# Famous Australians that weren't born in Australia. **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 10, 2010, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-australians-that-werent-born-in-australia/563706 "2010-12-10T21:43:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![rostfrei](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7bcc69/32.png) [@rostfrei](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rostfrei)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2010, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-australians-that-werent-born-in-australia/563706/1 "2010-12-10T21:43:25Z")
Sorry about the thread title, but that’s the basic gist. I overheard a conversation about trivia today at lunch and it got me to wondering… He said, “name four famous people that were born in Australia”. So, like most people, he said (after some thought), Mel Gibson, Nicole Kidman, and Angus Young and Olivia Newton-John. I knew that Mel and Nicole were born in the USA, didn’t know that Angus Young was actually born in Scotland (along with almost every other member of AC/DC), and I knew that ONJ was born in England. It got me to wondering, what famous people from (insert country here) weren’t actually born there? Examples I can think of are: Victoria Principal (Japan), Bruce Willis (Germany), Gene Simmons (Israel), Elizabeth Taylor (England). I’m sure there are many, many more. ---
**Author:** ![Sr\_Siete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6de8d8/32.png) [@Sr\_Siete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sr_Siete)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2010, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-australians-that-werent-born-in-australia/563706/2 "2010-12-10T21:48:54Z")
You forgot Naomi Watts, who was born in Kent. Actually… are there even any Australian celebrities that were born there? ---
**Author:** ![rostfrei](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7bcc69/32.png) [@rostfrei](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rostfrei)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2010, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-australians-that-werent-born-in-australia/563706/3 "2010-12-10T21:54:07Z")
> [@Sr\_Siete](#): > > Actually… are there even any Australian celebrities that were born there? LOL. I was thinking the same thing… Does Air Supply count? At the rate I’m going, they were probably all born in Kuwait. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2010, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-australians-that-werent-born-in-australia/563706/4 "2010-12-10T22:43:42Z")
> [@Sr\_Siete](#): > > Actually… are there even any Australian celebrities that were born there? Not Russell Crowe, he’s from New Zealand. And special mention goes to Sam Neil. Some people think he’s American. Some people think he’s British. Some people think he’s from Australia. Some people think he’s from New Zealand. He was in fact born in Northern Ireland. ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2010, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-australians-that-werent-born-in-australia/563706/5 "2010-12-10T22:45:38Z")
Keanu Reeves. Canadian, born in Beirut. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2010, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-australians-that-werent-born-in-australia/563706/6 "2010-12-10T22:47:42Z")
> [@rostfrei](#): > > It got me to wondering, what famous people from (insert country here) weren’t actually born there? Examples I can think of are: Victoria Principal (Japan), Bruce Willis (Germany), Gene Simmons (Israel), Elizabeth Taylor (England). I’m sure there are many, many more. The big one in America are the dozens of celebrities from Canada. ---
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2010, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-australians-that-werent-born-in-australia/563706/7 "2010-12-11T00:42:43Z")
[Elle Macpherson](http://i.a.cnn.net/si/pr/subs/swimsuit/images/summer/80s/08_elle-macpherson_01.jpg). Born in Sydney. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2010, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-australians-that-werent-born-in-australia/563706/8 "2010-12-11T01:10:03Z")
The Bee Gees started their musical career in Australia, sometimes it confuses people into thinking they’re Australian. Of course Andy Gibb also immigrated to Australia when he was less than a year old ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2010, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-australians-that-werent-born-in-australia/563706/9 "2010-12-11T02:24:14Z")
> [@Lamar\_Mundane](#): > > [Elle Macpherson](http://i.a.cnn.net/si/pr/subs/swimsuit/images/summer/80s/08_elle-macpherson_01.jpg). Born in Sydney. Cate Blanchett, Portia de Rossi, Errol Flynn, Miranda Kerr, and Geoffrey Rush are all authentic native-born Australians. Paul Hogan, on the other hand, was born in Lithuania. No, just kidding, he was born in New South Wales. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2010, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-australians-that-werent-born-in-australia/563706/10 "2010-12-11T02:55:50Z")
Steve Irwin was born in Australia. His wife is American. ---
**Author:** ![Duke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e8c25b/32.png) [@Duke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2010, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-australians-that-werent-born-in-australia/563706/11 "2010-12-11T04:17:12Z")
Colin James Hay, the lead singer of Men At Work, best known for their song “Down Under” which is all about being Australian and all that, was born in Scotland. ---
**Author:** ![Cugel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cugel/32/1199_2.png) [@Cugel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cugel)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2010, 7:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-australians-that-werent-born-in-australia/563706/12 "2010-12-11T07:46:13Z")
Our Prime Minister. ---
**Author:** ![markdash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@markdash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markdash)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2010, 7:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-australians-that-werent-born-in-australia/563706/13 "2010-12-11T07:48:08Z")
Hugh Jackman was born in Sydney. ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2010, 7:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-australians-that-werent-born-in-australia/563706/14 "2010-12-11T07:59:14Z")
Victor Trumper was more than likely a New Zealander. Clarrie Grimmett certainly was. There was some conjecture where Errol Flynn was born but these days it is usually accepted as Hobart. (A lot of this was due to the porkies Flynn himself told). Joh Bjelke-Petersen also was a New Zealander. ---
**Author:** ![Jaguars](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jaguars/32/5879_2.png) [@Jaguars](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jaguars)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2010, 9:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-australians-that-werent-born-in-australia/563706/15 "2010-12-11T09:43:45Z")
Russell Crowe was Born in NZ, moved to Aus at four. ---
**Author:** ![Isamu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7c8e57/32.png) [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2010, 9:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-australians-that-werent-born-in-australia/563706/16 "2010-12-11T09:55:05Z")
Kylie Minogue was born in Melbourne, Australia, about 5 minutes drive from the suburb where I grew up. Rupert Murdoch was also born in Melbourne, Australia. I grew up with cousins of his family. ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2010, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-australians-that-werent-born-in-australia/563706/17 "2010-12-11T17:42:21Z")
Bryan Brown was an accomplished Australian actor (Breaker Morant, Thorn Birds) and made a few hollywood films (Tai Pan, FX). I think he was born in Sydney. ---
**Author:** ![Snickers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Snickers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snickers)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2010, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-australians-that-werent-born-in-australia/563706/18 "2010-12-14T16:30:47Z")
In response to the Australia question, I mentally responded: Hugh Jackman, Guy Pierce, Julia Gillard, and John Howard (I 'spose those last two are only famous for non-Australians that follow Australian politics.) How’d I do? I see Hugh’s already been cleared; was Pierce born in Australia? ---
**Author:** ![Snickers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Snickers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snickers)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2010, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-australians-that-werent-born-in-australia/563706/19 "2010-12-14T16:32:20Z")
I guess I can look this up myownself. Nope - Pearce was born in the UK, emigrated at 3. Dammit! And I spelled his name wrong before. Two strikes already! ---
**Author:** ![Snickers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Snickers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snickers)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2010, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-australians-that-werent-born-in-australia/563706/20 "2010-12-14T16:34:42Z")
Funny. Gillard was born in Wales. (Apparently y’all don’t have that native born clause in your laws, hey? Must be some Commonwealth thing.) I’m not even safe choosing Prime Ministers! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-australians-that-werent-born-in-australia/563706.md?page=2)