Everybody knows that celebrities like Justin Bieber and Celine Dion are from Canada—their names have practically become synonymous with our neighbors to the north, particularly when we’re playfully poking fun at the stars. But America, and Hollywood in particular, is full of many other Canadians. They live here, work here, and play here, and yet many of our biggest stars hail from the Great White North.

The circumstances that brought them stateside are unique, but they often involve the same themes of following their dreams and trying to make it big. Actors often head toward Hollywood or New York City to catch a big break, leaving their Canadian hometowns in search of fame. Athletes might come to the U.S. to attend a university for more exposure and to increase their chances of being recruited. Scientists and entrepreneurs often follow similar paths, either heading to a prestigious university or bee-lining to Silicon Valley to pitch their startups.

Once here, burgeoning stars typically assimilate fairly easily. Sure, there’s the love of maple syrup and diehard hockey fanaticism (and some of these cultural assumptions are true), but culturally Canadians and Americans have much in common. They speak mostly the same language (outside French-speaking Quebec); they eat lots of the same foods, and many of the cultural references are the same. Socio-politically, Canadians follow Europeans more in terms of things like free education and universal health care; however, the overall structure and ideas of the countries are alike.

For these reasons, it’s no surprise that these Canadians celebrities blend so seamlessly into the American landscape, often working for years or even decades without most Americans knowing where they’re from.

Celebrities You Didn't Know Are Canadian

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