USA & Canada | People & Stories

15 famous faces you never knew were Canadian

Celine Dion, Justin Bieber and Drake are Canadian celebrities who frequently display their patriotism to fans, but there are lots of famous faces from Canada who might surprise you. From Sandra Oh to The Rock, here are 15 famous Canadians that you never knew were from Canada.

1. Margaret Atwood

Award-winning novelist Margaret Atwood was born in Ottawa and currently resides in Toronto. She’s most well-known for her dystopian novel-turned-television-series, The Handmaid’s Tale.

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2. Keanu Reeves

Many don’t know about Keanu Reeves’ Canadian roots. The star was raised in Toronto where he and his family moved to from Beirut. Fun fact: he grew up with aspirations of become an Olympic ice hockey player but turned to acting instead when he was a teen.

3. Kim Cattral

The award-winning Sex In The City actor moved to British Columbia from England at a young age. She left Canada to study and pursue her acting career in New York City in her teens.

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4. David Suzuki

Academic and climate change activist, David Suzuki was born in Vancouver, British Colombia. In 2004, he was named one of the most famous Canadians in history alongside other greats including Alexander Graham Bell.

5. Dwayne Johnson

The Rock holds American and Canadian citizenship — his father was from Nova Scotia. While he spent most of his time in the USA, The Rock did have a brief stint playing in the Canadian Football League in 1995.

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6. Katherine Ryan

Comedian and actress Katherine Ryan was born and raised in Ontario. She now lives in the United Kingdom, where she has filmed many of her television sitcoms, including The Duchess.

7. Leonard Cohen

Leonard Cohen was a proud Montrealer. He was born in Westmount, a suburb of Montreal. Moreover, he went to McGill University and he even frequented some of the famous establishments that are still around today.

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8. Sandra Oh

The Killing Eve and Grey’s Anatomy star was born in a small town outside of Ottawa, Ontario. She was awarded a star on Canada’s Walk of Fame in 2011 and was named one of the top 100 most influential people in the world by Time magazine in 2019.

9. Michael Bublé

Award-winning singer-songwriter, Michael Bublé, is from Burnaby, British Columbia. He continues to reside in the Vancouver suburb with his wife and three children.

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10. Elon Musk

Tesla CEO, Elon Musk holds Canadian citizenship even though he was born in South Africa. His mother, model Maye Musk, was born in Saskatchewan.

11. William Shatner

William Shatner was born and raised in Canada and his acting career started there, too. Shatner trained and performed as a classical Shakespearean actor in Stratford, Ontario. It was after his theatre stint that he moved to television and film.

12. Elliot Page

Elliot Page is from Halifax, Nova Scotia. He is one of the most well-known Canadian celebrities to come out of the country’s East Coast.

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13. Jim Carrey

Jim Carrey was born in Toronto, Ontario — the place where he started his career. He refined his talent through regular performances at open-mic nights at a local comedy club before moving to Hollywood.

14. Patrick J. Adams

Patrick J. Adams is from Toronto. While filming Suits alongside co-star, Meghan Markle, he was often spotted by fans in different areas of the city.

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15. Michael J. Fox

Michael J. Fox was born in Edmonton, Alberta. Today, he and his family live in New York but he is still very connected to — and proud of — his Canadian roots.

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Did any these Canadian celebrities surprise you? Let us know in the comments section.

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