Oregon is a beautiful state with pine forests, snow-capped mountain peaks and a rocky coastline. The biggest movie stars from Oregon are lucky to have roots in the Pacific Northwest. It is so lovely it also makes sense that the state’s striking landscape has even been featured in several films.
Reese Witherspoon’s film “Wild” showcases part of the Pacific Coast Trail that runs through Oregon. In Jack Nicholson’s film, based on the book by Oregon native Ken Kesey, “One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest,” Oregon’s Depoe Bay is the location of the infamous fishing scene. In Rob Reiners’s “Stand By Me,” the characters go on an adventure through the thick Oregon forest. Finally, we can’t forget the classic kids’ adventure film “The Goonies,” where the Oregon coast itself was a scene stealer.
Many great films have been filmed in Oregon, and there are just as many great actors from the Beaver State. Many of the biggest movie stars from Oregon now call Hollywood home, but the state likely still has a special place in their hearts.
To compile a list of the ten biggest movie stars from Oregon, 24/7 Tempo researched various celebrity-focused publications, including OregonLive, GoLocalPDX and The Famous People. Then, we organized the actors based on relevancy and cultural impact. All of the biographical details were confirmed from information sites like Biography and IMDb pages. (To read more about fun facts about celebrities, check out The Most Famous Celebrities from Small Towns)
Ty Burrell
INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 18: Actor Ty Burrell attends iHeartRadio ALTer EGO presented by Capital One at The Forum on January 18, 2020 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by JC Olivera/Getty Images)
The actor Ty Burrell is best known for his television role as goofy dad, devoted husband and annoying son-in-law Phil Dunphy on the long-running sitcom “Modern Family.” The show ran from 2009 to 2020 and was a huge network hit. However, the Oregon native has appeared in many films before and after his pivotal TV role.
Ty Burrell was born and raised in Grants Pass in southern Oregon. He was an athlete for his local high school and went to college at the University of Oregon and later Southern Oregon University in Ashland. Burrell first appeared in films the films “Black Hawk Down” and “Evolution” in 2001. He was also cast in several television shows and theatrical productions. In 2006, he had a role in Jennifer Aniston’s “Friends With Money.” Finally, in 2008, he was introduced to the Marvel Universe in a small part in “The Incredible Hulk.”
Sam Elliot
HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 24: Sam Elliott attends the 91st Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood and Highland on February 24, 2019 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
Actor Sam Elliot wasn’t born in Oregon, but he moved there when he was thirteen and went to college there. He attended the University of Oregon but eventually left without graduating to try his luck in Hollywood.
One of his first film roles was in “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.” He was in a few television shows and grew from a character actor to a lead actor leaning into cowboy and western roles. Sam Elliot has appeared alongside Cher in the film “Mask.” He was also in “Road House,” a Patrick Swayze film.
In the 1990s, he played a cowboy in “Tombstone” and was a soldier in the film “Gettysburg.” In the cult classic “The Big Lebowski,” Elliot is the narrator and the mysterious Stranger who drinks sarsaparilla soda. He was nominated for an Oscar for his portrayal of a gravely voiced brother in “A Star is Born” and played a cowboy again in “1883,” the prequel to Kevin Costner’s popular show “Yellowstone.”
Clark Gable
American actor Clark Gable (1901 - 1960) with his wife, actress Sylvia Ashley (1904 - 1977) during their honeymoon in Hawaii, 1950. (Photo by Graphic House/Archive Photos/Getty Images)
The actor Clark Gable wasn’t born in Oregon, but his famous on-screen persona was created in Portland. Gable worked odd jobs as a young man and ended up trying to become an actor in a touring theatre company in Oregon. He wasn’t having much luck with acting until an acting coach took an interest in him and taught him to lower his voice, use his body posture, and create a character. When his acting coach thought he had enough training, he headed to Hollywood.
Gable is most famous for his role in the classic film “Gone With the Wind” released in 1939. He had the infamous line, “Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn.” However, his film career was much more than just his character, Rhett Butler. Gable starred in many more films throughout the 1940s, 50s, and 60s. They included hits like “Strange Cargo,” “Honky Tonk,” “Adventure,” “The Hucksters,” “Red Dust” and “Mogambo” among others. In 1961, he starred in his last film “The Misfits” with Marilyn Monroe. It was also her last film.
Margaux Hemingway
The actress Margaux Hemingway was born in 1954 in Portland, Oregon. She was one of the granddaughters of the writer Ernest Hemingway. Margaux grew up between Oregon, Cuba, and Idaho. At eighteen, she started her career as a model and then turned to acting. Her first film, “Lipstick,” was released in 1976, and her last film, “Backroads to Vegas,” was released in 1996. Hemingway led a difficult life and struggled with addiction and depression. She committed suicide in her California apartment in 1996.
Kaitlin Olson
Actress Kaitlin Olson is best known for her comedic chops and her role on FX’s long-running comedy “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.” However, she has been in several films throughout her career. Olson was born in Portland, Oregon in 1974. She grew up on a farm outside of the city before heading to college at the University of Oregon, where she studied theatre. After graduation, she made her way to Los Angeles to pursue acting. Olson has been in various television shows and several films, including “Coyote Ugly”, “Weather Girl,” “Vacation” and “Finding Dory.”
Tom Everett
Actor Tom Everett has had a successful career as a character actor in some of the biggest Hollywood films. The actor was born in Portland, Oregon, in 1948. He made his film debut in “Extremities” (1986) and later appeared on screen with Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchette in “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.” Everett also acted with Bruce Willis in “Die Hard 2” and with Kevin Costner in “Dances With Wolves.” Throughout his career, he has made over twenty-five films. Everett recently paired with Kevin Costner again for the two-part film “Horizon: An American Saga.”
Jon Heder
Movie star Jon Heder wasn’t born in Oregon but moved to Salem when he was two. He grew up in Salem and later left to go to Brigham Young University in Salt Lake City. He is best known for his lead role in the film “Napoleon Dynamite,” which was filmed in neighboring Idaho. In 2005, he won the MTV Movie Award for Best Musical Performance and Breakthrough Male Performance for his portrayal of the quirky protagonist. In 2007, he co-starred with comedian and actor Will Ferrel in “Blades of Glory.” He has since lent his voice to animated television and web series.
Rose McGowan
Actress Rose McGowan was born in Italy, and her family moved to Oregon when she was ten. She was born to be an artist and started first by modeling — later getting into the film industry. Her first big film was a small part in the comedy “Encino Man” in 1992. From there, she had parts in many low-budget indie films and got her break in the horror franchise “Scream.” She has had a prolific career as a model, actress, writer, director and visual artist.
McGowan starred in the television show “Charmed” from 2001 to 2006 and has appeared in many television roles and music videos. These days, actress Rose McGowan is known as an activist and outspoken spokesperson for the #Metoo Movement.
Sally Struthers
One year before actress Sally Struthers made her television debut as Gloria Stivic in Norman Lear’s television show “All in the Family,” she was in her first film. The Portland native made her film acting debut alongside Jack Nicholson in the 1970 film “Five Easy Pieces.” Then, in 1972, she was cast in Steve McQueen’s “The Getaway.” Struthers has had a long career in film, television and stage. She most recently was on the silver screen in 2018 in the film “You & Me.”
River Phoenix
The late actor River Phoenix was born in a small town in central Oregon. He had an unconventional childhood, traveling with his family to promote the church, Children of God. His family lived in Venezuela for a time with the church and later returned to the U.S. River started acting in commercials and television shows before his big break in film with the role “Explorers” in 1985.
A year later, he was in “Stand By Me,” which was directed by Rob Reiner and filmed in Oregon. That same year, he was in “The Mosquito Coast” with Harrison Ford, Helen Mirren and Martha Plimpton. Phoenix was in fourteen films during his life and was set to be in more. The actor died at age 23 from a drug overdose. His younger brother Joaquin and sister Rainn continue to act and perform in Hollywood. (To explore famous actors from another state, check out the 10 Biggest Movie Stars From Missouri.)