25 of the Biggest Hollywood Stars from New England

Mark Wahlberg

Hometown: Boston, MA 

Wahlberg got his start as a rapper with his group "Marky Mark & The Funky Bunch" in 1991, but transititioned to acting in the nineties. He's gone on to star in such hits as "Boogie Nights," "The Fighter," "The Departed, and "Ted".

His brothers operate the popular "Wahlburger" restaurant in Hingham, MA.

Amy Poelher

Hometown: Burlington, MA

Born in Newton and raised in Burlington, MA, Amy Poelher came to national prominance as "Weekend Update" co-host on Saturday Night Live, before launching her own popular series, Parks and Recreation. 

She attended Burlington High School and Boston College.

Viola Davis

Hometown: Central Falls, RI

Viola Davis was raised in Central Falls, RI. She stars in the popular TV series How To Get Away With Murder, and was nominated for Academy Awards for her work in The Help and Doubt.

When Central Falls seemed to be at its lowest ebb, Davis stepped forward with donations, appearances and helped to bring the involvement and donations of other high profile Hollywood stars such as Meryl Streep and Alec Baldwin.

Chris Evans

Hometown: Sudbury, MA

Evans, who stars as Steve Rogers/Captain America in several Marvel fims including The Avengers, also starred on the popular TV show Boston Public.

Evans was born in Boston and raised in newarby Sudbury, MA where he attended Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School.

Linda Lavin

Hometown: Portland, ME

Best known for her titular role in the popular TV series "Alice", which aired from 1976-1984, Lavin has also won 6 Tonys for her work on Broadway.

Lavin was born and raised in Portland, ME, and attended Deering High School.

Richard Belzer

Hometown: Bridgeport, CT

The star of the popular Law and Order franchises is a graduate of Bridgeport's Central High School, and had a successful career as a standup comic before appearing as Detective John Munch on several TV series.

His portrayal of Munch was the only fictional character to appear on ten different television shows, including Homicide: Life on the Street, Law and Order: SVU, The X-Files, The Wire, and Arrested Development.

John Krasinski

Hometown: Newton, MA

Best known for his role as Jim Halper on The Office, Krasinski was born and raised in Newton, MA, graduating from Newton High School in 1997.

Charlie Day

Hometown: Middletown, RI

The star of "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" and "Horrible Bosses" spent most of his childhood in Middletown, RI. His mother, Mary, was a piano teacher at The Pennfield School in Portsmouth. His father, Dr. Thomas Charles Day, is retired and was a professor of Music History and Music Theory at Salve Regina University in Newport.

Sarah Silverman

Hometown: Manchester, NH

This SNL alum, actress, and stand up comedian was born in Bedford, New Hampshire and raised in Manchester.

Her first stand up comedy appearance occured in Boston when she was 17, and described her appearance as "awful."

Seth MacFarlane

Hometown: Kent, CT

The "Family Guy" voice artist and creator was born and raised in Connecticut, and attended and graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design in Providence.

MacFarlane regularly performed stand up comedy while attending RISD in Providence. 

Dylan McDermott

Hometown: Waterbury, MA

Best known for his roles on American Horror Story, The Practice, and Stalker, McDermott was born and raised in Waterbury, CT, where he attended and graduated from Holy Cross High School.

Anna Kendrick

Hometown: Portland, ME

The star of Up in the Air and Pitch Perfect was born and raised in Portland, ME, where she attended Deering High School.

Damon Wayans, Jr

Born in: Huntington, VT

The son of comedian Damon Wayans, most widely known for starring in the series Happy Endings and New Girl was born at his grandfather's home in Huntington, VT. 

Seth Meyers

Hometown: Bedford, NH

The Host of NBC's Late Night and former Saturday Night Live head writer and "Weekend Update" anchor was raised in Bedford, NH, where he attended Manchester High School West. 

His parents, who he refers to often on his program, still reside in New Hampshire.

James Spader

Hometown: Boston, MA

The Blacklist star was born in Boston and attended the Pike School and the Brooks School in North Andover, where his parents both taught.

Justin Long

Hometown: Fairfield, CT

The star of TV's Ed, and of the movies Jeepers Creepers, Alvin and the Chipmunks, and of course the popular "I'm a Mac" commercials was born and raised in Fairfield, CT, where he attended Fairfield College Preparatory School.

Michaela McManus

Hometown: Warwick, RI

Best known for her roles on One Tree Hill and Law and Order SVU, McManus is a native of Warwick, RI.

Robert Capron

Hometown: Scituate, RI

Best known for his role as the best friend in the "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" series, Capron was born in Providence, RI, and currently resides in Scituate, RI.

James Woods

Hometown: Warwick, RI

The star of Nixon and Ghosts of Mississippi, Woods grew up in Warwick, Rhode Island, where he attended Pilgrim High School.

He is an active dealer of antiques in Rhode Island.

Ben Affleck

Hometown: Cambridge, MA

Affleck moved to Falmouth, MA when he was two, and his father is a native of Rhode Island. The family eventually moved to Cambridge. 

Affleck won the Best Original Screenplay award in 1997 for cowriting "Good Will Hunting" with Matt Damon. He received an honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts from Brown University in 2013.

Mandy Moore

Born in: Nashua, NH

Singer and actress Mandy Moore, most famous for her role in A Walk To Remember, was born in Nashua, NH.

Joanna ‘JoJo’ Levesque

Hometown: Foxborough, MA

Born in Brattleborough, MA, the "Too Little Too Late" singer was raised in Keene, NH, and Foxborough, MA. 

Sam Lloyd

Hometown: Weston, VT

This Weston, VT native is perhaps best known for his role as beaten down lawyer Ted Buckland on the comedy series Scrubs.

Matt Damon

Hometown: Boston, MA

Born in Cambridge, this Harvard University grad is best known for his roles in Good Will Hunting and the Bourne series. He was voted People's "Sexiest Man Alive" in 2007.

Glenn Close

Hometown: Greenwich, CT

Emmy and Tony Award winner and 6 time Academy Award nominee Glenn Close, most famous for her roles in The Big Chill and Fatal Attraction, was born and raised in Greenwich, CT, where she was raised in a stone cottage and attended Choate Rosemary Hall in Wallingford.