11 Successful Celebrities from Down Under

A number of successful celebrities hail from the “Land Down Under.” Australia has produced some excellent entertainers over the years. Many stars got their start in Australia and eventually moved to the United States to pursue their entertainment careers. Who else do you know from Australia besides Russell Crowe and Nicole Kidman? Technically, those two actors were not born in Australia, but were granted citizenship because of their parents. Here’s a list of 11 well-known celebrities from down under who are very proud of their Australian heritage, many who still even own properties in their home country.

1. Hugh Jackman

The X-Men star hails from the world’s smallest continent, and, no, he was not raised with kangaroos. Hugh Jackman was born in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia in October of 1968. He lived there for most of life attending school and performing in local theater productions. In 1994, Jackman received his big break and was offered a role on Australia’s most popular soap opera, Neighbours, but he turned it down to study at university. Jackman attended the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts of Edith Cowan University in Perth, Western Australia, where he graduated in 1994. In 1999, Jackman was cast in his breakout role as Wolverine in Brian Singer’s X-Men. Jackman, his wife and their two children currently live in the West Village of NYC.