These world-famous superstars of music, film, and television all hail from the Sunshine State.
Florida is known for many things: year-round warm weather, beautiful beaches with white sands and azure waters, small towns full of charm and, in Miami, AKA the Magic City, a great nightlife.
But did you know that the Sunshine State is also home to many celebrities of music and the big screen? Here are seven superstars that call Florida home!
Ariana Grande
Grande, who became famous for doing covers of Adele, Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, and other singers and uploading them to YouTube, hails from Boca Raton, or “mouth of the mouse,” which is the Spanish name of this charming town in Palm Beach County.
In October, Grande, who stars as Glinda the Good in the “Wicked” movie, made a pit stop in her hometown to see the movie with her Nonna, who turned 99 that month. Grande said that they saw the film at “the movie theater I grew up going to every weekend.”
Tom Petty
The multi-talented musician, actor, and founder of the eponymous Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers was born and raised in Gainesville, the county seat of Alachua County, and the most populous city in North Central Florida.
One of the best-selling artists of all time with hits like “I Won’t Back Down,’ the late-great rocker said his interest in music led him to the set of an Elvis biopic in nearby Ocala, and he credited this experience for wanting to be in a band.
Maya Rudolph
The Gainesville native started her entertainment career as one of the revolving members of former Weezer bassist’s alternative band, The Rentals. Since then, Rudolph has had a diverse – and successful – career as an actress, singer, and comedian, most famously on the legendary sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live. After roles in films like 50 First Dates and Idiocracy, Rudolph won two Emmy awards for her performance in The Good Place.
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Faye Dunaway
The native of Bascom, in the Florida panhandle, has a career that spans more than 50 years and is the recipient of several major awards, including the Oscar for Best Actress for her role in “Network” in 1977.
Dunaway began acting on Broadway but shot to international fame after her breakout role as the titular Bonnie Parker in Bonnie and Clyde, alongside Warren Beatty. The Thomas Crown Affair, Network, and Chinatown, with Jack Nicholson, soon followed.
Sarah Paulson
Fans of American Horror Story are very familiar with Paulson, who has appeared in every season of the horror anthology created by Ryan Murphy since it made its debut in 2011.
As a child, she spent time in both Tampa and New York and later graduated from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. This was followed by various shows on and off Broadway before landing roles in American Gothic and What Women Want. For the LGBTQ actress’ groundbreaking roles in theatre and the big and small screen, Time magazine named Paulson one of the 100 most influential people in the world.
Debbie Harry
Although many people associate Debbie “Blondie” Harry with the punk and new wave scenes in New York and London, her real name is Angela Tremble, and she was born in Miami. Her adoptive parents later relocated to New Jersey.
She had many hits in the late ’90s as the vocalist for Blondie, including One Way or Another, The Tide Is High and Call Me. She later became a highly successful solo artist, and her album Rapture is considered the first rap song to hit the top of the charts in America.
Eva Mendes
Eva Mendes, a Miami native of Cuban descent, got her start in horror B-movies before her breakout roles in Training Day and 2 Fast 2 Furious. The actress, who has two daughters with Canadian actor Ryan Gosling, has appeared in music videos for Aerosmith, Pet Shop Boys, and other artists, most notable being Will Smith’s “Miami”.
