New York is one of the most magical states in the entire U.S. The reason why? It’s full of opportunities for people who want to achieve their goals. If you’re willing to shoot for the stars and leave your comfort zone, New York City is certainly the best place to go. Actors and actresses who are comfortable performing in front of live audiences can pursue their dreams on Broadway and the silver screen.
With so much to love and respect about New York, it’s easy to understand why so many individuals flock to the state each year. The cost of living in New York isn’t cheap, but people with a strong enough desire to live fulfilling lives always figure out how to make it work anyway. New York is full of talented movie stars, but there have also been several incredible sports stars born and raised there. Meet the 10 biggest sports stars from New York.
To gather this list of movie stars from New York, 24/7 Tempo consulted several entertainment publications including The Famous People, CT Insider, and IMDb.
Robert Downey Jr.
Robert Downey Jr. is a talented star from the big apple.
- Hometown: New York City
Would the world of Marvel movies be the same without an actor like Robert Downey Jr. in the mix? Downey Jr. was born on April 4, 1965, in Manhattan, New York City, New York. His career spans well beyond the MCU, but it’s important to mention all of the comic book-related movies he starred in as Iron Man.
Along with playing such an iconic and heroic role, Downey Jr.’s starred in movies like “Oppenheimer,” “Dolittle,” “Sherlock Holmes,” and “The Judge.” He’s worked alongside big names like Scarlett Johansson, Chris Hemsworth, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Jamie Foxx for a lot of these projects.
Downey Jr. has taken home several awards proving his talent as an actor including the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy, BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role, and the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series.
Timothée Chalamet
- Hometown: New York City
Timothée Chalamet is a name that’s been circulating in the news lately based on his undeniable career as an actor. He was born on December 27, 1995, in New York City, New York. Some of the biggest movies Chalamet’s starred in are “Bones and All,” “Don’t Look Up,” and “The French Dispatch.”
He starred in the “Dune” franchise alongside Zendaya and “Little Women” in 2019, which is a Greta Gerwig-directed film. The latest movie fans have been excited about seeing is “Wonka.” It tells the story of a young Willy Wonka and his journey to creating a beloved chocolate factory.
Chalamet hasn’t been neglected when it comes to receiving impressive awards so far in his career. He’s taken home the Independent Spirit Award for Best Male Lead, the Gotham Independent Film Award for Breakthrough Performer, and the New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor.
Al Pacino
- Hometown: East Harlem, New York City
Al Pacino is one of the most recognized actors of this generation. He’s got a career that’s spans several decades, dating back to 1972 when he landed his first movie role in “The Godfather.” The blockbuster mafia film was such a hit that Pacino became a household name almost instantly. He went onto star in two sequels for “The Godfather” after that.
Pacino was born on April 25, 1940 in East Harlem, New York City, New York. Who would have guessed his career would start with such a bang? Some of the other movies Pacino landed include “Scarface,” “The Irishman,” and “House of Gucci.” He’s worked alongside the likes of Lady Gaga, Michelle Pfeiffer, Diane Keaton, and Val Kilmer.
Some of the awards Pacino’s taken home for his hard work and dedication as an actor include the Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role, the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role, and the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture Drama.
Tom Cruise
- Hometown: Syracuse
The action movie genre exists because of the dedicated actors who are willing to do whatever it takes. One of those actors happens to be Tom Cruise. Cruise was born on July 3, 1962, in Syracuse New York. The first movie he landed was called “Endless Love” in 1981.
He truly became a star after filming “Risky Business” in 1983, just a couple of years later. Some of Cruise’s biggest action movies include the “Top Gun” franchise and the “Mission: Impossible” franchise. He also played the titular role in “Jack Reacher” back in 2012.
Cruise has had the honor of working alongside talented stars like Meg Ryan, Jennifer Connelly, Rosamund Pike, and Russell Crowe. His list of awards is extensive including the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy, the MTV Movie Award for Best Male Performance, and the People’s Choice Award for Favorite Movie Actor.
Denzel Washington
Denzel Washington is a New York-born star.
- Hometown: Mount Vernon
Denzel Washington is a beloved actor and film producer with a résumé that would impress just about any movie buff in existence. He was born on December 28, 1954, in Mount Vernon, New York. The first movie he filmed was “A Soldiers Story” back in 1984.
Some of the bigger movies that fans recognize him in include the “Equalizer” franchise, “Training Day,” and “Man on Fire.” It’s hard to forget some of his other massive roles like “Remember the Titans,” “American Gangster,” and “The Book of Eli.” Over the years, Washington’s shared a screen time with stars like Dakota Fanning, Pedro Pascal, Ethan, Hawke, and Eva Mendes.
Some of his most impressive awards include the Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role, the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture, and the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture. The list goes on.
Robert De Niro
Robert De Niro was originally born in the big apple.
- Greenwich Village, New York City
Robert De Niro has been around in the Hollywood industry since 1973 when his breakout performance in “Bang the Drum Slowly” hit theaters. Early on, it was obvious that he was an excellent actor since audiences resonated with his style on screen. De Niro was born on August 17, 1943, in Greenwich Village, New York City, New York.
He went on to start and other major movies like “Ezra,” “Killers of the Flower Moon,” and “Taxi Driver.” He’s worked alongside big names like Martin Scorsese, Jodie Foster, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Brendan Fraser. Some of the most notable awards he’s won over the years include the Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role, the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture Drama, and the National Board of Review Award for Best Actor.
Pete Davidson
- Hometown: Staten Island, New York City
Pete Davidson was born on November 16, 1983, in Staten Island, New York City, New York. As of now, he’s recognized as a comedian, actor, and writer. Before becoming a bona fide movie star, he was part of the stand-up comedy community back in 2013. Making audiences laugh took Davidson far because he was hired to join the cast of “Saturday Night Live in 2014.”
He stayed with “SNL” for eight seasons until 2022. He dove headfirst into the movie scene filming flicks like “The King of Staten Island,” “The Suicide Squad,” “Bodies Bodies Bodies,” and “Big Time Adolescence.” One of his latest projects is called “Dumb Money” about the Wall Street GameStop scandal that occurred at the beginning of 2021.
Some of the actors Davidson’s starred in movies with include Bill Burr, Margot Robbie, John Cena, and Idris Elba. Davidson was nominated for a handful of awards for his role in “The King of Staten Island,” and he ended up taking home the People’s Choice Award For Comedy Movie Star of 2020.
Macaulay Culkin
Macaulay Culkin was born in New York.
Hometown: New York City
As of today, Macaulay Culkin is known as an actor and musician. He’s one of the most successful child stars of this generation thanks to the films he was part of during the 1990s. Culkin was born on August 26, 1980, in New York City, New York. When he landed the role of Kevin McAllister in the “Home Alone” film series, it was easy for everyone to instantly remember his name and face.
VH1 added him to their list of “100 Greatest Kid Stars,” and his career progressed full-steam ahead from there. Outside of the “Home Alone” franchise, Culkin starred in plenty of awesome movies like “Adam Green’s Aladdin,” “Sex and Breakfast,” and “Getting Even With Dad.” One of the most iconic movies he filmed was called “My Girl,” which happened to be a devastating childhood romance story.
Culkin also played the titular role in a 1984 comedy called “Richie Rich” about a young boy with never ending wealth and riches. Some of the actors Culkin has worked with on screen include Brenda Song (who happens to be his longtime partner and fiancé), Mandy Moore, Jena, Malone, and Wilmer Valdarama. As far as awards go, Culkin has taken in home several including the MTV Movie Award for Best Kiss, the Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Most Promising Actor, and the Funniest Actor in a Motion Picture Leading Role.
Adam Sandler
- Hometown: Brooklyn
Adam Sandler is an actor who built a reputation for himself as a highly comedic actor. The majority of his movies are meant to be laughed at since they’re filled with jokes from start to finish. Sometimes, the jokes in his movies are far too inappropriate for young audiences to handle.
Sandler was born on September 9, 1966, in Brooklyn, New York City, New York. His big break happened in 1990 when “Saturday Night Live” added him to the cast lineup. From there, his career fully blew up. He landed roles in movies like “Billy Madison,” Big Daddy,” “The Waterboy,” and “The Wedding Singer.”
Some of his biggest movies to date include “Grown Ups,” “Just Go With It,” and “50 First Dates.” He’s worked with some noteworthy actors over the course of his career like Jennifer Aniston, Drew Barrymore, Kevin James, David Spade, Chris Rock, and Salma Hayek. He’s taken home the Independent Spirit Award for Best Male Lead, the People’s Choice Award for Favorite On-Screen chemistry, and the MTV Movie & TV Award for Best Comedic Performance — just to name a few.
Dylan O’Brien
Dylan O'Brien was born in New York City, NY.
- Hometown: New York City
Dylan O’Brien was born on August 26, 1991, in New York City, New York. Some of his most popular films are “The Maze Runner,” “The Internship,” and “bumblebee.” O’Brien has landed his fair share of action movies and dramas over the years. Along with being a movie star, he also made a name for himself in the hit TV drama “Teen Wolf” from 2011 to 2017.
Some of the brilliant actors O’Brien has shared screen time with include Zoe Deutch, Mark Wahlberg, Hailee Steinfeld, and Michael Keaton. O’Brien isn’t a stranger to award wins, either. He’s the winner of the MTV Movie Award for Best Breakthrough Performance, the Young Hollywood Award for Breakthrough Performance Male, and the Teen Choice Award for Choice Summer TV Star. By the way… New York isn’t the only state that breeds undeniable talent. Meet the 10 biggest movie stars from Illinois.