Despite the fact that New Jersey is often compared to New York, this state stands alone for being interesting, special, and worth traveling to. New Jersey currently has a population of over 9.2 million residents living there today. Some of the reasons it’s such a famous state revolve around the boardwalk beaches, the Atlantic City casinos, and the never-ending rows of delicious restaurants to dine at.
There’s a reason so many tourists choose New Jersey as a place for a vacation every year. In fact, 114.6 million people vacationed in New Jersey in 2022. Plenty of talented individuals were born in New Jersey including movie stars, social media influencers, comedians, and musicians. Click here to meet the 10 biggest musicians from New Jersey.
To compile this list of the most famous movie stars from the state of New Jersey, 24/7 Tempo consulted several entertainment websites including IMDb, Bergen Record, and Famous Fix.
John Travolta
- Hometown: Englewood
John Travolta was born on February 18, 1954, in Englewood, New Jersey. Travolta’s biggest movie arguably happens to be “Grease” from 1978. He starred in the film opposite the late Olivia Newton-John playing Danny Zuko. Beyond that, some of Travolta’s other significant roles have been “Pulp Fiction,” “Saturday Night Fever,” “Staying Alive,” and “Look Who’s Talking.”
In the early 2000s, he starred in “Hairspray” among tons of famous individuals like Zac Efron, James Marsden, Christopher Walken, and Amanda Bynes. Travolta is an award-winning actor who can claim the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy, the Critics’ Choice Movie Award for Best Acting Ensemble, and the London Film Critics’ Circle Award for Actor of the Year for himself.
Meryl Streep
- Hometown: Summit
Meryl Streep was born on June 22, 1949, in Summit, New Jersey. Streep made her film debut in 1977 in a movie called “Julia.” Now, she’s recognized for her parts in movies like “The Devil Wears Prada,” the “Mamma Mia!” Franchise, “Sophie’s Choice,” and “Don’t Look Up.”
Streep has worked alongside actors like Emily Blunt, Anne Hathaway, Amanda Seyfried, Pierce Bronson, and Colin Firth. Her list of awards is extensive including the Academy Award for Best Actress, the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role, and the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy.
Danny DeVito
- Hometown: Neptune Township
Danny DeVito is born on November 17, 1944, in Neptune Township, New Jersey. DeVito made his film debut in 1975 in a movie called “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.” Prior to that, he was getting practice as an actor in off Broadway plays. Now, DeVito is recognized for his roles in movies like “Matilda,” “Batman Returns,” and “Deck the Halls.”
He’s also done tons of voice acting in movies like “The Lorax,” “Hercules,” and “Migration.” DeVito has worked alongside Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Kelly Preston, and Jack Nicholson in the past. Some of the awards he’s taken home are the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series, Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Series or Television Film, and the TV Land The Medallion Award.
Kirsten Dunst
- Hometown: Point Pleasant
Kirsten Dunst was born on April 30, 1982, in Point Pleasant, New Jersey. Some of the big movies fans recognize Dunst in are the “Spider-Man” franchise from the early 2000s, “Marie Antoinette,” “Bring it On,” and “The Virgin Suicides.” She also starred in “Interview With the Vampire” with Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt back in 1994.
Some of the other actors Dunst has shared screen time with include Tobey Maguire, James Franco, Rose Byrne, Jamie Dornan, and Robin Williams. The award-winning actress has taken home the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture, the Satellite Award for Best Ensemble in a Motion Picture, and the Critics’ Choice Television Award for Best Actress in a Movie or Miniseries.
Ray Liotta
- Hometown: Newark
Ray Liotta was born on December 18, 1954, in Newark, New Jersey. The first movie Liotta landed was back in 1983, and it was called “The Lonely Lady.” That movie open the doors for Liotta’s career because he went on to film “Goodfellas,” “Wild Hogs Come” and “Field of Dreams.” He also served as a voice actor in the kid-friendly flick “Bee Movie” in 2007.
Liotta has worked alongside actors like Robert De Niro, William H. Macy, John Travolta, Tim Allen, and Kevin Costner. Before his death, he won the Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series, the Independent Spirit Robert Altman Award, and the Satellite Award for Outstanding Character from an Interactive Media. Liotta died on May 26, 2022, and Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
James Gandolfini
- Hometown: Westwood
James Gandolfini was born on September 18, 1961, in Westwood, New Jersey. One of the biggest roles people recognize Gandolfini from is “The Sopranos.” The crime drama aired from 1999 until 2007. Gandolfini isn’t part of this list of movie stars for his TV role, though. Some of his biggest movies were “Enough Said,” “The Drop,” “Killing Them Softly,” and “Surviving Christmas.”
He filmed projects alongside actors like Tom Hardy, Toni Collette, Brad Pitt, Ray Liotta, and Ben Affleck. Before his passing, he won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series, the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series, and the Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series Drama. Gandolfini died on June 19, 2013, in Rome, Italy.
Zoe Saldana
- Hometown: Passaic
Zoe Saldana was born on June 19, 1978, in Passaic, New Jersey. Saldana’s career has been impressive with movies like the “Avatar” franchise and the “Guardians of the Galaxy” franchise under her belt. Interestingly enough, in both franchises, she sports colorful makeup over and prosthetic additions to change her features.
Other movies she’s filmed without altering her appearance are “Colombiana,” “Star Trek,” and “The Adam Project.” Saldana has worked alongside James Gunn, Chris Pratt, Vin Diesel, Dave Bautista, and Sigourney Weaver. Some of the awards she’s won are the Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Actress in an Action or Adventure, the ALMA Award for Outstanding Actress in a Feature Film, and the Empire Award for Best Actress.
Jack Nicholson
- Hometown: Neptune City
Jack Nicholson was born April 22, 1937, in Neptune city, New Jersey. The first movie Nicholson ever filmed was called “The Cry Baby Killer” in 1958. He’s certainly been in the Hollywood industry for a long time! Now, he’s recognized for movies like “The Shining,” “Batman,” and “Somethings Gotta Give.”
He’s filmed movies with actors like Danny Devito, Leonardo DiCaprio, Helen Hunt, Michael Keaton, Kim Basinger, and Diane Keaton. The award-winning actor has taken home the Academy Award for Best Actor, the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role, and the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture Drama.
Queen Latifah
- Hometown: Newark
Queen Latifah was born on March 18, 1970, in Newark, New Jersey. The first movie role Latifa landed was in 1981 in a movie called “Jungle Fever.” Her list of movies has expanded since then! Some of her biggest roles have been in “Last Holiday,” “Set it Off,” “Girls Trip,” and “Beauty Shop.”
She’s filmed movies with other big actors like Halle Bailey, Vivica A. Fox, Jada Pinkett Smith, Regina Hall, and Tiffany Haddish. Latifah is an award-winning star who is taking home the Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture for TV, the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture, and the Critics’ Choice Movie Award for Best Acting Ensemble.
Frank Sinatra
- Hometown: Hoboken
Frank Sinatra was born on December 12, 1915, in Hoboken, New Jersey. Although many people might think of Sinatra as a musician, he also classifies as a movie star. Before his death, he filmed movies like “Ocean’s Eleven” from 1960, “From Here to Eternity,” and “Guys and Dolls.”
Some of his awards include the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy, the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award, and the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. The talented star died on May 14, 1998, in Los Angeles, California. To this day, Sinatra is thought of as one of the most covered artists of all time. Click here to discover other artists who have also had their songs covered by hundreds of people over the years.