Justin Bieber, Keanu Reeves, Ryan Reynolds and 7 other Canadian stars you probably thought were American
Avoid any awkward moments next time you’re chatting with Canadian friends – don’t assume these stars are American
There is no better way to rub a Canadian up the wrong way than by claiming one of their celebrity compatriots is American. And yet, it remains the easiest of mistakes to make – with the vast majority of Canadians in the entertainment industry choosing to leave their sparsely populated rural nation to find fame south of the border, where they settle seamlessly, and often appear to shed anything obviously identifying them as being from anywhere else like an unneeded spare skin. While many musicians – such as Drake, Joni Mitchell and Alanis Morissette – have somehow woven a Canadian identity into their media narrative, many more A-listers, especially actors, find their roots readily forgotten.
So to avoid any awkward moments next time you’re chatting with Canadian friends new and old, here are 10 Canadians you probably thought were American. And yes, the number of good-looking leading men is statistically unusual indeed.
Ryan Gosling
An easy contender for most boyfriend-jealousy-inducing face of the past half-decade, Ryan Gosling has been the suave Hollywood heartthrob carrying everything from financial crisis comedy The Big Short to musical throwback La La Land to long-awaited sci-fi sequel Blade Runner 2049 – to even playing quintessential American icon Neil Armstrong in First Man. But it’s all just acting, darling – Gosling was born to French-Canadian, Mormon parents – and at 18 made a brave move to … nope, not Hollywood, New Zealand.
Justin Bieber
The Biebs has never exactly been shy to claim his Canadian heritage, it’s just that his actions – from the global radio-blotting success to his penchant for fast cars, egg-throwing – and their consequences (court appearances, being banned from China) tend to speak louder than any words. And there’s something so charmingly “American dream” about his ascent, via YouTube, from parochial rural kid to child superstar with very public growing pains (did someone say Britney?). But let the record state once and for all: Justin Bieber was born and raised in Ontario. So there.
