CELEBRITY SOUP

from Orlando Style Magazine June 2021

TOYS

SURPRISING CELEBRITY BIRTHPLACES

Celebs who weren't born where you might think!

By Riesa Pascal

While the rich and famous are commonly associated with the cities they were raised in, quite a few were born in completely different countries that they may appear to have no connection to at first glance. From celebrities born to military parents overseas, to the offspring of jetsetting parents who worked together—keep on reading to learn about the surprising birth places for some of Hollywood’s biggest stars!

KEANU REEVES - Beirut, Lebanon Our first celebrity probably has one of the most diverse backgrounds on the entire list! Keanu Reeves was born in Beirut, Lebanon on September 2, 1964. His mother, an English woman from Essex, was a costume designer and performer who was working in Lebanon when she met his father. Reeve’s father hails from Hawaii and is of Native Hawaiian, Chinese, English, Irish and Portuguese descent. In fact, Reeve’s home decor today remains heavily influenced by his Chinese-Hawaiian heritage. After his parents divorced in1966, Reeves' mother moved the family to Sydney, Australia and then to New York City before eventually settling down in Toronto which is where Reeves calls home.

JOAQUIN PHOENIX - Río Piedras, Puerto Rico The third of five children—all of whom have pursued acting—Joaquin Phoenix was born Joaquin Bottom on October 28, 1974 in San Juan, Puerto Rico. His American parents met when his mother was hitchhiking in California so how did the family end up all the way in Puerto Rico? After the birth of their second child, the Bottoms joined the religious cult Children of God and began traveling throughout South America and Puerto Rico as missionaries. When the family finally broke away from the group and settled down in Florida, they legally adopted the surname Phoenix to symbolize their new beginning.

BRUCE WILLIS - Idar-Oberstein, West Germany Though he moved to the United States before he was three, American actor Bruce Willis was actually born on a US military base in the West German town of Idar-Oberstein on March 19, 1955. His father was a U.S. soldier and his German mother hailed from Kassel. After being discharged from the military in 1957, Willis’ father moved the family to his hometown of Carneys Point, New Jersey. Willis has spoken some German in various interviews, but he is not fluent and native listeners have described his language ability as being broken.

MARTIN LAWRENCE - Frankfurt, Germany Much like Willis, renowned comedian Martin Lawrence’s father was also stationed in Germany at the time of his birth. The fourth of six children, Lawrence was born on April 16, 1965 in Frankfurt and he continued to live in Germany until he was seven. At that time Lawrence’s father left the military and the family moved back to the United States to settle down in the Washington, D.C. area.

EMMA WATSON - Paris, France If you’re a fan of the Harry Potter film franchise—or simply someone who doesn’t live under a rock—you are most likely well aware of British actress Emma Watson, but did you know that she was actually born in France? Emma lived with her English parents in Maisons-Laffitte near Paris until the age of five when her family returned to Britain and her parents divorced. Though Watson claims to speak some French, she admits it is not as good as it used to be.

NICOLE KIDMAN - Honolulu, Hawaii It may already be common knowledge that Nicole Kidman is Australian, but few may realize that she was actually born in America! Kidman made her grand entrance into this world in Honolulu, Hawaii on June 29, 1967. Both of her Australian parents were in the United States on student visas at the time with her father being a graduate student at the University of Hawaii at Mānoa. Kidman was only four when the family moved back to Australia, but the Academy Award-winning actress retained her dual citizenship and eventually returned to America to further her acting career.

MILA KUNIS - Chernivtsi, Ukraine Mila Kunis was born Milena Markovna Kunis on August 14, 1983 in Chernivtsi, Ukrainian SSR. The Black Swan actress’ first language is Russian and it was actually her only language when she moved with her family to America at just 7 years old. Kunis has spoken openly about that time of her life saying her family decided to leave the former Soviet Union because they saw no future there for Mila or her brother. In 1991, the family made the move to Los Angeles, California with just $250 to their name. "That was all we were allowed to take with us,” Kunis said in an interview with The Daily Telegraph. “My parents had given up good jobs and degrees, which were not transferable." Well if Kunis’ wildly successful acting career is any indication, I think it’s safe to say that her parent’s gamble for a better life 30 years ago has paid off!

LUPITA NYONG'O - Mexico City, Mexico Could you imagine two countries feuding over the right to “claim” your success and accomplishments under their respective nationalities? Well that’s exactly what Kenyan-Mexican actress Lupita Nyong'o has struggled with ever since her career began to take off. Nyong’o was born in 1983 in Mexico City, but her parents are of Kenyan origin and she returned with her family to Kenya when she was less than one year old. However, at age 16 her parents sent her back to Mexico for 7 months to learn Spanish which she still speaks fluently today. Kenyan and Mexican tabloids are frequently in a tug-of-war for the prize of claiming the Academy Award-winning actress as their own, but Nyong’o has firmly put the debate to rest in an interview saying, "I've seen the quarrels over my nationality, but I'm Kenyan and Mexican at the same time. So again, I am Mexican-Kenyan and I am fascinated by carne asada tacos."

PHOTOGRAPHY BY BRION PRICE