Since Hollywood is located in Southern California, it’s not surprising that so many bona fide superstars were born and raised in the Golden State. California is home to more than 39.24 million residents who enjoy the consistently pleasant weather of California as they live their lives.
Being born in California brings tons of benefits including beach access, loads of entertainment, and nightlife that will keep you on your toes. Some of the most famous movie stars from California have starred in blockbuster films with great reputations and accolades to back them up. Meet 10 of the biggest musicians to come from California.
To create this list of California’s biggest movie stars, 24/7 Tempo consulted several insightful sources including IMDb, Times Union, and Los Angeles Almanac.
Tom Hanks
- Hometown: Concord, California
Tom Hanks was born on July 9, 1956, in Concord, California. That’s exactly where he grew up until it was time to attend high school in Oakland, California. He later enrolled at California State University Sacramento where he joined the theater program. His intentions of becoming a famous actor was already set in motion when he was still a college student.
Now, he’s recognized as an actor, filmmaker, writer, and producer. He’s done his fair share of work in both dramatic and comedic roles over the years. Since he’s such a talented individual, Hanks is considered a cultural icon in America. Some of his most noteworthy roles include “Forrest Gump” and “The Green Mile.”
Hanks has taken home plenty of awards in his day as well. Some of those include the Academy Award for Best Actor, the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture, and the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy.
Leonardo DiCaprio
- Hometown: Los Angeles, California
Leonardo DiCaprio was born on November 11, 1974, in Los Angeles, California. At a young age, it was clear to Leonardo that acting was his path in life. He started landing TV roles in 1990 when he was only 16 years old. He starred in “The New Lassie” and “Roseanne.”
His first big screen movie was “Critters 3″ a year later in 1991. The low-budget horror flick simply opened the door to Leonardo’s massively impressive career. As of now, some of his biggest movies include “Shutter Island,” “The Great Gatsby,” and “Once Upon a Time… In Hollywood.”
True fans of Leonardo won’t forget about the passionate role he played in “Titanic” opposite Kate Winslet, either. In terms of awards, Leonardo has taken home the Academy Award for Best Actor, the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role, and the Critics’ Choice Movie Award for Best Actor — among many others.
Angelina Jolie
- Hometown: Los Angeles California
Angelina Jolie was born on June 4, 1975, in Los Angeles, California. As of now, she’s thought of as one of the most recognized American actresses of this era. Along with starring in movies on screen, she’s a filmmaker and humanitarian. The first movie she starred in was called “Lookin’ to Get Out” in 1982.
Her career as an actress didn’t really pick up until about a decade later in 1993 when she starred in “Cyborg 2.” Now, some of her most noteworthy roles include “Maleficent” and “Girl, Interrupted.” She notoriously met her ex-husband, Brad Pitt, on the set of “Mr. and Mrs. Smith.”
With so many wonderful movie titles, Angelina’s list of awards is extensive. Some of them include the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture, and the Satellite Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture Drama.
Jake Gyllenhaal
- Hometown: Los Angeles California.
Jake Gyllenhaal was born on December 19, 1980, in Los Angeles, California. The first time movie goers caught a glimpse of Jake on the silver screen was in 1991 in “City Slickers.” The movie simply served as a segue-way to success for Jake as he moved forward accepting bigger roles after that. He starred in “Donnie Darko” in 2001, which brought him loads of positive recognition. In fact, he received a nomination for an Independent Spirit Award at the time.
The biggest movies Jake has starred in include “The Covenant,” “The Guilty,” and “Spider-Man: Far From Home.” One of his biggest films of all time arguably happens to be “Brokeback Mountain.” It’s a 2005 movie with LGBTQ themes starring the late Heath Ledger as his love interest.
Along with Ledger, Gyllenhaal also had also filmed movies with the likes of Michelle Williams, Samuel L. Jackson, and Amy Adams. Jake has plenty of awards under his belt to go along with his résumé as an actor, including the MTV Movie Award for Best Male Performance, the National Board of Review Award for Best Supporting Actor, and the Young Hollywood Award for Breakthrough Male Performance.
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson
- Hometown: Hayward: California
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson was born on May 2, 1972, in Hayward, California. Way before he became a movie star, he was making a name for himself in the world of wrestling. It’s been quite some time since he’s regularly competed in a wrestling ring, but his résumé as an actor remains modern.
Fans who adored him in the sports community have continued to love and respect him through his transition into acting. Movie goers have seen him in “Fast X,” “Black Adam,” and “Red Notice.” Some of the other interesting films he starred in include “Jumanji: The Next Level,” “Baywatch,” and “Rampage.” Action movies certainly seem to be his strength.
Actors like Vin Diesel, Jason Momoa, and Brie Larson have shared screen time with Dwayne in the past. Some of the awards he’s been given include the People’s Choice Award for People’s Champion, the NAACP Image Award for Entertainer of the Year, and the MTV Generation Award.
Chris Pine
- Hometown: Los Angeles California.
Chris Pine was born on August 26, 1980, in Los Angeles California. His career as an actor is impressive based on the long list of movies he’s starred in over the years. His first feature film was back in 2004 in “The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement” with Anne Hathaway as his love interest.
After he got the ball rolling there, the movies he starred in continued to become more noteworthy. Some of these films include “Star Trek Beyond,“ “Wonder Woman 1984,” and “A Wrinkle in Time.” Chris has worked with big names in the Hollywood industry including Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon, and Denzel Washington.
Three of the awards he’s won are the Satellite Award for Best Ensemble: Motion, the Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Actor: Action Adventure or Thriller, and the Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Cast.
Jennifer Aniston
- Hometown: Sherman Oaks, California
Jennifer Aniston was born on February 11, 1969, in Sherman Oaks, California. One of the biggest roles fans recognize Jennifer from is the hit show “Friends” from the 90s. Aniston played Rachel Green for 10 successful seasons alongside David Schwimmer, Courtney Cox, Matt LeBlanc, Lisa Kudrow, and the late Matthew Perry.
“Friends” is one of the reasons Jennifer became such a beloved movie star. From there, she was able to land roles in incredible movies like “Horrible Bosses,” “We’re the Millers,” and “He’s Just Not That Into You.” Jennifer’s movie résumé has given her the opportunity to work alongside big names like Adam Sandler, Kate Hudson, Julia Roberts, and Owen Wilson.
She’s been given several awards for her movie performances that solidify her status as a Hollywood gem. These include the MTV Movie Award for Best Kiss, the Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Actress: Drama, and the People’s Choice Award for Favorite Comedic Movie Actress.
Will Ferrell
- Hometown: Irvine, California
Will Ferrell was born on July 16, 1967, in Irvine, California. Before he began studying acting and comedy, he served as a sports broadcaster on a local cable network. After a year of training with an improv comedy group in Los Angeles, he was invited to join the cast of “Saturday Night Live” in 1995.
“Saturday Night Live” had a positive impact on Will’s career since he was able to sign on to be part of some major films after that. Some of the biggest movies Will’s starred in include “Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby,” “Step Brothers,“ and “Blades of Glory.” Ferrell made a professional career out of making audiences laugh.
Because of this, it’s not surprising that he’s been nominated for plenty of awards. Some of the awards he officially won include the Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Actor: Comedy, the International Lifetime Achievement Award, and the MTV Comedic Genius Award. On top of that, Will has shared screen time with loads of noteworthy actors like Rachel McAdams, Jamie Foxx, and Kevin Hart.
Ben Affleck
Hometown: Berkeley, California
Ben Affleck was born on August 15, 1972, in Berkeley, California. When he was still quite young, his family relocated to Massachusetts, but he made his way back to California when it was time to pursue his career as an actor. The first major movie he starred in was called “Glory Daze” from 1995.
His performance was so well-received that he was cast to start in another movie called “Mallrats” shortly after. A couple years later in 1997, he starred in a movie called “Chasing Amy.” That’s the role that sold audiences on his skill set and talent level. Filming movies alongside talented actors like Jeremy Renner and Matt Damon says a lot about his status in the Hollywood industry.
Now, some of his biggest movies include “Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice,” “Gone Girl,” and “Goodwill Hunting.” Ben’s list of awards includes the Academy Award for Best Picture, the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture, and the Golden Globe Award for Best Screenplay of a Motion Picture.
Cameron Diaz
- Hometown: San Diego, California
Cameron Diaz was born on August 30, 1972, in San Diego California. Before diving in headfirst as an actress, she pursued a career as a model. When she was still a teen, she signed a contract with Elite Model Management. She transitioned from modeling to acting when she landed her first role in the movie called “The Mask” in 1994 opposite Jim Carrey.
Diaz was only 21 years old at the time of her debut. She went on to star in major films like “The Other Woman,” “Bad Teacher,” and “My Sister’s Keeper.” Some of the incredible actors Diaz has worked with include Drew Barrymore, Jason Segel, Ashton Kutcher, and Tom Cruise.
A few of the awards she’s won include the People’s Choice Award for Favorite Leading Lady, the Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Favorite Supporting Actress in a Comedy, and the MTV Movie Award for Best Female Performance. The “Charlie’s Angels” franchise is another hugely important factor in Diaz’ career. She took on the persona of Natalie Cook in 2000 before reprising the role in 2003 for the action-packed sequel. Discover the 20 best action movies of all time.