When you think of celebrities, you think Hollywood or New York — but that isn’t always the case. Celebrities come from all different locations and backgrounds, and this list just shows us that if you were born for fame, the state you’re from won’t be what’s stopping you from hitting headlines! What makes some of our favorite celebs most interesting isn’t their mansions or their red-carpet looks, it’s the lives they lead before becoming famous…
Taylor Swift – Pennsylvania
Turns out, you can take the girl out of Pennsylvania, but you can’t take Pennsylvania out of the girl. Many would think that Taylor is a Southern girl, but she was actually born in West Reading, Pennsylvania, and grew up on a Christmas-tree farm. Eventually, Swift and her family relocated to Nashville when she was just 14 years old. Seeing as Nashville is the country music mecca, it was this move that enabled Taylor to pursue a country music career. Taylor Swift has one of the most popular stories of a successful Country singer transitioning to a mainstream pop star.
Lionel Richie – Alabama
The smooth and soulful singer Lionel Richie was born and raised in Tuskegee, Alabama. His childhood home was actually on the campus of the Tuskegee Institute as two generations of his family there. Richie met some Tuskegee freshmen who were forming a musical group and approached him because they had heard he played saxophone. It didn’t take long for Lionel to drop out of Tuskegee to pursue his musical dreams as a member of The Commodores. “Growing up in Tuskegee, Alabama was like a bubble,” Richie said “In this bubble, I learned no limitations. My grandmother’s a classical pianist.”
Brad Pitt – Oklahoma
Brad Pitt was born in Shawnee, Oklahoma. He was raised in Missouri and was the eldest of three children. Brad enrolled at the University of Missouri and went on to study journalism and advertising. It was only after he discovered his love of acting that he dropped out of college and moved to Hollywood. Shawnee may be a little city, but at the turn of the 20th century, it was the center of peach, cotton, and potato crops. Who would have thought the actor is famous for his various film roles hails from such a modest and straightforward city?
Meryl Streep – New Jersey
Mary Louise Streep was born in Summit, New Jersey. In 1963 her family moved and settled in Basking Ridge, New Jersey. While attending the Yale School of Drama, she always got cast in plays as the lead actress. “It made me feel stressed,” she expressed. She attempted a go at a career in law, but first, she had to take the law exams. But it wasn’t meant to be, after one performance in a play with Rip Torn, she overslept and missed the SATs.
