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 Pennsylvania 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.
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- Born: Indiana, Pennsylvania (5/20/1908)
- Died: 7/2/1997
- Known for:
--- Paul Biegler in "Anatomy of a Murder" (1959)
--- John 'Scottie' Ferguson in "Vertigo" (1958)
--- Jefferson Smith in "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" (1939)
- Born: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (9/25/1968)
- Known for:
--- Producer in "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" (1990-1996)
--- Robert Neville in "I Am Legend" (2007)
--- Jay in "Men in Black" (1997)
- Born: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (7/6/1979)
- Known for:
--- Ben Barber in "Ride Along" (2014)
--- Calvin Joyner in "Central Intelligence" (2016)
--- Dante Slate, Jr. in "Grudge Match" (2013)
- Born: Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania (8/29/1973)
- Known for:
--- Wally West in "Young Justice" (2010-2019)
--- Ivan in "Time Lapse" (2014)
--- Deputy Taylor Roberts in "Piranha 3D" (2010)
- Born: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (1/5/1975)
- Known for:
--- Jack in "A Star Is Born" (2018)
--- Pat in "Silver Linings Playbook" (2012)
--- Chris Kyle in "American Sniper" (2014)
- Born: Coraopolis, Pennsylvania (9/5/1951)
- Known for:
--- Riggan in "Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)" (2014)
--- Walter 'Robby' Robinson in "Spotlight" (2015)
--- Ray Kroc in "The Founder" (2016)
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- Born: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (10/22/1952)
- Known for:
--- Malcolm in "Jurassic Park" (1993)
--- Seth Brundle in "The Fly" (1986)
--- Deputy Kovacs in "The Grand Budapest Hotel" (2014)
- Born: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (7/21/1975)
- Known for:
--- Joker's Thug in "The Dark Knight" (2008)
--- Piter de Vries in "Dune" (2021)
--- Polka-Dot Man in "The Suicide Squad" (2021)
- Born: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (12/28/1976)
- Known for:
--- Deathstroke in "Zack Snyder's Justice League" (2021)
--- Alcide Herveaux in "True Blood" (2010-2014)
- Born: Lancaster, Pennsylvania (3/26/1985)
- Known for:
--- Kristoff in "Frozen" (2013)
--- King George in "Hamilton" (2020)
--- Holden Ford in "Mindhunter" (2017-2019)
- Born: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (7/8/1958)
- Known for:
--- Ren in "Footloose" (1984)
--- Walter in "The Woodsman" (2004)
--- Sebastian Caine in "Hollow Man" (2000)
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- Born: Bethlehem, Pennsylvania (9/8/1981)
- Known for:
--- Young Simba in "The Lion King" (1994)
--- Randy Taylor in "Home Improvement" (1991-1999)
--- Tom Sawyer in "Tom and Huck" (1995)
- Born: Downingtown, Pennsylvania (2/20/1987)
- Known for:
--- Sutter in "The Spectacular Now" (2013)
--- Andrew in "Whiplash" (2014)
--- Reed Richards in "Fantastic Four" (2015)
- Born: York, Pennsylvania (4/23/1960)
- Known for:
--- Norman Maclean in "A River Runs Through It" (1992)
--- Hardy Jenns in "Some Kind of Wonderful" (1987)
--- Aaron Boone in "Nightbreed" (1990)
- Born: Butler, Pennsylvania (1/11/1972)
- Known for:
--- Rodney in "Knight and Day" (2010)
--- John Hawkes in "Underground" (2016-2017)
--- Riley Finn in "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" (1999-2002)
- Born: Allentown, Pennsylvania (2/6/1986)
- Known for:
--- Andrew Detmer in "Chronicle" (2012)
--- Lucien Carr in "Kill Your Darlings" (2013)
--- Green Goblin in "The Amazing Spider-Man 2" (2014)
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- Born: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (8/31/1949)
- Known for:
--- Billy Flynn in "Chicago" (2002)
--- Edward Lewis in "Pretty Woman" (1990)
--- Declan Mulqueen in "The Jackal" (1997)
- Born: Abington, Pennsylvania (2/11/1980)
- Known for:
--- Chris Hillard in "Mrs. Doubtfire" (1993)
--- Billy in "The Hot Chick" (2002)
--- Matt Roman in "Brotherly Love" (1995-1997)
- Born: Lancaster, Pennsylvania (7/15/1981)
- Known for:
--- Phil in "The Other Woman" (2014)
--- Aiden in "The Forest" (2016)
--- Jared - DEVGRU in "Zero Dark Thirty" (2012)
- Born: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (11/26/1939)
- Known for:
--- Sol Robeson in "Pi" (1998)
--- Shickadance in "Ace Ventura: Pet Detective" (1994)
--- Mr. Rabinowitz in "Requiem for a Dream" (2000)
- Born: Ehrenfeld, Pennsylvania (11/3/1921)
- Died: 8/30/2003
- Known for:
--- Harmonica in "Once Upon a Time in the West" (1968)
--- Paul Kersey in "Death Wish" (1974)
--- Danny 'Tunnel King' in "The Great Escape" (1963)
- Born: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (6/2/1977)
- Known for:
--- Spock in "Star Trek" (2009)
--- Peter Sullivan in "Margin Call" (2011)
--- Commander Spock in "Star Trek Beyond" (2016)
- Born: Abington, Pennsylvania (7/17/1979)
- Known for:
--- Johnny Foote in "The Help" (2011)
--- Jason Hawkins in "Cloverfield" (2008)
--- Jack in "She's Out of My League" (2010)
- Born: West Chester, Pennsylvania (10/22/1986)
- Known for:
--- Goat-Winston in "American Sniper" (2014)
--- Andy Fitzgerald in "The Finest Hours" (2016)
--- Kurt Fletcher in "Dear White People" (2014)
- Born: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (8/23/1912)
- Died: 2/2/1996
- Known for:
--- Don Lockwood in "Singin' in the Rain" (1952)
--- Jerry Mulligan in "An American in Paris" (1951)
--- E. K. Hornbeck in "Inherit the Wind" (1960)
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- Born: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (1/26/1939)
- Known for:
--- Bart Mancuso in "The Hunt for Red October" (1990)
--- John Adcox in "Backdraft" (1991)
--- Jack Crawford in "The Silence of the Lambs" (1991)
- Born: Norristown, Pennsylvania (10/18/1935)
- Died: 12/12/2006
- Known for:
--- Frank Barone in "Everybody Loves Raymond" (1996-2005)
--- Lou Donnelly in "Red Heat" (1988)
--- The Monster in "Young Frankenstein" (1974)
- Born: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (8/20/1981)
- Known for:
--- Kostas in "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" (2005)
--- Kostos in "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2" (2008)
--- Nick Zingaro in "The Guardian" (2006)
- Born: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (10/24/1939)
- Known for:
--- Mr. Moustafa in "The Grand Budapest Hotel" (2014)
--- Antonio Salieri in "Amadeus" (1984)
--- Leader in "Mighty Aphrodite" (1995)
- Born: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (9/11/1958)
- Known for:
--- Agent Strahm in "Saw V" (2008)
--- Agent Peter Strahm in "Saw IV" (2007)
--- Luke Danes in "Gilmore Girls" (2000-2007)
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- Born: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (12/7/1964)
- Known for:
--- Cotton Marcus in "The Last Exorcism" (2010)
--- Howard Hamlin in "Better Call Saul" (2015-2022)
--- Donald in "Must Love Dogs" (2005)
- Born: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (1/4/2003)
- Known for:
--- Oliver in "St. Vincent" (2014)
--- Bill Denbrough in "It" (2017)
--- Jacob Thrombey in "Knives Out" (2019)
- Born: Sewickley, Pennsylvania (9/14/1967)
- Known for:
--- Taco Bell Entertainer in "Demolition Man" (1993)
--- Vic Meladeo in "What I Like About You" (2003-2006)
--- Perry Rollins in "Veronica's Closet" (1997-2000)
- Born: Abington, Pennsylvania (7/14/1966)
- Known for:
--- Brooder in "Bone Tomahawk" (2015)
--- Dr. Jack Shephard in "Lost" (2004-2010)
--- Racer X in "Speed Racer" (2008)
- Born: Harrisburg, Pennsylvania (4/22/1971)
- Known for:
--- Matt in "Resident Evil" (2002)
--- Steve Rodgers in "Welcome to the Dollhouse" (1995)
--- Greg McConnell in "Cruel Intentions" (1999)
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- Born: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (4/20/1976)
- Known for:
--- Joey Russo in "Blossom" (1990-1995)
--- Oliver in "Oliver & Company" (1988)
--- Joe Roman in "Brotherly Love" (1995-1997)
- Born: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (11/9/1886)
- Died: 6/19/1966
- Known for:
--- Mad Hatter in "Alice in Wonderland" (1951)
--- Uncle Albert in "Mary Poppins" (1964)
--- Toymaker in "Babes in Toyland" (1961)
- Born: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (6/28/1946)
- Known for:
--- Howard Finnigan in "Short Cuts" (1993)
--- Reverend Parris in "The Crucible" (1996)
--- Senator Kelly in "X-Men" (2000)
- Born: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (11/22/1979)
- Known for:
--- Louis Greene in "Dexter" (2011-2012)
--- Nate Solomon in "Committed" (2005)
--- Alan (Bench Press Guy) in "I Love You, Man" (2009)
- Born: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (4/15/1959)
- Known for:
--- Buford 'Mad Dog' Tannen in "Back to the Future Part III" (1990)
--- Biff Tannen in "Back to the Future" (1985)
--- Biff Tannen in "Back to the Future Part II" (1989)
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- Born: West Chester, Pennsylvania (4/6/1990)
- Known for:
--- T.J. in "Frozen River" (2008)
--- Ty in "Unbelievable" (2019)
--- Stewart in "Instant Family" (2018)
- Born: Bellefonte, Pennsylvania (8/19/1952)
- Known for:
--- Riker in "Star Trek: First Contact" (1996)
--- Riker in "Star Trek: Insurrection" (1998)
--- Riker in "Star Trek: Generations" (1994)
- Born: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (9/21/1969)
- Known for:
--- Pray Tell in "Pose" (2018-2021)
--- Fabulous Godmother in "Cinderella" (2021)
--- Taylor in "The Broken Hearts Club: A Romantic Comedy" (2000)
