Anna Faris – Maryland
Anna Faris made her acting debut at the tender age of nine at Washington’s Seattle Repertory Theater. She refined her skills in improvisational theater; Anna Faris would later find roles in commercials and small local productions, though her future as an actress came into question as she pursued education further.
She spent her younger years in Baltimore when her dad was teaching at Towson University. The family moved to Seattle when she was six. Faris studied English Literature at the University of Washington after high school, later moving to London to begin working and writing and eventually moving to Los Angeles in order to pursue an acting career full time.
Ellen Degeneres - Louisiana
Ellen DeGeneres was born and raised in Metairie, Louisiana, before moving to Texas at 16 in the wake of her parents' divorce. It wasn't long, however, before she returned to her home state to start college at the University of New Orleans. She only attended for one semester, dropping out to pursue a career in stand-up.
But Ellen DeGeneres hasn't forgotten her roots and has long shown her support for New Orleans, particularly after it was devastated by Hurricane Katrina. "If this was Washington or San Francisco … anywhere else, this wouldn't be happening," Ellen said at the time, she had been outspoken about her frustration with the slow pace of recovery.
Anna Kendrick - Maine
Although Portland, Maine is known for its rocky coastline, we now know that it's also the hometown of Anna Kendrick. Little Anna began her career as a child actress in theater productions and earned her first Tony nomination when she was 12 but went back to her seaside hometown to attend high school. She later made her feature film debut in the musical comedy 'Camp.'
She is best known for her supporting role in the 'Twilight' movies and her starring role as Beca Mitchell in the 'Pitch Perfect' series. Anna is known for her sense of humor as well as her musical talent. In 2016, Anna Kendrick released a memoir titled 'Scrappy Little Nobody.'
Edward Norton - Maryland
Edward Norton is not only considered one of the best actors of the 21st century, but he is also incredibly smart. The three-time Academy Award-nominated actor graduated with a Bachelor's degree in history from Yale University. After an injury, he started to get interested in theater, and the rest, as they say, is history.
This actor of unusual talent has graced our screens in masterpieces like Primal Fear, American History X, Birdman. Norton was born in Boston and was raised in the planned community of Columbia, Maryland, and from an early age was known as an extremely bright and somewhat serious person.
Kristen Bell - Michigan
For some actors, success just seems to come naturally. In the case of talented stage and screen beauty Kristen Bell, it wasn't so much a matter of if she was going to be a star after realizing her dream during an early performance as a banana in Raggedy Ann and Andy at the tender age of 12.
Kristen Bell grew up in the Detroit suburb of Huntington Woods. Her husband, Dax Shepard, also grew up in Michigan. Her early-stage experiences eventually led her to study at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, and Bell saw early success when she was chosen to portray Becky Thatcher in a Broadway production of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.