Today “Time” released its list of 100 Most Influential People for 2014. Among the notable recipients of this honor is actor Bradley Cooper, who starred in the recent blockbuster hit American Sniper as well as recent films such as “American Hustle”, “Guardians of the Galaxy”, and “Silver Lining’s Playbook”. Most people do not know that Cooper is a native of Philadelphia, where he was born and went to school. To honor his achievement, today let’s talk about some other famous actors and actresses who hail from the Keystone State.

  1. Jeff Goldblum

Photo courtesy of FameMoose Goldblum’s most famous roles are in “Jurassic Park” and “Independence Day,” though he has acted in a long list of films and television shows. He was born in West Homestead, a suburb of Pittsburgh, and moved to New York at the age of seventeen to pursue acting.

  1. Tim Heidecker & Eric Wareheim

“Heidecker and Wood” by Krumpingrootbeer - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons The comedy duo Tim & Eric has produced a plethora of unforgettably hilarious material. The duo met at Temple University. Both are from our state, with Wareheim hailing from Norristown and Heidecker from Allentown, where he attended Allentown Central Catholic High School. (The same high school that yours truly attended!)

  1. Amanda Seyfried

“Amanda Seyfried-crop” by Courtney - cropped from File:Amanda Seyfried-2 Chloe TIFF09.jpg. Licensed under CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons First making it big with her role in “Mean Girls,” Seyfried is from Allentown. She graduated from Allen High School in 2003.

  1. Richard Gere

“Richard Gere 2012 (cropped)” by Zff2012 - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons Husband of the beautiful Cindy Crawford, Richard Gere has humble roots in Philadelphia, where his father was an insurance agent. Both of Gere’s parents were direct descendants of immigrants who came to the country on the Mayflower.

  1. Kevin Bacon

“Kevin Bacon SDCC 2014” by Gage Skidmore - https://www.flickr.com/photos/gageskidmore/14823923553/. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons Bacon’s father was a prominent member of the city, serving on the planning commission for many years. A true Pennsylvanian born and raised, Bacon’s love for the arts was solidified at Bucknell University.

  1. Lauren Cohan

“Lauren Cohan 2014 Comic Con (cropped)” by Gage Skidmore - https://www.flickr.com/photos/gageskidmore/14771659824/. Licensed under CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons If you’re a fan of “The Walking Dead,” then you certainly know who Cohan is. She was born in Philadelphia but spent much of her childhood in New Jersey and the United Kingdom.

  1. Bradley Cooper

“Bradley Cooper avp 2014” by Georges Biard. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons Cooper is certainly in the spotlight these days, as star of “American Sniper” and a member of “Time” magazine’s 2014 100 Most Influential People list. He was born in Philadelphia and worked at the Philadelphia Daily News while he attended Germantown Academy.

  1. Tina Fey

“Tina Fey Muppets Most Wanted Premiere (cropped)” by Mingle Media TV - https://www.flickr.com/photos/minglemediatv/13106945255/in/set-72157642252193135. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons Tina Fey, one of America’s funniest ladies, was born and raised in Upper Darby. She settled on her dream early, claiming that she knew by middle school that she wanted to be a comedian.

  1. Grace Kelly

“Kelly, Grace (Rear Window)” by Paramount publicity photographer. - Dr. Macro. Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons Grace Kelly rose to fame in the early 1950s and eventually became the Princess of Monaco after marrying Prince Rainier III. She began life in Philadelphia, born to an Olympic gold medalist and UPenn physical education teacher.

  1. Blythe Danner

“Blythe Danner - 1980” by Unknown - ebay. Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons And, surprise: Kevin Bacon is yet another famous actor from Philadelphia. Is there something in the water there? Blythe Danner is perhaps best known for her roles in “Meet the Fockers” and “Meet the Parents,” her role in “Will and Grace,” and her role in real life as Gwyneth Paltrow’s mom. Danner was born in Philadelphia and went to a Quaker high school in Newtown.

Success in the spotlight seems to attainable when you hear the stories of those who “made it” from places close to your home. What other actors and actresses came from Pennsylvania?

Photo courtesy of FameMoose

Goldblum’s most famous roles are in “Jurassic Park” and “Independence Day,” though he has acted in a long list of films and television shows. He was born in West Homestead, a suburb of Pittsburgh, and moved to New York at the age of seventeen to pursue acting.

“Heidecker and Wood” by Krumpingrootbeer - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

The comedy duo Tim & Eric has produced a plethora of unforgettably hilarious material. The duo met at Temple University. Both are from our state, with Wareheim hailing from Norristown and Heidecker from Allentown, where he attended Allentown Central Catholic High School. (The same high school that yours truly attended!)

“Amanda Seyfried-crop” by Courtney - cropped from File:Amanda Seyfried-2 Chloe TIFF09.jpg. Licensed under CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

First making it big with her role in “Mean Girls,” Seyfried is from Allentown. She graduated from Allen High School in 2003.

“Richard Gere 2012 (cropped)” by Zff2012 - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Husband of the beautiful Cindy Crawford, Richard Gere has humble roots in Philadelphia, where his father was an insurance agent. Both of Gere’s parents were direct descendants of immigrants who came to the country on the Mayflower.

“Kevin Bacon SDCC 2014” by Gage Skidmore - https://www.flickr.com/photos/gageskidmore/14823923553/. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Bacon’s father was a prominent member of the city, serving on the planning commission for many years. A true Pennsylvanian born and raised, Bacon’s love for the arts was solidified at Bucknell University.

“Lauren Cohan 2014 Comic Con (cropped)” by Gage Skidmore - https://www.flickr.com/photos/gageskidmore/14771659824/. Licensed under CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

If you’re a fan of “The Walking Dead,” then you certainly know who Cohan is. She was born in Philadelphia but spent much of her childhood in New Jersey and the United Kingdom.

“Bradley Cooper avp 2014” by Georges Biard. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Cooper is certainly in the spotlight these days, as star of “American Sniper” and a member of “Time” magazine’s 2014 100 Most Influential People list. He was born in Philadelphia and worked at the Philadelphia Daily News while he attended Germantown Academy.

“Tina Fey Muppets Most Wanted Premiere (cropped)” by Mingle Media TV - https://www.flickr.com/photos/minglemediatv/13106945255/in/set-72157642252193135. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Tina Fey, one of America’s funniest ladies, was born and raised in Upper Darby. She settled on her dream early, claiming that she knew by middle school that she wanted to be a comedian.

“Kelly, Grace (Rear Window)” by Paramount publicity photographer. - Dr. Macro. Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons

Grace Kelly rose to fame in the early 1950s and eventually became the Princess of Monaco after marrying Prince Rainier III. She began life in Philadelphia, born to an Olympic gold medalist and UPenn physical education teacher.

“Blythe Danner - 1980” by Unknown - ebay. Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons

And, surprise: Kevin Bacon is yet another famous actor from Philadelphia. Is there something in the water there? Blythe Danner is perhaps best known for her roles in “Meet the Fockers” and “Meet the Parents,” her role in “Will and Grace,” and her role in real life as Gwyneth Paltrow’s mom. Danner was born in Philadelphia and went to a Quaker high school in Newtown.

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