiences fooled for almost a decade.
3. 'May The Odds Be Ever In Your Favour'
This father and son duo has captivated the hearts of film fans for almost 100 years combined. The latter gained most of his popular culture fame while portraying super-agent, Jack Bauer, while the former and elder of the two, broke onto the scene back in the 60s and took the film world by storm with his performance in 'The Dirty Dozen' (1967).
Donald and Kiefer Sutherland, have made careers out of portraying all-American heroes, however, neither of them are American. Donald was born in, Saint John, New Brunswick, on mainland Canada's east coast, while his son, Kiefer was actually born in London and holds both Canadian and British citizenship.
4. 'Wine Only Turns To Alcohol If You Let It Sit'
Some people know her as Ellen DeGeneres' wife, while others will forever remember her as Lindsay Bluth Funke, an integral part of America's most dysfunctional TV family in 'Arrested Development'.
Portia de Rossie was born in Australia, in the small town of Horsham, Victoria, 300 km away from Melbourne but grew up in Geelong. It was not until she was into her late 30s that de Rossi gained American citizenship, which she did in 2011.
5. 'He Boldly Went, Where No One Had Gone Before'
He was the original Star Trek captain and, in the hearts of millions of Trekkies around the world, will forever be, Captain James T Kirk of the USS Enterprise. 2021 marks the 70th year in which William Shatner has been on active duty as an entertainer.
Born and raised in Montreal, Quebec, William Shatner actually began his acting career as a Shakespearean actor in Stratford, Ontario in 1954. Most people mistake Shatner for an American because it was his role as Captain Kirk that cemented his legacy, however, it was his start on the Canadian stage that first got him noticed.
6. 'Nothing Sexier Than A Handlebar Mustache'
Dating back to her breakthrough role alongside Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson in 'Wedding Crashers' (2005), Isla Fisher has made a career out of being able to speak with a flawless, fake American accent.
From the time she was six years old, Isla Fisher and her family lived in Perth, Australia, but the early years of Isla's life were spent living in Oman, where she was born, and Scotland, where her parents are from. In 2010, Isla married comedian, Sacha Baron Cohen and currently holds passports for both the UK and Australia.
7. 'No Stairway, Denied!'
Mike Myers has played, an English international man of mystery, a Scottish henchman, a Dutch villain, and an evil Doctor, and that was just in the Austin Powers trilogy. Myers has fans who will always remember the Wayne's World days and others who will forever have a place in their hearts for the friendly big green ogre, Shrek. Few people were aware, however, that Michael John Myers was not born, nor was he raised in America.
Although Mike Myers now has American citizenship, he was actually born in and grew up, just east of Toronto in Scarborough, Ontario. Even after learning about his childhood, most people still find it hard to believe that Austin Powers was raised as a Canadian. He let his roots be known in 2008s 'The Love Guru' as the film's story revolved around his hometown Toronto Maple Leafs.
8. 'That One Looks Like A Biter'
In 2010, Rick Grimes and a small group of zombie apocalypse survivors began their quest for survival. Due to his commitment to the lead role, Andrew Lincoln has had fans convinced for over a decade that the twang in his Southern dialect is in fact natural.
Born in London, England, Andrew Lincoln is another Brit who has fooled audiences into believing he was actually born in America's Southland. Upon receiving the role of Rick Grimes on AMC's, The Walking Dead, Lincoln dedicated himself to learning how to speak with an impeccable Southern accent.
9. 'That's Heavy'
Michael J. Fox first gained fame as Alex Keaton on the TV series Family Ties, but it was his first major film break that catapulted him into stardom. Michael J. Fox is best known for his performance as Marty McFly in 1985's mega-hit, 'Back To The Future', where he played the run-of-the-mill American teenager who accidentally got sent back in time to 1955.
He does come from North America, but Michael J. Fox is not American. He is actually from the home of the Edmonton Oilers out in Western Canada but spent most of his childhood living in the Vancouver suburb of Burnaby, British Columbia. Two years after disclosing to the public that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, he founded the Michael J. Fox Foundation to help fund research for the disease, and he continues to speak at events whenever possible.
10. 'Are You Not Entertained?'
He is an Oscar winner who has captivated fans of all genres. In 2000 he blew audiences away with his performance in the action-packed, 'Gladiator' and followed it up with a moving portrayal of Nobel Prize-winning, mathematician John Nash, in 'A Beautiful Mind' (2000). Russell Crowe is many things, but one thing he is not, is an American citizen.
Russell Crowe is one of a few different celebrities whom Australians attempt to claim as their own. Even though he moved to the land down under in 1985, he is actually a Kiwi and holds only New Zealand citizenship.
11. 'Could He BE Any Less American?'
Hailing from Massachusetts, Chandler Bing was one of America's most hilariously sarcastic TV personalities throughout the ten-year run of 'Friends' (1994-2004). Although the actor behind Chandler now holds American citizenship, he grew up a bit further north than Boston.
Born in Canada's capital, Mathew Perry remained in Ottawa, Ontario for most of his youth due to his mother's job as a press secretary for former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau (the father of current Canadian Prime Minister, Justin). Chandler Bing may be a fan of the New York Rangers, but Mathew Perry lives for the thrill of watching his hometown Ottawa Senators hit the ice.
12. 'She Calls It Aggressive Negotiations'
As a child, Natalie Portman's family moved around a lot. She lived in Washington DC, Connecticut, and Long Island, all within the first decade of her life, but she was born in a land, far far away.
Natalie Portman is another of the celebrities on this list who currently holds an American passport to go along with the one from their birth country. Natalie Portman was Israeli before she was American. She was born in Jerusalem and given the Hebrew name, Neta-Lee ("plant for me").
13. 'That's Generic!'
Fans of America's Got Talent, know Howie Mandel as the bald-headed, sometimes quirky host, who has a soft spot for the underdog. Others will remember him from his hosting duties on, Deal Or No Deal or perhaps his animated masterpiece, Bobby's World. One thing that most fans of Howie's have in common, is the shared misconception of where he is actually from.
Howie Mandel is from The Six, before it was known as The Six. He was born and raised in Toronto, Canada. It was there that he began his stand-up comedy career as a curly-haired quirky kid from Willowdale. By his mid 20s, Mandel had landed a week-long booking at Toronto's famous, Yuk Yuk's comedy club, and after that, his career took off.
14. 'It Looks Like A Fake'
Cary Grant was one of the original leading men in Hollywood. He worked with anyone who was worth anything through Hollywood's Golden Age, which may be why so many people have confused him with being born and bred American.
Born in Bristol, England, Cary Grant visited the United States for the first time when he was 16 years old. It was then, that he found success on stage in New York, and decided to stay. His smooth demeanor and debonair ways, should have been enough to give away his non-American roots.
15. 'Paying It Forward'
Throughout the entire decade of the 90s, Jason Priestley was part of one of the most influential teen dramas in TV history. Priestley became a teen heartthrob the moment he showed up on the screen as Brenda Walsh's twin brother Brandon, on Beverly Hills 90210 (1990-2000).
As the result of his portrayal of a Beverly Hills teenager for so many years, his Canadian roots seem to have been forgotten over the years. Originally from Vancouver, British Columbia, it was not until 2007 that he received his American citizenship.
16. 'She Came From A Land Down Under'
While playing Leo's love interest Naomi in 'The Wolf Of Wall Street', Margot Robbie did such a fantastic job in covering up her natural accent with a near-flawless Brooklyn one, that no one would have thought twice, if not told that she was not actually American.
Margot Robbie grew up in Queensland, Australia and didn't move to the States until 2011, when she decided it was time to make it big, which she did. It did not take long for people to notice Robbie, but it took even less time for them to forget where she came from.
17. "We'll Just Tell Your Mother That We Ate It All"
In the American Pie film series, he played everyone's favorite socially-awkward dad, however, in real life, Eugene Levy is not America's favorite dad at all.
He is Canada's favourite. Raised in Hamilton, Ontario, less than an hour away from Toronto, Eugene Levy began his illustrious career alongside fellow famous Canuck comedians, in the Great White North's answer to Saturday Night Live, SCTV (Second City Television).
18. 'Get Off The Road, Or Keep Riding?'
For seven seasons of Sons of Anarchy (2008-2014), Charlie Hunnam played the lead role of 'Jax' Teller. His performance as one of the leaders of America's most feared biker gangs was captivating to the point that audiences could not tell that he wasn't even American.
After a reoccurring role in Queer as Folk, Hunnam landed his first starring role on the small screen with fellow non-Americans Seth Rogan and Jay Baruchel, in the Judd Apatow college series, Undeclared. Unlike his co-stars, Hunnam did not come from north of the 49th parallel, but from across, the Atlantic. That's right, the man who reignited America's love for bikers, is in fact British.
19. 'Hold On!'
Throughout the 1990s there was no woman who was more prominent of a sex symbol than Pamela Anderson. Following the recognition she gained as February 1990s Playmate of the Month, she went on to patrol the beaches of Los Angeles as C.J. Parker on the hit TV series Baywatch. She has been married and divorced from multiple American rockstars, which is why some people may be confused as to where she was raised.
Pam Anderson was born in Ladysmith, British Columbia, close to the 49th parallel that separates Canada from America. It was not until she was 22 years old, that Anderson made the move south to the United States in hopes of pursuing a modeling career. Needless to say, it was a successful venture. In 2004, Pam Anderson achieved her American citizenship and is currently a dual Canadian/American citizen.
20. 'Aye Mate. Why So Serious?'
Heath Ledger is an excellent example of an entertainer who burst onto the scene, stole the spotlight, and disappeared into the sunset far too soon. His short time in the public eye is an aiding factor in the lack of the public's knowledge of his birthplace.
Born and raised in Perth, Australia, it was not until Heath Ledger made the move to America at the hopeful age of 19, that he began to get the recognition that would help him reach the top. Ledger had shown a wide range of talent from his acting repertoire before his passing and due to the variety of characters he portrayed, those new to his films find it extremely difficult to pinpoint his Aussie origins.
21. 'Burt Bacharach He Ain't'
Making audiences laugh for nearly fifty years, Martin Short began his career alongside Eugene Levy on SCTV, but that wasn't the only thing the two of them had in common.
Add Martin to the list of classic comedians who originated North of the Border. Similar to fellow McMaster University alumni Eugene Levy, Martin Short lived in Hamilton, Ontario for the first part of his life. It was not until he gained fame in the mid-70s that he made the move to America.
22. 'Dream Big'
At 14-years old she was already lying about her age to studio executives in order to land her breakthrough role as Jackie Burkhart on That 70s Show. Considering how well she portrayed a spoiled American teenager, it's hard to believe that Mila Kunis didn't know a word of English until second grade.
The granddaughter of Holocaust survivors, Mila Kunis moved with her family to America, from former Soviet Ukraine in 1991, with $250 and nothing else. At that time Mila was seven years old, didn't know the language, didn't know the culture, and had no friends. Mila learned to adapt, and made more than just lemonade out of lemons, she achieved the American Dream.
23. 'Putting The Pieces Together'
Ryan Gosling got his first big break at the age of 12 when he was cast as a member of Disney's Mickey Mouse Club alongside the likes of Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, and Christina Aguilera. He may have grown up more than 2,500 miles away from another Ryan on this list, but they still share the same national pride.
Most people who grew up in Canada in the 90s will remember seeing their fellow countryman starring as Sean, in the teen series, Breaker High (1997-1998). Ryan Gosling was born a few hours from Toronto, in London, Ontario.
24. 'A Performer Fit For Royalty'
From James Gordon to Sid Vicious, Gary Oldman has been acting in a wide range of film roles for more than three decades. He has played characters from all over the world with a wide variety of accents and is seldom heard using his natural accent.
Originally from London, England, Gary Oldman began his acting career on stage as a member of The Royal Shakespeare Company. It was not until he was into his early 40s that he began to gain recognition for his roles in major Hollywood films.
25. 'Excellent!'
Considered by some, to be one half of the most radically bogus duo to ever live, Keanu Reeves has had some of the most memorable roles in film history. Many people are fooled by his calm, laid-back attitude into believing he was from sunny California.
Although he lived in New York for short time as a child, the man who played Neo was actually born in Beirut, Lebanon, and raised in Toronto, Ontario. Keanu Reeves is many things, but an American citizen is not one of them.
26. 'The Hero They Need'
Christian Bale has made a living out of playing characters with American accents. Without the ability to sound American, he would not have had the opportunity to play the caped crusader, and most likely would have been looked over for the part of John Connor as well.
Born in Wales, but raised in England, Christian Bale considers himself as English, not Welsh. With how deep Bale gets into character through method acting, it would be surprising if even Christian himself remembers what his natural accent used to sound like.
27. 'Being Stuck On An Island Isn't So Bad'
Evangeline Lilly captured the hearts of 'Lost' fans worldwide as, Kate Austen, one of the surviving passengers of Oceanic Airlines Flight 815. She has since made the successful transition to the big screen with her roles in The Lord of The Rings and Antman films.
Most Canadian actors come from either the east coast or the west, but Evangeline Lilly is one of the rare talents to be born in Alberta, Canada. At a young age, her family moved further west to British Columbia, where she later attended the University of British Columbia majoring in International Relations.
28. 'She's No Monster'
Academy Award winner Charlize Theron has successfully transformed herself into various characters for roles, that reach all over the acting spectrum. Not only is Charlize not from America, but her first language isn't even English.
Charlize grew up speaking Afrikaans with her family, the language of their home country of South Africa. She has been fluent in English from the time she was young but it was not until she was 18, after a year spent modeling in Europe, that Charlize and her mother moved to the United States.
29. 'Something Good Always Happens A Minute After 4:19''
Tommy Chong is one half of the world's most notorious stoner duos, Cheech and Chong. Along with pal Cheech Marin, Chong made a living driving around the United States performing comedy shows and making movies about traveling around America together. In his later years, he pretty much cast as himself while playing Leo in That 70s Show.
Many people think that Cheech Marin is the half of this dup that is not American, but it is in fact Tommy Chong who was born in Edmonton and raised in Calgary, Alberta. It shouldn't come as a surprise that a long-haired musician from Western Canada ended up becoming one of the most well-known cannabis users of the modern age.
30. 'Superman Never Made Any Money'
At the time when Christopher Reeve first played the fictional comic book hero, Superman, no one would have believed it if they were told that almost 40-years later, the Man of Steel would be played by someone who was not American.
The actor who now plays Superman is actually from Saint Helier, Jersey. No, not New Jersey. The Jersey that Henry Cavill comes from is a small British Island found between England and France in the English Channel and has a population of just over 100,000 people.
31. 'Save The Swim Team'
Ryan Reynolds has spent more than two decades putting smiles on the faces of filmgoers everywhere, but it was not until 2018 that he was able to cross 'getting an American passport' off his bucket list.
Ryan Reynolds grew up in Vancouver, British Columbia, more than 2,500 miles west of fellow Canadian Ryan Gosling. One of his brothers is actually a member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (the guys in red riding horses up in Canada).
32. 'Need-To-Know Basis'
Damian Lewis received a Golden Globe nomination for his role as American World War 2 Army Major, Richard Winters in HBO's miniseries 'Band of Brothers'. A few years later, he received a Golden Globe Award for his portrayal of US Marine Sergeant, Nicholas Brody in Showtime's hit series 'Homeland'. The funny thing that a large number of actors who play American soldiers in the movies have in common, is that they're usually not American.
Add another Englishman to our list. Damian Lewis grew up in the City of Westminster, Northwest of London. His mother's father was actually the Lord Mayor of London from 1969-1970.
33. 'One Name? Who Are You, Seal?'
Michael Cera's career was off to a promising start when he got the role of George Michael Bluth, on Arrested Development, but it was a film that was written by two of his fellow countrymen, about their experiences as highschoolers back home in the 1990s, that gained Cera worldwide recognition.
Born and raised in Brampton, Ontario, Michael Cera was cast by fellow Canadians Seth Rogan, and Evan Goldberg to portray Evan himself, in 2007's, coming of age masterpiece, 'Superbad'.
34. 'Should Probably Tell Him Where His Son Is'
Dominic Purcell and Wentworth Miller starred as loyal brothers Lincoln Burrows and Michael Scofield in Fox's 'Prison Break'. Although they were both born in the UK only one of them was raised outside of North America.
At a young age, Dominic Purcell and his family moved from England to Bondi Beach, New South Wales in Australia. A few years later they would move to Western Sydney. Purcell studied at the Western Australia Academy of Performing Arts with fellow Aussie Hugh Jackman, and currently holds triple British-Irish-Australian citizenship.
35. "I Am Serious, And Don't Call Me Shirley'
For more than 50 years, Leslie Nielsen lit-up the big screen. He was a dramatic actor when he was younger, and one of the funniest men to grace the big screen through his formative years. As Frank Drebin in The Naked Gun film series, Nielsen starred alongside O.J. Simpson. As it turned out, neither of them would end up being American heroes.
Leslie Nielsen is one of the very few people to make it big, who have come out of Regina, Saskatchewan. There is not much to do on the Canadian prairies, but Nielsen made the best of coming up through 'Television's Golden Age' and gained work constantly through the early part of his career.
36. "Isn't That Something?"
He was a larger-than-life personality while alive, and left some fairly large shoes to fill after his passing. John Candy may have found stardom in America, but it was his Canadian roots and love of Canadian bacon that made him the man we all loved to watch.
John Candy grew up north of Toronto in a town called Newmarket. After graduating from McMaster University, he and fellow McMaster Alumni, Eugene Levy and Martin Short reunited on SCTV where they all developed reputations for their own unique methods of comedic acting.
37. 'I've Made A Huge Mistake'
Will Arnett is yet another of the hilarious cast members from 'Arrested Development' who gets mistaken for being American quite often.
Another of our Southern Ontario celebrities who get mistaken for being American all the time, Will Arnett was born in Toronto and moved to New York when he was 20 in order to pursue his love of acting. For a few years when Will was in his late 20s, his father served as the president and CEO of Molson Breweries. It doesn't get much more Canadian than that.
38. 'I Know Who I Am'
It's mindblowing to think that Mel Gibson has been either acting in or directing blockbuster hits for almost forty years. He has been acting in roles that call for the use of different accents for so many years, that few people are able to recognize which accent is his natural one.
Mel Gibson is the one actor on our list who was actually born in America and lived there for the first 12 years of his life before his family moved to Australia. It was while in the land down under, that Gibson gained fame and his reputation for being a serious and versatile actor. He holds multiple citizenships and therefore it is hard to pinpoint the origins of his 'mutt' accent.
39. 'Serenity?'
With his quick wit and prince-charming looks, Nathan Fillion has been hypnotizing audiences across America for almost three decades. Along with fellow Western Candian Ryan Reynolds, Fillion got his big break on the 90s sitcom 'Two Guys A Girl And A Pizza Place'.
Although he has been a US citizen since 1997, Nathan Fillion grew up in the golden age of Edmonton Oilers' hockey in Alberta, Canada, where he was fortunate enough to see his hometown team win 5 Stanley Cup Championships in 7 years.
40. 'Who Ya Gonna Call?'
Dan Akroyd was one of the original cast members of Saturday Night Live in 1975. Over the next ten years Akroyd would go on to write and star in two of the biggest American films of the 80s, 'The Blues Brothers' in 1980 and 1984's 'Ghostbusters'.
Although he is a comedic film legend in America, Dan Akroyd is pretty much as Canadian as they come. He was born and raised in the nation's capital city of Ottawa and may have even met a young Mathew Perry, as both had parents who worked for Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau. In 2007 Akroyd added to his All-Canadian resume, by founding Crystal Head Vodka, which is manufactured in Newfoundland and Labrador on the East Coast of the Great White North.