20 of Our Favorite Celebrities from Boston

Boston, Massachusetts, is the birthplace of many notable people who have done something significant with their lives, including Edgar Allan Poe, Wendell Phillips, Louisa May Alcott, and Benjamin Franklin. There are also many celebrities who come from this city, even if they have since relocated. Here are our 20 favorite celebrities from Boston.

20. Rob Delaney

Actor, comedian, and writer Rob Delaney was born in Boston on January 19, 1977. The actor is known for playing Rob Norris in the sitcom ‘Catastrophe,’ and for the films ‘Hobbs & Shaw,’ ‘Deadpool 2,’ and ‘Home Sweet Home.’ Although he is from Boston, Delaney has lived in London, England, with his wife and sons for many years.

19. Jeremy Strong

Stacker lists Jeremy Strong as a celebrity from Boston. Jeremy Strong is an actor who was born in Boston on Christmas Day 198, and he began his acting career in 2004. He is best known for playing Kendall Roy in the series ‘Succession,’ for which he won a Golden Globe and Primetime Emmy. Strong has also appeared in films including ‘Zero Dark Thirty,’ ‘Lincoln,’ ‘The Big Short,’ ‘The Gentleman,’ ‘Selma,’ ‘The Trial of the Chicago,’ and ‘Molly’s Game.’ The actor now has homes in New York and Copenhagen, and he also has a vacation home on the Danish Coast. Strong is married with three daughters.

18. Eli Roth

Eli Roth is a film director, producer, writer, editor, and actor who is usually associated with films in the horror genre. Some of his films include ‘Hostel,’ ‘Hostel: Part II,’ ‘The Green Inferno,’ ‘Cabin Fever,’ ‘Death Wish,’ and ‘The House with a Clock in Its Walls.’ Roth was born just outside downtown Boston on April 18, 1972.

17. Mindy Kaling

The actress has said that she finds the Boston accent very sexy but that she did not have a Boston accent herself when she was growing up. She was born in Cambridge, which is part of the Boston metropolitan area, on June 24, 199. Kaling first rose to prominence as Kelly Kapoor in ‘The Office.’ However, she is best known for creating, producing, and starring in ‘The Mindy Project.’ She has also had roles in multiple comedy films, including ‘The 40-Year-Old Virgin,’ ‘The Five Year Engagement,’ ‘Late Night,’ and ‘No Strings Attached.’

16. Ellen Pompeo

Another celebrity from Boston is ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ actress Ellen Pompeo. She was born in the outskirts of Boston on November 10, 1969. She is best known for playing Meredith Grey in ‘Grey’s Anatomy, which she has played since 2005. The role has made her one of the highest-paid actresses in the world. Pompeo has also had roles in films such as ‘Old School,’ ‘Art Heist,’ ‘Life of the Party,’ and ‘Daredevil.’

15. John Krasinksi

Actor, director, screenwriter, and producer John Krasinski was born in Boston in 1979. However, he now lives in New York City with his wife, Emily Blunt, and their two daughters. Krasinski rose to fame for playing Jim Halpert in ‘The Office.’ He is also known for playing the title character in the Amazon spy thriller series ‘Jack Ryan.’ John Krasinski has starred in films such as ‘The Three Secrets of Benghazi,’ ‘Leatherheads,’ ‘License to Wed,’ ‘Alona,’ ‘Promised Land,’ ‘The Hollars,’ and ‘A Quiet Place.’

14. Mike O’Malley

Although he began his career hosting the children’s game show ‘Nickelodeon Guts’ in the early 1990s, Mike O’Malley is better known for playing Jimmy Hughes in the CBS series ‘Ye, Dear’ and for his role as Burt Hummel in ‘Glee.’ Furthermore, he has appeared in films including ‘Leatherheads,’ ‘Love,’ ‘Concussion,’ ‘Deep Impact,’ and ’28 Days.’ O’Malley now lives in Los Angeles with his wife and three children.

13. Chris Evans

Chris Evans is famous for playing Captain America in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and for his roles in films such as ‘Scott Pilgrim vs. the World,’ ‘Not Another Teen Movie,’ ‘Gifted,’ ‘Knives Out,’ ‘Before We Go,’ and ‘Defending Jacob.’ The actor was born in Boston on June 13, 1981, and then grew up in the nearby town of Sudbury. He has Italian and Irish ancestry.

12. James Spader

James Spader has become known for playing eccentric characters, and a great example of this is the film ‘Sex, Lies, and Videotape.’ However, his acting career has been diverse, with roles in films of many genres. Spader is also known for his television work and has had roles in series such as ‘The Practice,’ ‘Boston Legal,’ ‘The Office,’ and ‘The Blacklist.’ Spader was born in Boston in 1960, but he moved to New York City when he was 17 to pursue an acting career.

11. Rachel Dratch

Rachel Dratch was born in Lexington, just outside downtown Boston, on February 22, 1966. She began her career in 1994 but did not rise to prominence until 19999 when she joined the cast of ‘Saturday Night Live.’ Dratch has made guest appearances in multiple television series and has also had roles in films including ‘Wine Country,’ ‘Hurricane Bianca,’ ‘That’s My Boy,’ and I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry.

10. Casey Affleck

Actor, director, and screenwriter Casey Affleck was born just outside Boston in 1975 and raised in Cambridge, which is on the opposite side of the Charles River from Boston. Affleck’s brother is actor Ben Affleck, and he was married to actress and model Summer Phoenix, who is the sister of Joaquin Phoenix and the late River Phoenix. Casey Affleck began acting while at high school and began his professional career in 1988. The actor is known for his roles in films such as ‘The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford,’ ‘Tower Heist,’ ‘Ain’t Them Bodies Saints,’ ‘Manchester by the Sea,’ and ‘A Ghost Story.’

9. Donnie Wahlberg

Donnie Wahlberg is a singer, songwriter, rapper, record producer, actor, and film producer who was born in Boston on August 17, 1969. He is the brother of actor Ben Affleck. At the beginning of his career, Wahlberg was one of the founding members of the boy band New Kids on the Block. He has also had a successful acting career, with roles including ‘The Sixth Sense,’ ‘Zookeeper,’ ‘Righteous Kill,’ ‘Dreamcatcher,’ ‘Ransom,’ and the ‘Saw’ film series. Casey Affleck is a fan of the Boston Celtics and is often seen attending their games. Along with his brothers, Paul and Mark, Wahlberg owns a small chain of burger restaurants called Wahlburgers, with locations in Boston, Florida, Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota, and Michigan.

8. Uma Thurman

Uma Thurman was born in Boston on April 29. 1970. The actress, writer, producer, and model began her career in 1985, and she shot to fame after starring in the 1988 film ‘Dangerous Liaisons.’ She gained further international prominence in Quentin Tarantino’s 1994 film ‘Pulp Fiction.’ Thurman reunited with Tarantino for the 2003 film ‘Kill Bill: Volume 1,’ followed by its 2004 sequel. The actress has starred in multiple other box office hits across a wide range of genres. Thurman has lived in multiple locations other than Boston throughout her life, and she is currently trying to gain Swedish citizenship as she has Swedish ancestry and intends to move to Sweden.

7. Edward Norton

The Famous People includes Edward Norton in their list of famous people from Boston. The actor and filmmaker was born in Boston on August 18, 1969. He studied history and Japanese at Yale College before moving to Japan to work for his grandfather’s country. His acting career began when he returned to the United States. Norton has had roles in films including ‘Kingdom of Heaven,’ ‘The Grand Budapest Hotel,’ ‘The Bourne Legacy,’ and ‘Birdman.’ Through his production company Class 5 Films, Norton has produced or directed films such as ‘Down in the Valley,’ ‘The Painted Veil,’ and ‘Keeping the Faith.’ He has won multiple awards throughout his career.

6. Bill Burr

Bill Burr was born in Canton, a suburb in Greater Boston, on June 10, 1968. He is a stand-up comedian, actor, writer, and podcaster who began his career in 1992. Burr is famous for creating and starring in the animated sitcom ‘F is for Family,’ playing Patrick Kuby in the crime drama series ‘Breaking Bad,’ and playing Migs Mayfield in the Star Wars TV series ‘The Mandalorian.’ Most recently, Burr played Rick in the series ‘Immortal.’ The actor has also had roles in multiple films, including ‘Daddy’s Home’ and its sequel, ‘Stand Up Guys,’ ‘The Front Runner,’ and ‘The King of Staten Island.’ Although he is originally from Boston, Bill Burr now resides in Los Angeles with his wife and two children.

5. Conan O’Brien

Conan O’Brien was born on April 18, 1963, in Brookline, which is part of the Boston Metropolitan Area. He is a television host, actor, comedian, writer, producer, and podcaster. O’Brien began his career as a writer for ‘Saturday Night Live’ before deciding he wanted to get in front of the camera. His first television hosting role was hosting his own series, ‘Late Night with Conan O’Brien.’ He has also hosted ‘The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien’ and ‘Conan.’ O’Brien is married and has a daughter and a son. The family lived in New York City before O’Brien’s career forced a move to Los Angeles. In 2009, O’Brien paid $10.5 million for a mansion in Brentwood, Los Angles, so that he could live close to Universal Studios Hollywood.

4. Barbara Jill Walters

People across the United States have enjoyed decades of seeing Barbara Jill Walters on their screens, as the broadcast journalist has hosted programs such as the ‘ABC Evening News,’ ‘20/20,’ ‘Today,’ and ‘The View.’ Walters was born in Boston on September 25, 1929. However, she moved to New York City as a child and then spent some time living in Miami Beach before returning to New York City.

3. Michael Bivins

Michael Bivins is a singer, rapper, actor, record producer, and music manager. He began his career in 1978, and he became famous for being a member of the R&B group New Edition. Bivins was also a member of the group Bell Biv DeVoe, along with Ricky Bell and Ronnie DeVoe. The group’s name came from the members’ surnames. As a producer and manager, Bivins has worked with acts including MC Brains, 702, Boyz II Men, and Another Bad Creation. Bivins was born in Boston, MA, on August 10, 1968. He is married with four daughters: Savannah, Shilah, Starlah, and Sanaah.

2. Matt Damon

Matt Damon was born in the Boston suburb of Cambridge on October 8, 1970. He studied at Harvard, which he left before completing his English degree to pursue a career as an actor. Damon is one of the highest-grossing actors of all time, as his films have collectively grossed more than $3.88 billion at the North American box office. Some of the award-winning actor’s films include ‘Good Will Hunting,’ ‘Mystic Pizza,’ ‘The Talented Mr. Ripley,’ and ‘Saving Private Ryan.’ He is also known for playing Jason Bourne in the Bourne franchise and Linus Caldwell in the ‘Ocean’s’ trilogy. Damon is married to Luciana Bozan, who already had a daughter, Alexia, from a previous relationship that Damon considers his own. Bozan and Damon also have three daughters together.

1. Mark Wahlberg

Thrillist lists Mark Wahlberg as one of the most famous celebrities from Boston. Wahlberg was born in Boston in 1971. He began his career as rapper Marky Mark before becoming an actor. Some of his most famous films include ‘The Italian Job,’ ‘Planet of the Apes,’ ‘Ted,’ ‘Ted 2,’ ‘The Perfect Storm,’ ‘The Fighter,’ ‘The Other Guys,’ Daddy’s Home,’ ‘Daddy’s Home2,’ ’Transformers: Age of Extinction,’ and ‘Transformers: The Last Knight.’ Outside of his acting career, Wahlberg owns a chain of burger restaurants with his brothers. Wahlberg is married to model Rhea Durham, and they have four children: Ella Rae, Michael, Brendan Joseph, and Grace Margaret.

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