Sure, Massachusetts residents love their Patriots, Red Sox, Celtics and Bruins and now have legalized Massachusetts sports betting to make that even more clear.
Massachusetts also has a lot of famous celebrities. Some of them are beloved, some of them less so.
BetMassachuetts.com decided to take a hyper-localized approach to see which celebrities raised in the state of Massachusetts have been discussed the most in the past year and came up with a Top 15. There are some new names in the mix like Dave Portnoy, some familiar faces such as Affleck and Wahlberg, and a bunch of actors, actresses, singers and other entertainers.
Methodology: BetMassachussetts.com utilized a weighted system among AhRefs.com Keywords Explorer and Google Trends to look at the most searched Massachusetts celebrities over the past 12 months. Once finding the statistics, they were averaged to determine the Top 15. Massachusetts celebrity was defined as a person who resided in Massachusetts in their formative childhood and teenage for more than 10 years. Celebrity was broken down to include only actors/actresses, singer/songwriters, TV personalities, comedians, dancers, athletes and social media influencers.
These celebrities vary widely. One of these celebrities works with companies that offer Massachusetts sportsbook promos, while others wrestled in the WWE or starred in box-office movies.
Most Well-Known Massachusetts Celebrities in 2023
Affleck Leads the Celebrity List
The top name on the list is Ben Affleck, of Cambridge, who has been back in the celebrity news a lot lately due to his reunion with and marriage to Jennifer Lopez.
The couple was a hot item 20 years ago when they bunked together while shooting a movie in Philadelphia. But then they parted ways and married and had families with others, until their stars re-aligned. Isn’t it great when soul mates find each other? Again. Affleck finished four spots ahead of his Cambridge buddy Matt Damon, star of Good Will Hunting, whose personal life has had a lot less drama and who most recently has been seen selling crypto on television.
No. 2 is Boston’s Chris Evans, aka Captain America, most recently heard as the voice of Buzz Lightyear in “Lightyear,” and seen on Netflix as the bad guy in the big-budget adaptation of Mark Greaney’s “The Gray Man.”
Mark Wahlberg from Boston comes in at No. 3, surprisingly low since he seems to be everywhere always – three movies just this year, and in pre-production as “The Six Billion Dollar Man.” No, it’s not about his bank account. And when Wahlberg’s not on screen, he’s selling hamburgers. Sadly, there was no love for brother Donnie Wahlberg, who’s still married to Jenny McCarthy and stars in the very popular CBS hit, “Blue Bloods.” Are Bostonians mad because he plays a New York cop?
West Newbury’s John Cena is next at No. 4. The very busy actor/professional wrestler last seen in the HBO Max series, “Peacemaker,” is presently involved in seven movies due over the next two years.
In the rest of the list, we have acerbic Canton comedian Bill Burr, Barstool Sports head bro David Portnoy from Swampscott, Steve Carrell and Boston’s John Krasinski – who also were alongside each other in “The Office.” Additional appearances in this list include singer Amy Poehler, comedian/filmmaker Bo Burnham, who hails from Hamilton, and others.
If you're interested, be sure to check out our reviews of top-tier sportsbook and promotions, such as the BetMGM Massachusetts bonus code.
If you prefer the Hollywood angle, we also have a famous Massachusetts movies article, breaking down the date of the most popular films involving the Bay State.
Famous People From Massachusetts FAQs
Yes, Ben Affleck is one of the most famous celebrities from Massachusetts. Affleck appeared in the Massachusetts-focused movie "The Town" and was also born in Cambridge, MA.
Dave Portnoy, the founder of Barstool Sports, is from Swampscott, Massachusetts. He is one of the most famous celebrities from MA.
Yes, famous actor and celebrity Mark Walhberg is from Boston, Massachusetts. Wahlberg was born on June 5, 1971 in Boston, MA.
John Cena was born in West Newbury, Massachusetts on April 23, 1977. He attended Springfield College in Springfield, MA.
While Joe Rogan spent much of his early years in Massachusetts, he was not actually born in the state. Rogan was born in Newark, New Jersey in 1967, and his family moved to Newton, Massachusetts in the 1980s.
Famous actor Steve Carrell is from Acton, Massachusetts.
