It is no secret that Boston is famous for delicious food. But it’s always more interesting to find out the celebrities who hail from our beloved home city. Some famous folks are loud and proud about their birthplace, while others keep personal info to themselves. Here are 13 famous people from Boston, and a few of them might be surprising to you.
1. Taylor Schilling
Schilling is best known for playing the lead on the Netflix show "Orange Is the New Black." She grew up in West Roxbury and Wayland.
2. Uzo Aduba
Uzo Aduba's breakout role was also on "Orange Is the New Black." She plays Suzanne Warren. She was born in Boston and grew up in Medfield.
3. Chris Evans
Boston-born Chris Evans grew up around acting - his mother worked at the Concord Youth Theater. Early in his career he played a murder suspect on the television show "Boston Public," followed by performances in several teen movies. Since then, he has played Captain America in multiple Marvel films.
4. Jennifer Coolidge
Boston-born Jennifer Coolidge became a household name thanks to the movie "American Pie." Stifler's mom went on to score parts in the "Legally Blonde" franchise and on the television show, "2 Broke Girls."
5. Uma Thurman
Everyone knows who Uma Thurman is, but few people are aware that she was born in Boston and raised in Amherst. Thurman's father is one of the country's pre-eminent Buddhist scholars and, when she was a child, the Dalai Lama sometimes visited her house!
6. James Spader
James Spader has appeared in the movie "Sex, Lies, and Videotape," along with TV shows like "The Practice," "Boston Legal," and "The Blacklist." Two interesting facts about Spader are that he has a photographic memory and won't watch any movie in which he's acted.
7. Edward Norton
Although Edward Norton spent his childhood in Maryland, he was actually born in Boston. Norton's been in numerous films with cult followings, the most notable of which was "Fight Club."
8. Eliza Dushku
To many fans, Eliza Dushku will forever be Faith from "Buffy the Vampire Slayer." However, the actress has also starred in the TV shows "Tru Calling" and "Dollhouse." She was born in Boston.
9. Connie Britton
Britton lived in Boston until she was seven, when her family relocated to Virginia. She is famous for her performances in "Friday Night Lights" and "Nashville."
10. John Slattery
Bostonian John Slattery worked as a successful character actor for years before he landed his role on "Mad Men." One of his hobbies is surfing!
11. Lisa Edelstein
Although Edelstein has worked on shows such as "Ally McBeal" and "The West Wing," she is most famous for her role on "House."
12. Leonard Nimoy
This guy needs no introduction. Nimoy grew up in Boston, where his father owned a barber shop.
13. Conan O'Brien
O'Brien worked on "The Simpsons" and "SNL," before becoming the host of "Late Night with Conan O'Brien." He was born in Boston and later attended Harvard.
Any surprises on that list? Did you know of all these famous people from Boston? We wouldn’t have guessed that Connie Britton was a Bostonian.
Here are some more celebrities who come from Massachusetts.
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