Interesting Facts About Canadian Celebrities: From Hollywood to Music Scene

Actors and Actresses

Ryan Reynolds — born in Vancouver, known for his humor and role as Deadpool. Interesting facts: he is co-owner of Aviation Gin, which he sold for an astounding $610 million. He also purchased the Welsh football club "Wrexham" together with actor Rob McElhenney. Reynolds has a star on the Canadian Walk of Fame and is one of the founders of the Maximum Effort marketing agency. In 2022, he received the Order of Canada for his contribution to arts and charity.

Ryan Gosling — began his career in the children's show "Mickey Mouse Club" with Justin Timberlake. He is not only an actor but also a musician — he plays in the indie-rock band Dead Man's Bones. Interesting facts: his mother was his homeschool teacher after he left school due to bullying. Gosling failed an audition for "Titanic." He also turned down a role in "Fifty Shades of Grey." The actor has a tattoo of the cover of the children's book "The Giving Tree" on his shoulder.

Michael J. Fox — became a star thanks to the TV series "Family Ties" and the "Back to the Future" trilogy. Interesting facts: after being diagnosed with Parkinson's disease at the age of 29, he founded a foundation that has raised over $1 billion for research on this disease. The letter "J" in his name is a tribute to actor Michael J. Pollard. Fox dropped out of high school before graduating to focus on his acting career. In 2000, he officially became a U.S. citizen. He has published several memoirs about his life and struggle with the disease.

Keanu Reeves — although he has dual citizenship, he spent a significant part of his childhood in Toronto. Interesting facts: he gave up part of his salary for "The Matrix" films so that the special effects team could get more. His name translates from Hawaiian as "cool breeze over the mountains." He was a goalie in his school's hockey team and had the nickname "The Wall." He is a co-author of the book "Ode to Happiness" and co-founder of Arch Motorcycle company. He plays bass guitar in the band Dogstar.

Jim Carrey — born in Newmarket, Ontario. Interesting facts: in his youth, his family faced poverty, and they even lived in a van. Now he is not only a comedian but also a talented artist. His first performance at a comedy club at age 15 failed, but he didn't give up. He wrote himself a check for $10 million "for acting services" before he became famous, and this check came true. He is the author of the children's book "How Roland Rolls" and is a certified teacher of transcendental meditation.

Mike Myers — creator and lead actor in "Austin Powers" and "Wayne's World." Interesting facts: he is so Canadian that he has a maple leaf mat in front of his house door. His parents were from Liverpool, England, which influenced the creation of the Austin Powers character. Myers was one of the founders of the Bonnie Labradoodle Charitable Foundation. Before becoming an actor, he worked as a popcorn and chips seller. He is a big fan of the hockey team "Toronto Maple Leafs."

Sandra Oh — born in Ottawa, became the first actress of Asian descent to be nominated for an Emmy Award for a leading role in a drama series ("Killing Eve"). Interesting facts: she speaks Korean, French, and English. Her parents wanted her to become a scientist or lawyer. In 2019, she was included in Time magazine's list of 100 most influential people. Before becoming an actress, she studied ballet for 14 years. She has an honorary doctoral degree from the American Conservatory Theater.

William Shatner — the legendary Captain Kirk from "Star Trek," born in Montreal. Interesting facts: at the age of 90, he became the oldest person to travel to space on Blue Origin's spacecraft. He has released more than 10 music albums, including The Transformed Man. He is a professional horse breeder and expert in horseback riding. He missed Leonard Nimoy's funeral due to a charity event, which caused controversy. He has written a series of science fiction novels and memoirs.

Catherine O'Hara — comedic actress known for the "Home Alone" films and "Schitt's Creek" series. Interesting facts: she started her career in the Canadian comedy troupe Second City Television. She turned down a role on "Saturday Night Live" after being accepted into the cast. Her husband is production designer Bo Welch, with whom she worked on many films. She has two passports — Canadian and American. She received the Order of Canada in 2018 for her contribution to comedy art.

Eugene Levy — father of comedian Dan Levy, with whom he created the series "Schitt's Creek." Interesting facts: he is the only actor who appeared in all eight "American Pie" films. He has a degree in film directing from McMaster University. He was awarded the Order of Canada in 2011. He once worked as a camp counselor, where he met his future comedy partner Martin Short. His famous thick eyebrows are completely natural; he never trimmed them specifically for roles.

Dan Levy — besides his acting career, he worked as a host on MTV Canada. Interesting facts: "Schitt's Creek," which he created with his father, won a record 9 Emmy Awards for its final season. He is an LGBTQ activist and uses his popularity to promote equality. He studied film production at York University. He founded the eyewear brand D.L. Eyewear in 2013. He is fluent in French as he attended a French school in Toronto.

Neve Campbell — born in Guelph, Ontario, became a star of the TV series "Party of Five" and the "Scream" franchise. Interesting facts: before her acting career, she was a ballerina at the National Ballet School of Canada. Her name Neve is her mother's maiden name, which comes from the Dutch word meaning "snow." She has a son named Caspian. She studied dance from the age of 6 and was forced to leave ballet due to a knee injury. She actively supports the National Women's Resource Center Against Violence Foundation.

Rachel McAdams — born in London, Ontario. Interesting facts: before filming "The Notebook," she worked at McDonald's for three months. She is a dedicated environmentalist and runs the eco-website GreenIsSexy.org. She turned down roles in "The Devil Wears Prada," "Iron Man," and "Casino Royale." She was a figure skating instructor in her teenage years. She climbed 10,000 feet up Mount Kilimanjaro for charity.

Shay Mitchell — from Mississauga, Ontario. Interesting facts: her real name is Shannon, and she took the pseudonym "Shay" in honor of her favorite character from the series "Home and Away." She has Filipino-Scottish ancestry. She began her career as a model at age 13 and worked in various countries, including Thailand and Hong Kong. She founded the luggage production company BÉIS. She is a co-founder of the online community Amore & Vita, which supports young women.

Nina Dobrev — born in Bulgaria but grew up in Toronto. Interesting facts: she is fluent in Bulgarian, French, and English. Her real surname is Dobreva. She practiced rhythmic gymnastics, ballet, and jazz dance. She studied sociology at Ryerson University before starting her acting career. She is a certified diver and actively participates in various sports, including snowboarding and kitesurfing.

Kristin Kreuk — born in Vancouver, known for her role in "Smallville." Interesting facts: she has Chinese-Indonesian heritage on her mother's side and Dutch-German on her father's side. She trained in gymnastics and karate during her school years. She got the role of Lana Lang in "Smallville" without prior acting experience. She graduated from high school with honors and planned to study psychology or forensic science. She is a co-founder of the organization Girls By Design, which helps young girls develop self-confidence.

Elisha Cuthbert — born in Calgary, was a host of the popular Canadian children's program "Popular Mechanics for Kids" in her childhood. Interesting facts: she began her modeling career at age 9. At 17, she moved to Los Angeles to pursue her acting career. Maxim magazine named her "TV's Most Beautiful Woman" in 2013. She is married to NHL hockey player Dion Phaneuf. She collects shoes and has over 500 pairs. She appeared in Weezer's music video for the song "Perfect Situation."

Natalie Wood — although born in the USA, she spent a significant part of her early career in Canada. Interesting facts: she was one of the few actors who successfully transitioned from child roles to adult ones. Her real name was Natalia Nikolaevna Zakharenko; her parents were Russian immigrants. She starred in classic films like "Rebel Without a Cause" and "West Side Story." She received three Oscar nominations before the age of 25. Her mysterious death by drowning in 1981 still raises many questions and theories.

Musicians

Justin Bieber — discovered by YouTube manager Scooter Braun when he was posting song covers. Interesting facts: he is from the small town of Stratford in Ontario, where they have already installed "Justin Bieber's Golden Star" on the Walk of Fame. He plays more than 14 musical instruments. He suffers from Lyme disease and chronic fatigue syndrome. His first album "My World 2.0" made him the youngest performer to top the Billboard 200 since Stevie Wonder. He is married to model Hailey Baldwin. He is one of the most followed users on Instagram with over 250 million followers.

Shawn Mendes — became popular through short videos on the Vine platform. Interesting facts: he is from Pickering, Ontario. At age 15, he became the youngest artist to debut at number one on the Billboard 200. He taught himself to play guitar through YouTube at age 13. He was included in Time's list of "25 Most Influential Teens" in 2014, 2015, and 2016. He founded the Shawn Mendes Foundation to support young activists. He has Portuguese heritage on his father's side.

Drake — began his career as an actor in the teen series "Degrassi: The Next Generation." Interesting facts: his real name is Aubrey Graham. He is the global ambassador for the basketball team "Toronto Raptors." He has Jewish heritage on his mother's side and African American on his father's side. He owns a 50,000 square foot mansion in Toronto called "The Embassy." He collects luxury watches with a collection worth over $8 million. He is a co-owner of the Virginia Black whiskey brand. He holds the record for the most number one hits in the history of the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop chart.

The Weeknd — born in Toronto to Ethiopian immigrant parents. Interesting facts: his real name is Abel Tesfaye. At the beginning of his career, he was homeless and lived on the street. He is fluent in Amharic. His pseudonym appeared after he "went on a weekend" from home and never returned (the letter "e" was removed to avoid copyright problems with a Canadian band). He has donated millions of dollars to various charitable causes, including $1 million to Ethiopia during the Tigray conflict. His song "Blinding Lights" set a record as the song that stayed the longest in the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 (90 weeks).

Céline Dion — comes from French-speaking Quebec and is the youngest of 14 children. Interesting facts: she began singing professionally at age 12. She owns a hotel chain and a line of perfumes. She won Eurovision in 1988, representing Switzerland. She has one of the most insured vocal cords in the world for $1 million. Her marriage to René Angélil, who was 26 years her senior, began as a professional relationship — he was her manager from when she was 12. She has a star on both the Canadian and Hollywood Walk of Fame. She suffers from a rare neurological disorder — Stiff Person Syndrome.

Shania Twain — born as Eilleen Regina Edwards in Windsor, Ontario. Interesting facts: in her childhood, she sang in bars to help her family financially. She has won five Grammy Awards. She suffers from Lyme disease, which affected her vocal cords and forced her to take a break from her career. She changed her name to "Shania," which in Ojibwe means "I'm on my way." Her album "Come On Over" (1997) is the best-selling album by a female artist of all time and the best-selling country album. She is a vegetarian and an active animal rights advocate. In 2018, she was a judge on "American Idol."

Michael Bublé — born in Burnaby, British Columbia. Interesting facts: before his music career, he worked as a fisherman with his father. His grandfather mortgaged his house to pay for his grandson's first album. He performed as a clown at children's parties before becoming a singer. He is married to Argentine actress Luisana Lopilato. In 2016, he suspended his music career when his eldest son was diagnosed with liver cancer (the child is now healthy). He is a passionate hockey fan and partially owns the Vancouver Giants team. He released his own perfume fragrance called "By Invitation." He has Italian heritage.

General Observations

Canada is famous not only for maple syrup and hockey but also for incredible talents who have conquered the entertainment world. Interestingly, many Canadian stars are known for their modesty and humor — qualities often associated with the Canadian mentality. Most of them maintain close ties with their homeland, often mentioning their Canadian origins and the influence of Canadian culture on their work.

Many Canadian celebrities actively participate in charitable activities and use their popularity to support important social initiatives. From Michael J. Fox's foundation for Parkinson's disease research to Rachel McAdams' environmental initiatives — Canadian stars demonstrate consciousness and responsibility.

Despite worldwide fame, a significant number of Canadian celebrities remain true to their roots, often visiting Canada and supporting Canadian culture and art.